Facebook is a blessing and a curse: A curse because it’s a dumping ground for every moron with a half-baked opinion (like myself) to spew freely. And it’s a blessing because amidst all the dreck that pollutes our feeds, every now and then, something legitimately interesting will be sent our way via the Facebook gods. Sometimes it’s thanks to a sponsored ad…OK, nobody said that ever. In reality, it’ll usually be in the form of a post directed towards a specific group, which is exactly how I discovered today’s band in review, Hasturian Vigil.
It was in a Facebook group dedicated to blackened speed demons Hellripper that I first caught wind of Hasturian Vigil. I’m not sure if this newly formed duo was performing alongside Hellripper, or if it was a post along the lines of, “If you dig Hellripper, chances are you’ll dig this.” Whatever the case, the name caught my eye, and so did the unsettling cover art of their debut album, Unveiling the Brac’thal. With a band name and album title like that, I knew this was gonna be more than your everyday, run of the mill second wave black metal worship release.
Centered heavily around the Cthulu mythos (specifically that of the Great Race of Yith), Unveiling the Brac’thal is a harrowing journey into the abyss, boasting four lengthy and unpredictable offerings of ruinous black metal. The album opens with the 10+ minute “Ikaath the Seven Horned”. This wildly cathartic cut is emboldened by its unusual riffing and a downright harrowing atmosphere, with some miserably slow doom passages to boot. I definitely hear hints of Root and Master’s Hammer on this one. The aptly titled “Apparitions of Torment” follows. While it varies in tempo, it never lets up in extremity, subsequently lying closer to traditional black metal than its predecessor.
My favorite cut on this release, “Nine Bellowing Hounds”, continues the bizarre black metal blitz, this time throwing in some tasty NWOBHM inspired passages with guitar riffs akin to Angel Witch. The way these parts enter with no warning make for a spontaneous, yet enjoyable listen, as I’m always down to air guitar like it’s 1980. Closing it all out is the ripping “Velvet Paintings Gaze”. Much like “Apparitions of Torment”, this is storming black metal with very little room to breathe. There is the occasional curveball, but not to the extent of “Nine Bellowing Hounds” or “Ikaath the Seven Horned”. Nevertheless, the eccentricity of the overall album keeps us hooked from beginning to end.
Having heavily enjoyed last year’s offerings from Spirit Possession and Malokarpatan, I look forward to exploring even more weird black metal in 2024, with Hasturian Vigil serving as the perfect kickoff to this unpredictable voyage. Unveiling the Brac’thal is an unveiling of unnerving black metal, riddled with remnants of traditionalism and doom. If this is only the beginning, one can only fathom what the future has in store for these Cthulu crazed metallists. Needless to say, it won’t be bright and cheery.
7 out of 10
Label: Invictus Productions
Genre: Black Metal
For fans of: Spirit Possession, Negative Plane, Master’s Hammer