Those who do follow, and appreciate, this Polish act will not be disappointed by Henbane, the newest opus of Cultes Des Ghoules. The band did release several vinyl recordings in the past, as well as a fabulous debut full length (Haxan, which was re-released by Hells Headbangers during spring 2011; see the update in our beloved Concreteweb’s Archives section on July 21st 2011). And believe me: this material mercilessly goes on in the very same vein of any former effort (the 2012-EP Spectres Over Transylvania included).
Henbane brings almost one hour of no-nonsense, uncompromising and nihilistic, but extremely energetic Black Chaos with a mostly sleazy, putrid and rotten approach. Despite the primitivism that overpowers the past, the whole is more mystic and mysterious as well than before. The hateful and necrotic rituals (five titles only) vary a lot, but at the same time all of them are compositions with one single inner expression: the revelation of eternal damnation. Sometimes it sounds sludgy, then again rather grinding, horrifying, punkish, proto-thrashing or necrotic, but the long compositions are experiences worth giving some tries. It stands miles away from desultoriness or ordinary predictability, but I do recognize the un-easiness of this new Cultes Des Ghoules-effort. But in any case, if you did appreciate this band’s earlier works, or if you might come on some weird mixture of, let’s say, Mayhem and Necromantia, as well as Blasphemy, Inquisition, Mystagog, Root, Carpathian Forest or Von, then you will eager to spill your blood in order to pay tribute to Cultes Des Ghoules’