The Black Metal duo from France named Hexekration Rites just recently released their new EP upon the world, and much like their earlier two-track demo, their sound is full of fury and hate, menace and power.
Formed in 2018, founders H.R. and C.S. looked to have a full band but instead decided to forge ahead with just the two of them creating and recording the music, adding other members to flesh out their sound live as needed. This being the case,
Hexekration Rites is very much a controlled and focused vision of the two men with zero dilution of that vision. Their music is all about hatred and rites and the way spiritual emancipation can be achieved by channeling this hatred against those who most deserve it. In other words, it’s a rebellion of the mind and soul against forces who would try to control both.
The music itself is churning and raw, with a tribalistic feel in parts. Opener “Ouverture” reminds me a bit of Watain and Emperor in its atmosphere and chilling dread, setting the table for “The Altar of Madness” which is a pure shriekfest of blastbeats and scraping guitars. And pretty much the rest of the album follows the lead set by the second track: it’s brutal and unrelenting, peppered and shaped by bits of Death Metal to give it a fuller, rounder sound. Everything here is raw and exposed, like a nerve getting plucked and played like a violin, but there is a sheen to the production that keeps it from sounding primitive. Further listenings bring forth nuances that might at first get lost in the initial wall of sound, showing that these guys aren’t one-note performers. The songs are intricate and evolving. You can hear some Celtic Frost in there, some Arkhon and Temple of Baal, but this band does their own thing in their own unique way.
If you’re a fan of rawer Black Metal then you’ll probably like this. If you want something short to blast to get out all your anxieties and hatreds against your enemies or society in general, you’ll probably like this. Hexekration Rites has delivered a lethal little EP of fury and emancipation.
Three Buckets of Blood out of Four
Kelly is the author of dozens of stories and dozens of reviews. He likes to write, he likes to read, he likes going to the movies, and he loves to laugh. He hails from the wilds of Kentucky and if you'd like to see more of his work, check out his website: www.kellymhudson.com or you can view his work on Amazon.
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