Info
- Band(s): Burialkult
- Label(s): Drakkar Productions
- Release Format(s): 12" vinyl, CD
- Release Year: 2022
- Review Date: March 19, 2023
- Author(s): FelixS
It has been over a decade since I first and last heard of the Canadian Black/Death Metal band Burialkult. The band released an EP and full-length album in 2012 and 2013 respectively, both through Swedish Blood Harvest Records. And although both efforts were interesting enough to keep an eye on the band, they fell silent for ten years. It was until last summer that Drakkar Productions, seemingly out of the blue, presented Burialkult’s sophomore album, ‘Infernal Death Manifest’.
Where the previous recordings were hanging in the balance between both Black Metal and Death Metal the emphasis has clearly shifted to Black Metal on this new album. Not all Death Metal influences are gone, but they have rid themselves of the somewhat chaotic nature of their song writing and the production/overall sound has improved a lot. Or, well, that depends on what you were expecting and what your preference is, but Burialkult definitely seems to have been working on their craft in those ten long years of seemingly hibernation. The changes of tides, musically, might not only have something to do vision, but perhaps also with a complete overhaul of the band. In those years of absence only vocalist Phlegathon seem to have survived, all other musicians have been replaced with new ones. And whether these new band members are more capable musicians or the better production paid its dividends, or the most probable scenario: a bit of both, the result is quite a staggering step up from their ‘A Call From Beyond The Grave’ debut album (2013, Blood Harvest).
They clearly take a lot of the blazing Swedish styled Black Metal with a bit of that Black Metal-tinged Death Metal of later Vital Remains, Deicide and Behemoth to it. This results in a blend of Black Metal that is very fast and melodic at the very same time, including some almost Ralph Santola sort of leads. On the vocal department, Phlegathon serves us with some evil barked sort of screams that bears some resemblances with Nebiros, previously known for his work with Ofermod and currently of Malign. That is not the only parallel with Ofermod, the music on ‘Infernal Death Manifest’ has quite a bit of those contrarian riffs that typifies most of Ofermod’s work, as well as Deathspell Omega and some of Mayhem’s more recent records.
In short, Burialkult has not been buried. On the very contrary. In its long hiatus it clearly has secretly been working on a grand return. While the foundations that the band portrayed on their 2012 ‘Evil Antichrist Hordes’ 7” EP and the aforementioned ‘A Call From Beyond The Grave’ album are not abandoned completely, the band definitely feels reborn with this new album. With ‘Infernal Death Manifest’, Burialkult made a quite unexpected, but very welcome return.
Burialkult
- Country: Canada
- Style: Black Metal, Death Metal
- Links: Bandcamp, Spotify
