Thursday 29 October 2015

Cult Of Occult - Five Degrees Of Insanity (Album Review)


Release date: October 15th 2015. Label: Deadlight Entertainment. Format: CD/DD

Five Degrees Of Insanity – Tracklisting

1.Alcoholic 14:46
2.Nihilistic 12:10
3.Misanthropic 16:19
4.Psychotic 10:32
5.Satanic 17:11

Review:

Cult Of Occult’s new album – Five Degrees Of Insanity – is a complex, dark and brooding exercise in Sludge based torture. This album is the audio equivalent of intense pain as the band doesn’t shy away from creating brutal down-tempo Doom/Sludge Metal that some people may struggle with. The twisted album cover tells you what to expect for the next 65 minutes or so.

Even the bleak song titles revel in the misery as Cult Of Occult lay on the doom ridden filth onto the listener. Opening track – Alcoholic – has enough vitriol and power to drive you to drink. The vocals are pitch black from the start with the intense and almost psych based doom and gloom rhythms make this perhaps one of the darkest albums your likely to experience this year.

The band deserves credit for creating epic songs that not only holds your attention but actually demands your respect. Who’s going to argue with them as the nihilistic tone of the album is so commanding through out. The songs range from 10 mins to 17 mins in length as the band leave no stone unturned as the riffs become bleaker and darker with each passing moment.

Tracks such as Nihilistic, Misanthropic, and Psychotic – sees the band venture further into drone based sonic territory as the music can become slightly repetitive at times but it’s the bleak outlook of the whole album that holds your attention. The final song – Satanic – is the darkest song on the album well with a name like that what did you expect – A ray of sunshine. No chance. Not with these filth-ridden doom-mongers. It’s good to see Cult Of Occult actually play some gloomy Occult based metal with a tinge of Psychedelic Drone based noise that I remember from their earlier releases. The mix of clean based vocals and death based growls works superbly well as the band unleash perhaps the standout track on the album.

Five Degrees Of Insanity is an excellent record that will frustrate you at times but you can’t deny how powerful it really is. Cult Of Occult should be very proud of this album. It may not be to everyone’s tastes but at least they have the vision and courage in releasing a superb album such as this. Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Alex at Deadlight Entertainment for the promo. Five Degrees Of Insanity is available to buy now on CD/DD.