CULTES DES GHOULES — Henbane, ...or Sonic Compendium of the Black Arts (review)

CULTES DES GHOULES — Henbane, ...or Sonic Compendium of the Black Arts album cover Album · 2013 · Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Time Signature
Vintage black metal...

Genre: black metal

Kvlt in the literal sense of the word the Polish death metal act Cultes Des Ghoules unleash a black cloud of infernal magic upon the world in the form of their sophomore full length "Henbane".

Primitive and filthy, the album is still strangely accessible for a black metal release. The black metal aesthetics are there in the form of an emphasis on repetition and the use of screechy vocals, but Cultes Des Ghoules go way beyond the confines of stereotypical black metal (stereotypical, because the public perception of black metal definitely fails to appreciate the many facets of this genre), featuring a thick sludgy bass and several heavy and doomy sections (the doomy closing riff of the atmospheric mammoth 'Vintage Black Magic' even has a Pentagram-esque doom rock feel to it). Observing the punky roots of old school black metal like Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, the Polish act throws some crusty elements into 'Festival of Devotion' which also features some more death metal-oriented elements.

What I like about this album is that it is dirty and filthy, but at the same time accessible in many respects, featuring many well-defined riffs and other elements that go beyond stereotypical black metal.

"Henbane" should appeal to fans of a braod range of black metal artists, ranging from Gravewürm and Behemoth over Hellhammer and Venom to Darkthrone and Mayhem.
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