Release Date: December 21st 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Forgotten Hymns for Lost Futures - Tracklisting
1.I 27:24
2.II 22:27
Members
Cursus Elementum: Guitars and Bass
Ustus Terra: Vocals and Keyboards
Lore Ipsum: Vocals and Keyboards
Tempus Urna: Percussion and Piano
Review
CULTOVAR. A doom and synth forward project featuring members of HERON, MENDOZZA, and BORT and they have just released their debut album Forgotten Hymns For Lost Futures. The album is quite a conceptual record dealing in minimal surroundings whilst allowing the heavy Drone/Sludge Metal grooves to dominate the musical landscape. CULTOVAR call themselves a “DOOM AND SYNTH” project but there is so much more to them with areas of Doom, Sludge, Drone, Psych, Ambient and Stoner Metal sounds appearing throughout the whole record.
If you dig bands such as PRIMITIVE MAN, CONAN, HIGH ON FIRE, AUTHOR & PUNISHER and NEUROSIS then CULTOVAR should most definitely be your next musical destination as they bring a fresh musical perspective to the underground world. The music is aggressive, fast-paced and quite demonic with the twin use of harsh and clean vocals appearing on the record. The sound can be quite bleak and violent to listen to but CULTOVAR have a surreal experimental quality with their “DOOM & SYNTH” aspect coming into life at the right moment within the excellent opening track “I”. This propels the song and record to a more outlandish and fantastical setting compared to the opening ten minutes of the track.
CULTOVAR wisely decides to switch up these musical elements for the remainder of the track which once again leans heavily into the Sludge Metal arena for the most part but there are still intense moments of DRONE and DOOM & GLOOM for people to fully embrace. There are deft touches of Post-Rock appearing within the more quieter aspects of the track but the darkness of CULTOVAR’s music is never too far away.
The second track “II” continues with the dark cinematic journey contained within the opening track and once again CULTOVAR transform into different musical and creative entities which gives their whole music a very brooding and mysterious quality. The record can be PITCH BLACK and wonderfully PROGRESSIVE but also quite tender within the quieter Ambient moments.
Forgotten Hymns For Lost Futures is an exciting and highly inventive debut record which will no doubt allow CULTOVAR to attain a loyal following within the underground scene.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
LinkTree | BandCamp | Instagram
