Cult of the Dragon

When members from prominent black metal bands such as Taake and Gaahlskagg(Herr Ekkel and Thurzur) join forces together it can only be one outcome. black Metal played in a necro, and sinister way. And this is exactly what this album is like, from beginning to end.


The sound on this album is very different from everything else that has come out in norway the last 10-15 years, from around 1997 the Norwegian scene stagnated, due to different reasons, bands releasing the "same" album over and over again, with a few decent exceptions such as Taake and Gaahlskagg. Later bands such as Koldbrann also gave Norwegian black Metal a much wanted change.


When we write 2006, a band consisting of mainly other known black metallers emerge from the ashes of what once was, namely Deathcult. The sound that this album represents are more sinister, and evil than anything I have ever heard come out from the Norwegian scene(even tough they have many good bands). It is not just the standard double bass drum throughout the entire album, and more than just hyperfast guitar riffing. Even tough these elements also are represented on the album, the speed on this album varies all the time, it is just a matter of having the ear capability to hear and recognize it. The vocals vary from high pitch screams, to deep and dark growling, having three different persons handling the vocals(Herr Ekkel, Hoest, and Thurzur)it opens a whole different opportunity to vary the vocals within the songs. You can almost literally feel the misantrophy and hate being spewed forth from the lungs of the vocalists


The lyrics are much deeper than the usual black metal "kill the christian" stuff, being based upon hate, misantrophy and Sumerian mythology, it takes both understanding and knowledge to wholly grasp the knowledge hidden behind the lyrics. You actually need to use some of your brain capacity.


All in all Deathcult delivers a more than good album, this album is actually great, but its not perfect. But the overall feel of this album is far greater than most of the crap being spit out all the time being packaged as true black metal. Those bands don't even reach Deathcult to the knees.

With a sturdy stance against most things living, Deathcult come roaring into the Black Metal scene with their debut album, "Cult Of The Dragon." Despite the current trend with Black Metal either evolving into melodic, commercialized, or avant-garde Black Metal bands, Deathclt stand firm in their sound that is more likened towards older Celtic Frost than the recent waves.

"Cult Of The Dragon" is pure Black Metal from the forests of Norway without any kind of hindrance in its performance. The music is raw and dark, without losing some of the production value that many bands sacrifice for that raw sound. It still incorporates some atmosphere into the material, as most Black Metal does, but the atmosphere is more of a side effect of the material rather than a focus. Deathcult incorporate a variety of techniques to keep the music moving forward rather than in circles.

The guitars use a guitar tone that is dark and ragged rather than heavy, which help compliment the rest of the album. Vocals that range from whispers to echoed screams help create a successful and dark atmosphere for the entire album. Although sometimes the echo effect on the vocals does seem a little overused, most of the vocals are on target. The band isn't afraid to change tempos either to help solidify the album. There are some songs with roller coaster flow that keep the listener intent on the music. The Thrashier moments on the album blend well with the Doom sections to create a massive build throughout the entire album. Surprisingly, there are no dragging moments on the album where the songs blend together or the listener becomes bored.

A few complaints do register with "Cult Of The Dragon" although they are nitpicky and rather sparse. The band has some great technicality of riffs and leads but the solos are a little lackluster (expect for the brief but very awesome solo in "Future Denied"). Also the vocalist has a tendency to grunt and snarl a little too much and at some awkward moments. Neither of these things actually hinder the power of this album, but they were prominent enough for me to take note of them.

"Cult Of The Dragon" is a stunning first release for Deathcult. The album is a rock solid piece of old school Black Metal that many fans are going to enjoy. No gimmicks and no dilution, Deathcult is raw anger and pure Black Metal straight through.

Songs to check out: Cruel Celestial Spirits, Future Denied, Desolate And Lucifer.