Deathiah Manifesto is both the coming together of Polish Black Metal stalwarts Black Altar and Norwegian Black thrash pioneers Vulture Lord but also a labour of love marking a tribute to the European underground.

Offering up four tracks each, the bands have managed to concoct something interesting in their offerings. Black Altar’s half sees main man Shadow joined by guitarists Necro from Enshadowed and Thomas Eriksen from Mork with Vader’s James Stewart on drums.

Both the intro and outro are crafted by Evil of Crest of Darkness and Vincent Crowley, whilst they are suitably sinister sounding and would bookend a full album well their inclusion means that Black Altar are cut down to only two songs. That is a damn shame in my black book.

The two tracks they offer up here “Sacrilegious Congregation” and “Nyx” are frosty whip smart slices of classic Black Metal.   The first of the tracks is a tribute to the old 90’s Black Metal scene. Check out the video – a grainy grimy depiction of satanic ritual and baby sacrifice with goaty beasts and a papier-mâché devil. It’s brilliant and the kind of thing that used to get stopped at the border by censors and customs in the 80’s.

The track itself is a thunderous satanic rager filled with evil guitars and bombastic drums and wolf howls. What is not to love? It is deliciously old school but the drums have a glorious full sound and the production is great.  “Nyx” simply blasts out of the speakers from the off. James Stewart is off and blasting and the band are riding his coat tails.  When things slow the atmosphere ringing from both the guitars and Shadow’s bass is wonderfully dark but still rock and fucking roll.

I am a big fan of “Desecration Rite” Vulture Lord’s 2021 album – which was only their second full length release – surprisingly as the band have been together under one name or another since 1990 and Vulture Lord since 1997. What these Norwegians offer up on the previous album and on their half of this split is raging Blackened Thrash metal with a real punk spirit.  Elements of early 1349 can be heard alongside Bathory, Sarke, Abigail and Sabbat x2 (both the British and Japanese bands) as well as most things that Abbath goes near. The thing is with this band – – in fact both them and Black Altar, they are not copyists paying tribute and nicking riffs. They have been there since the early days. This is Christian baiting filthy rocking Black Metal. Flaming torches in caves and red wine stains.

Their first offering here is a cover of Brazillian underground legends Vulcano’s “Dominios of Death”. Vulture Lord have done a great job giving the track a coat of corpse paint and gnarly black metal without losing all the underground urgency of the original.

“Hark! The Hymns of War” is pure Norway, dark Black and Roll ala Darkthrone, Abbath and of course Vulture Lord themselves. Fist pumping horns throwing beer drinking metal music!

The accompanying press release told me that one of the tracks features the original vocals laid down by Trondr Nefas who passed away in 2012. There is nothing to indicate which track it is but I am putting my bloodied pound notes on “Bloodstained Ritual Knives”, a thunderous pounding slab of lo –fi speed black metal with vocals reminiscent of a young Chuck Schuldiner. Like a shot of Nitro in the ear canal!  The final track “Usurper, Thy name is Death” is an instrumental that closes the album effectively but leaves me wanting more nasty Vulture Lord.

In fact this album will make any sane lover of dark doings go out and buy everything they can from these too stellar acts. Utterly filthy, no holds barred good rocking blood boiling head bangers.

Get it in ye!

(8.5/10 Matt Mason)

https://www.facebook.com/blackaltar

https://www.facebook.com/deathcibel

https://odiumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-altar-vulture-lord-deathiah-manifesto