Year of release: 2021
Label: Bestial Burst
Rating: 8,2 / 10
I present to your attention a wonderful Black Metal split, where ideological, aesthetic and technical solutions are in amazing harmony, which should be typical of every serious release by default - but in reality it often happens otherwise.
CEREMONIAL TORTURE project comes from Finland. Its author is an active participant in the satanic underground, and I use the word "underground" here without any reservations, since other musical projects with his participation are unknown even to me. Obviously, these are not some shitty things, but serious undertakings, but deliberately hidden from the mass listener. In addition, the musician is the editor of the fanzine. The music of CEREMONIAL TORTURE offers primitive black metal of the oldest type with non-stop keyboard parts. Unknowingly, this band can be mistaken for Russian, because its sound, to put it mildly, is uncharacteristic for the north or west of Europe. The guitar is thin and sometimes disappears altogether, but the bass is very active and strong. The synthesizer is the most remarkable. Firstly, it is either very, very old, or very cheap, or generally computer-generated (but I doubt that). Its sound, let's say, is not metallic. Secondly, by all rights, it should have played long smoky parts in the vein of early SAMAEL, but instead it plays something entirely different. Such keyboard parts were typical for early quasi-symphonic bands from Russia, such as RADIGOST. They can be conditionally called “medieval”, but the label “occult” keeps trying to peel off them, and I can't even call them dark. Keyboards take on their usual forms only on the fifth track, but this is a cover of the old Netherlanders LIAR OF GOLGOTHA.
Finally, all this terribly archaic splendor is presented in a pure digital sound. As you can see, CEREMONIAL TORTURE sounds like complete bullshit in words, but here's the thing - this strange mixture works in an incomprehensible way, and works perfectly. Finnish audio magic gives a very specific retro-style fumes, and after a couple of minutes, imaginary pentagrams and goats begin to ripple in your eyes. This is the right music made against the rules. Despite the similarities with Russian bands, I would compare CEREMONIAL TORTURE primarily with the old Greeks, who were driven by the ideology of poverty, which allowed them to achieve great success with small means.
The Serpukhov band BLACK GOAT has existed since 1999 with a six-year break, but, to my shame, I learned about it only two years ago. It's a shame because the music of BLACK GOAT turned out to be surprisingly serious and right, especially for Russia; with ancient sources of inspiration, which all lovers of loud Swedes and painted Norwegians have not even heard of. I don't know how many good releases there are in BLACK GOAT's extensive discography, but I think there are quite a few. On the split, BLACK GOAT offers a more traditional approach to the occult Black Metal, although they also do not shy away from non-standard ideas.
(Can’t help but note that the Chilean drummer who plays in BLACK GOAT managed to release an album of his project called FORGOTTEN TOMB in the year 2020. Those Latin Americans are wonderful people!)
So, the BLACK GOAT side starts with the right kind of keyboards, made to look like a medieval organ or harpsichord, and then comes the same old, like with the Finns, but more aggressive and dirty Black Metal. The caustic-dusty sound is reminiscent of MORTUARY DRAPE in the first place. This is how Black Metal was played before the Scandinavians. The atmosphere of cinematic retro-Satanism is even stronger in BLACK GOAT's music, with busty naked women on altars and men in black clothes, fumigating the room with unhealthy green smoke. There is even a special instrumental track just about this, where a brass gong beats, and the guitar and percussion take on an oriental hue. Besides praising Satan and desecrating shrines, there is also a biting song about a werewolf from Gévaudan and a TYPHON cover. A decent set.
This release shows what splits are for. The material from both bands alone would not be as impressive, but such a demonstration of two points of view on the same thing creates an outstanding combination. BLACK GOAT's music sounds even more powerful against the background of more melodic Finns, and the Finns sound even more interesting against the background of more traditional BLACK GOAT. As the saying goes, friendship is strength.
The CD was released in a jewel case with 4-pages booklet: two covers to choose from, information about the bands and photos on the spread. Details on a video.
English (UK) 
Крыўская