Band: Cultes Des Ghoules
Title: Haxan
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Distribution: Hells Headbangers Records
Release date: May 24th 2011
Review: CD (re-release)

Polish horde Cultes Des Ghoules are about to record new material to release in summer this year through Hells Headbangers Records. It will be a 12”EP, called Spectres Over Transylvania. The band released several vinyl-recordings before (among which the excellent 7” Odd Spirituality in 2007, as well as some splits – a split-7”EP with fellow countrymen Szron will be released very soon as well, if I’m not mistaken), and in 2008 they did release their sole full length. That album, Haxan, got re-released very recently as well.
Haxan is a mystic and mysterious master piece. The five tracks last between seven and half and sixteen minutes, clocking a total running time of fifty five minutes. It stands for a grim and rather ‘primitive’ and nihilistic form of occult Black Metal with a dirty sound (maybe somewhat under-produced?), several sleazier parts, a gargantuan contrast between different tempos and rhythms, and with the atmosphere of Europe’s Underground from about twenty years ago. It’s nuclear, sulphuric, venomous, it is suffocating horror in audible form, it is the sonic definition of ritual malignancy and desperate hate.
Even though I cannot point my finger directly to any other band or project, I dare to mention formations like Necromantia, Root, Mortuary Drape, Inquisition and, in a way, Hellhammer and Mayhem as possible source of influence.
Just one remark: the sound: too chaotic and badly mixed, unfortunately…

83/100

Ivan Tibos.