When Spirit Possession first crossed my radar upon the release of their 2022 sophomore album, Of the Sign…, I was utterly floored by their unhinged unique spin on black metal. I caught them live not long after, playing the now legendary 2023 edition of the Metal Threat Festival. The one thought that came to mind as I watched them absolutely dominate the main stage during a brief, early evening slot: “How the hell can such unholy racket be produced by only two people?” Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Steve Peacock and drummer Ash Spungin unleashed utter aural damnation that night. With the release of their third album, Cathedral Speech, they show no signs of slowing down.
Whereas Of the Sign… was a Bathory meets Celtic Frost meets speed metal at its most rabid amalgamation with its own twist, Cathedral Speech sounds like the soundtrack to your most bone-chilling nightmares come to life. The progressive ambitions showcased in past output have been doubled down on, resulting in lengthier compositions, crazier arrangements, and guitarwork that is utterly inhuman. If the late Cronos knew that fusing prog and black metal on “At War with Satan” would result in a domino effect that would lead to this here album, I’m not sure even he would believe it.
Speaking of the guitarwork, let’s talk about it, shall we? From the moment the opening title track takes hold, we are absolutely bombarded by Peacock’s demonic trills, which have been layered to the point of pure suffocation. I’m not sure another song this year better replicates what it sounds like to burn in hell itself. Couple this with some pseudo-thrashing ’80s black metal riffs, and you’ve got a monstrous opener which sets the tone for the release. “Hanged Angels as Patternwalls” and “The Sharpening” take us even further down the abyss, coming off as what can only be described as “Celtic Frost after overdosing on Benadryl”. Sane minds are incapable of conceiving such heinous sound.
The back half of Cathedral Speech consists of a 20 minute, 3 part suite (I told you this album was progressive). “First Levitation (Accursed Entrances…)” is a masterclass in ancient black metal, channeling the arcane ways of Tormentor and Master’s Hammer. “Second Liturgy (…Impossible Exits…)” opens with some acoustic instrumentation, before bombarding us with some utterly crushing blackened doom. When all else fails, resort back to the Tom G. Warrior riff handbook, and if you need something extra evil, start with the Hellhammer section! The latter half of the song then progs its way to disso-land, as if Robert Fripp heard Bathory and said, “Let’s try something new!” The band save the most chaotic for last with the closing “Trinity Possessor (…In Ten Thousand Hells)”. At this point, any and all control has been lost. Spungin blasts away while Peacock drags us to the deepest pits of the underworld.
If you’re looking for black metal that adheres to the classic spirit without coming off as a cheap knockoff, look no further than Spirit Possession’s Cathedral Speech. Much like Of the Sign… before it, while comparisons can be drawn to some first wave titans, there’s no particular song or riff that can be pinpointed and called out for having been done before, which is insanely rare for a 45 year old genre in which just about everything has been done. Indeed, Spirit Possession are bound to live up to their moniker, possessing the spirit of every mortal who graces their ears upon this beast of an album. No exorcist can save you now.
8 out of 10
Label: Profound Lore Records
Genre: Black Metal
For fans of: Celtic Frost, Negative Plane, Tormentor
Leave a Reply