Ravencult

Morbid Blood

Hell's Headbangers 2011

On their sophomore full-length, Greek black metallers Ravencult return with a more developed and dynamic album.  They have refined, yet expanded their sound, abandoning the overt Nordic influences of Temples of Torment for more of a black thrash edge.  Don't let the initial section of blasting black metal which opens Sacrilege of Death, at the 1:14 mark a full-on black thrash assault lets fly!  Then it relents with a tyrannical black metal explosion.  However, Possessed On Burial Ground drives out from its start with an Aura Noir-esque thrash attack.  Dirty and raw and completely unforgiving, malicious riffage pounds your face as the song progresses.  Hail Revenge however steps back into triumphant black metal riffs for its main body, though the tempo shifts from plodding, to lightning quick.  Disharmonic guitars spike out of menacing grooves which summon comparisons to Darkthrone's Plaguewielder.  Some of the most pronounced black thrash elements come to the forefront near the 1:40 mark of the title-track.  A rocking main riff that brings to mind Nifelheim without any of their superfluous melodies.  There is subtlety on Sworn To the Unspoken Oath, a ripping  Hellhammer-ish crushing groove leaps into angular dissonance once again reminding me of some of the sharp riffing on Plaguewielder, though with a thrashier overall feel, bringing to mind Aura Noir again.  The Gates of Bloodshed brings proceedings to end with a violent full-frontal barrage of black metal riffs as it opens.  The song drops into hammering blackened thrash before erupting again with double bass black metal.  With nearly all tracks the tempo is a constant alternation between total unbridled speed and midtempo thrash romps.  Ravencult have primed their attack, honing the edges of their riffs to a razor sharp gleam and then covering them in the blood of their victims.  Morbid Blood is a rough and ripping thrashed out black metal onslaught.  You'd better get out of the way!