Origin: Athens, Attica, Greece 🇬🇷 • Hamina, Kymenlaakso, Finland 🇫🇮
Genre: Black Metal
Having emerged from the depths of the fertile Greek black metal underground as if out of some portal back from the proudest era in BM history, Greece’s Cult of Eibon – est. 2015 – have quickly and with heavy impact made names for themselves as purveyors of Hellada’s finest early scene-worshipping black metal. Homage-paying dirges to the legendary and the obscure collectives of the scene: Rotting Christ, Varathron, Necromantia and Macabre Omen – only the classics – all done in the olde Hellenic way, but with a unique and glinting edge of their own.
Now, when it comes to Finland’s Ceremonial Torture, it’s not such an easy game of comparison. Outside of Sweden’s, GNIPAHÅLAN or possibly Hungary’s celebrated Sear Bliss, I can think of few other bands who deliver the same kind of elegant yet bewildering style of – you guessed it – early 90’s-spirited black metal. Having formed in 2013, the band has paid their dues through staunch underground toiling, which has produced nine recordings. Boasting an air of atmosphere, yet not enough to be labeled as atmospheric BM, Ceremonial Torture flash a truly unique or dare I even say colorful style that still somehow harkens back to those aforementioned days of olde when a path to the second-wave of black metal was first lain.
On December 9, Cult of Eibon along with label mates, Ceremonial Torture, will release their collaborative split, “Necronomical Mirror Divination”, via Iron Bonehead Productions.
Iron Bonehead Productions is a prestigious label out of Germany that was founded in the late 90’s – specializing in underground black and death metal. They boast a proud roster consisting of more than 150 bands from all over Europe, United States, Canada, South America and Asia – true cultivators of the international scene and always dedicated to the underground where the true spirit of extreme metal thrives.
Prepare to enter back into the Majestic swamps or the fabled Passage to Arcturo…
Cult of Eibon send you not crashing through the gates of this album, but gently ease you into the experience with an intro in “Arra – Azag – Thoth” that’s similar to the the one that graces the aforementioned Varathron’s debut album, “His Majesty at the Swamp”; mystifying you with akin thought and visuals-evoking soundscapes along with that dramatic Hellenic touch. All before “The Burning Gates of Acheron” opens the recording up proper; balancing the scales with equal parts heaviness and melody as it unfolds at a savory mid-tempo before glorious onslaughts of pummeling riffage ensue. COE at their best as always. The following track “The Lament of the Forest” treads similar musical territory as the coven apply the same dominating riffs/rhythms and atmospheric keys, but with a more textured vocal approach and even more of an epic vibe. Definitely my favorite cut. Cult of Eibon draw the curtains to a close with the gentle piano-accented “Father, Thy Ancient Wisdom”. Haunting whispers of the Ancient Ones echo through a deep ritualistic atmosphere in these final closing minutes of what has been a tour de force contribution to this split.
Ceremonial Torture back it up with their very own brand of hypnotism. Prepare to embark upon a voyage through black metal’s scarcely-travelled environments. As you take in the purely psychedelic intro “Ceremonial Night of Unearthly Love” with its romantic fantasy aesthetic, you’ll find yourself equally as captivated as you were with COE’s contribution, but in a much different way. Following the intro? There’s a whole lot going on from the Wampyric “Summoning at the Gothic Graveside” with its teeming atmosphere to the closer, “Whispers of Dark Massacration”, with its deep riff-dominated attack. Crisp synth accents slice through the mix all the while as towering rhythmic cadences drive forward a maddening current of gurgling bass lines and bizarrely-toned guitar parts throughout both. Mixing these three tracks must’ve been a daunting yet fulfilling task. Each very differently sounding phase pieced together with the next in a twisted, mind-f~ck of a black metal orchestra. With these three exclusive cuts, sole instrumentalist Goatprayer Doom Predictor – with savant-like vision and adeptness – takes you far out onto the fringes of yesteryear’s black metal, and is it ever as sweet as it is brilliant.
A genuinely well-put-together split that I feel definitely brought out the finest in both projects. Two bands from two different parts of the world who represent two completely different, yet somehow equally enthralling styles of black metal, beautifully bonded together with their combined works packaged in the warmth of classicism under one of the finest labels in the underground.
8.5/10
Experience “The Burning Gates of Acheron” and “Summoning at the Gothic Graveside” from “Necronomical Mirror Divination” right here:
~Jeger
