Baxaxaxa – Catacomb Cult (Hard to Spell German Black Metal)
Goddamnit these guys have probably the worst name to spell. I mean, I dig it, but Christ I can’t spell it. I screwed it up every freaking time and had to rely on cut-and-paste to get anywhere. Thanks guys… It doesn’t matter anyway, because Baxaxaldkjalskdjfawlkef are absolute murder. Originally crushing the German scene in the 1990s, they mysteriously, and murderously, came back around 2018 but only dished out a demo and two teaser tracks that they should have just saved damn it, for this one, their first full length (ever), Catacomb Cult.
Baxaxaxaxholyshitwhy are total vanguard material for German black metal. To be honest, earlier work, one of which I received for review, was uninspired, but Catacomb Cult is next-level. A noticeable feature of this band with a freakishly spelled name is the drive to grind the black metal rather than tremolo the shit out of it. After the unfortunately expected church bell intro, they enter into a death roll with Gothic atmosphere more focused on drawing the listener into a groove than assaulting. But, most of all, the vocals are delivered in a unique fashion even a seasoned freak will recognize. Somewhere between a yell and a shriek, they’re consistent, yet never redundant; a rage-inducing, blood-boiling kind of energy. Perhaps inborn to the vocalist’s natural voice qualities, but even if the case it’s the true mortar that builds the church they immediately immolate.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Baxaxaxa – Catacomb Cult
The Sinister Flame
Cover Art: Baxaxaxa
4.8 / 5
