With no less than 6 other bands with the name Deathcult, it doesn’t make for a easy identification or to stand out in the crowded scene and I myself was initially thinking this was the Chicago, US version ( whose release The Test of Time, sparked my interest ) I come to find this is the Switzerland version and this being a reissue of their 2012 demo,through Iron Bonehead. They also have already released a 2 song EP back  in 2014. So, let’s see what makes this version stand out from the already crowded metal pack.

At 5 songs, the 5th being a bonus track for this release. The Intro, sets the stage for the type of sound we can expect and it’s very old school death metal. Touches of early Asphyx, Nihilist, Dismember, even snippets of early Autopsy but with a more modern production. Kind of what you hear with Sadistic Intent for example. Mind you this is not newer swedeath worship, such as what Entrails, Feral, Revel in Flesh, Blood Mortized are releasing these days, Deathcult  have a much more raw ( dare I say real ?!?) sound that really gets you to those times of yore. The guitars are not quite that distinctive “buzzsaw ( Boss hm-2 pedal ) sound but more natural. Mind you, there are touches of said effect scattered through the 5 songs but it’s not the driving element. There is a darker aura as a whole be it with the music, the sound or the vocals of O. Ketzer. ( Yes, the same from the band Bolzer )

Speaking of the vocals, O Ketzer displays a mid range raspy roar perfectly suited for this music but he also adds a spoken chant voice on songs “Beasts of Faith” and on “Deus Bonus Est”, that give a welcome dynamic to the songs. The later song is their “epic” of sorts, at a tad under 11 minutes is a quite the standout. Plenty of dynamics and varying tempos plus an acoustic outro, all which bring together an interesting dark offering. “Beasts of Faith” is quite the mid paced rager, drummer M. Goathammer carries this song with a simplistic, but steady attack only matched by 2nd guitarist P. Nekros.

All in all an interesting release,they do stand out a bit from the other “deathcults” and they are not groundbreaking by any means but they can be entertaining in their own way, especially for fans of the aforementioned bands and those that appreciate or look for that truly more old school approach.

 

[Visit the band's website]

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