When I started my radio show (Dark Tryal, every Sunday at 21:00 on TotalRock, promotion). I really thought that I’d be bringing the Death and my co-host would be bringing the Black. However it’s strange that our paths have crossed, we tend to show each other bands from each-others favourite genres a lot of the time. It’s really cool and makes you reflect and appreciate them even more. Over the past year or so I’d really say that Black Metal in particular has grown on me. I’ve seen the scope of its influence and discovered that it isn’t all elitism and dickheads.
As such I now have the privilege of reviewing the latest release from Norway’s own Vulture Lord. Now this is a band with history, formed in 1990 under the name Interment, followed by a list of others until 1995 and settling on Vulture Lord. Personally, I’d never heard of them, but I love a band with a bit of history like that, especially when all these years later they continue to belt out crushing music, not to be lame but that is the passion of Metal. In 2003 they finally brought out their debut Profane Prayer and now in 2021 we are gifted Desecration Rite through Odium Records.
Enter typical haunting/ epic intro track Glorification Of The Dethronation, pointless? Yes, but kind of cool I have to admit, love that fantasy style orchestration and vocals. Anyway, let’s get into the Metal, Bloodbound Militia opens with some very impressive guitar noodling. Classic in tone the vocals project hellfire through rasps and aggression, mixed with rampant drumming and the Heavy Metal tinged licks in the guitars, this is Black Metal! Stillborn Messiah ramps up the hooks with some killer vocals, this is fist pumping angry Black Metal from the genre’s roots, it’s killer.
Diabolical Intervention keeps up the energy, I love Symphonic and Atmospheric Black Metal but sometimes I just want to be slapped around the face by traditional raw Black Metal. I absolutely love those solo moments too, they really add a Heavy Metal flourish that I can totally get behind. You could probably say that most of the songs are the same, and to be honest I’ll grant you that, however it feels fresh, and surprisingly gritty despite the production values being pretty high. Final song Perverting The Bible in particular is a wild trip, massive in delivery and a great summary of Vulture Lord and their work.
So I’ve kind of decided that when it comes to Black Metal I’m not all that fussy, I like a wide range of different sub-genres and the more traditional is but one. One which Vulture Lord firmly fall into, however they have a modern touch to their music, kind of similar to 1349 in that early wave brought anew. I personally really dig it and actually see Desecration Rite as an excellent gateway album into the genre. If you know a Metal newbie, chuck this at them now!
(8/10 George Caley)
Leave a Reply