Info
- Band(s): Kerkerengel
- Label(s): Werewolf Records
- Release Format(s): CD
- Release Year: 2024
- Review Date: November 9, 2024
- Author(s): VincentP
With Kerkerengel we witness the birth of another band led by Lord Vrăjitor, the mastermind behind the likes of Warmoon Lord, Old Sorcery and Argenthorns. But while epic and symphonic elements form parts of each of these other bands, Kerkerengel will have none of that. Such is shown on the debut album ’…From a Dishonoured Grave’, brought on CD by Werewolf Records.
In this entity, Lord Vrăjitor professes his dedication to Black Metal in its purest and rawest form. While hints of old Satanic Warmaster and Clandestine Blaze form part of 45-minute debut album, the music is more based on the legacy of the Les Légions Noires movement and the Finnish Black Metal bands it inspired such as Helwetti and most of all, Warloghe. Raw and pummeling Black Metal with skincrawling riffs form a whirlwind in which drums can barely be discerned. Indeed, it’s all about the twisting guitars and piercing shrieks that paint this bareboned and suffocating Black Metal canvas, as is viciously displayed in the harrowing song ‘A Death Dream’. Droning and repetitive, tracks like ‘Possessed Obedience’ and ‘The Burial Soil Gazes’ revolve around a handful of riffs that highlight the minimal approach of Kerkerengel, as well as Lord Vrăjitor’s uncanny talent for writing compelling music. The tempo of the record is almost exclusively menacing, leaving little room to recover from the distorted onslaught. ’…From a Dishonoured Grave’ is not entirely devoid of keyboards, however, but these serve a totally different purpose than in his other bands. Whether it’s ambient intros such as in ‘Arteries of Rot and Ascension’ or sinister accents such as found ‘In My Howling Tomb’, these elements merely function to pull the music into even bleaker directions.
Considering that a new Warmoon Lord track was teased shortly after the release of ’…From a Dishonoured Grave’, it seems admirers of Lord Vrăjitor’s musical work have plenty to dig their teeth in in 2024. Kerkerengel is a different beast however, presenting a much grittier and unnerving musical experience that is not for the faint of heart. However, if you, like myself, count yourself amongst those that embrace the rawer and more skincrawling Black Metal sound of Finland, this is a thoroughly enjoyable slice of distorted evil.
