XLP Review: "Sinister" by Cultes Des Ghoules

Sinister

It's easy to hold a band's previous success against them because it's hard to look at something in a vacuum.

Take the Polish Avant Garde Black Metal group, Cultes Des Ghoules. Last year, they dropped, probably the best black metal concept record based on a play. Seriously, that's one of the best albums of 2017 period.

Now, that record checked off all of my boxes, which is makes Sinister so difficult for me, as it's certainly not a Coven Part Deux.

It's pretty far away from that album in fact. It would be unrealistic to expect a sequel, but what do we have on their fourth release?

Like I inferred from the cover, Sinister feels like an extended black magic ceremony. First the circle is drawn. Then the incantation is given. Then the demon begins to push through the barrier that separates the ethereal planes from our world.

After the muck freely flows onto the floor and the desolate one has been restored to the physical realms, you can't un-ring the bell.

Cultes Des Ghoules has maintained a similar sound and its greasy swagger sounds ever so delicious intertwining in this dirty magic.

Release: 9/23/18 (Vinyl on 10/31) FACEBOOK BANDCAMP

LP Review: "Unholy Destruction" by HAMMR

Unholy Destruction

In hopes of becoming a fully qualified Black Metal Historian, Lords of Chaos is sitting on my bedside table. Thank you, St. Louis Public Library!

One of the things it has taught to me is that there was a blood hatred between Death Metal and Black Metal. At least that's what we're supposed to believe from Euronymous and Varg Vikernes.

My loyalties have always been on the Death Metal side and not the Black Metal side. Even without knowing that there was an East Coast/West Coast style beef between Oslo and Tampa Bay.

Interestingly enough I chose Death Metal with Kiss and King Diamond being huge favorites of mine. Seems wrong doesn't it? Kind of like how Clark The Canadian Hockey Goalie chose Shortstop and not Catcher.

Thankfully, there's been a truce in my blood. It was just about the Gateway Drug to allow the blackness to enter my soul. Last year, We were able to cover a spectacular Black Metal show featuring some Death Metal.

TLP Review: "Coven, or Evil Ways Instead of Love" by Cultes des Ghoules

Coven, or Evil Ways Instead of Love

Remember when Metallica's Black Album hit?

Well, think back before that album to ...And Justice For All and then think forward (but still back) to the press they did explaining why they weren't writing long songs anymore.

Lars explained about how they had taken that whole mini-epic thing as far it could go. This was a statement that had me totally confused.

Those songs were pushing TEN MINUTES. How in the world could these be seen as mini epics?

How little I knew, but let's remember that this was not only pre-YouTube but pre-internet. Prog was a movement whose day had been done for well over a decade so it wasn't like  Yes was being played on the radio.

Album Review: "Wings of Chains" by BAT

Wings of Chains

In Under Seige, Tommy Lee Jones's character referred to what he was doing as a revolution and not a movement, because a movement can only go so far before it stops.

What happens when a musical movement runs out of steam?

Thrash metal was once a powerful force in the musical world. Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, Testament, Exodus, and many more would attack audiences the world over.

The problem was thrash metal never evolved. In all honesty, Metallica stopped being a thrash band after their first record. Slayer has always been Slayer, save a couple of the Original Bostaph Era records.

Anthrax, well, they are what they are. For a musical movement to become a revolution, it has to continue to grow and change. Metal is unique in that many revolutions become movements and then birth others....