Sulpur - Embracing Hatred and Beckoning Darkness (2021)

Unleashing one hell of a crushing debut release, today we have Sulpur and their debut release “Embracing Hatred and Beckoning Darkness”. Delivering over 43 minutes of pummeling old-school Black Metal, this outfit perfectly captures the aggression and rawness of the 90’s with five blistering compositions. If you like old Immortal, Marduk, Horna, and Satanic Warmaster, this is one release you can’t miss.

Opening with the mysterious intro/title track, the band sets a very dark and sinister mood as waves of punishing riffs and harsh screams quickly take over the sonic landscape. The band’s vicious style is perfectly delivered by the intense guitar work alongside some crafty tempo changes, reminding us of Immortal’s “Pure Holocaust” days. On tracks like “Blessed By Foul Magick”, the listener is abused by its sheer brutality, perfectly balanced between highly melodic passages.

That 90’s timeless graininess in Black Metal is perfectly captured on devastating songs like “Through The Triumph Of Blood”, which are vicious and relentless in nature. The drumming is quite amazing in this release, thanks to its solid production values you hear everything aside the blistering blast beats. Some of our favorite parts in this release have to be the sinister undertones of tracks like “As Stars Line The Path to Glory”, which shift gears from all-out war into creating more macabre atmospheres.

As a whole, “Embracing Hatred and Beckoning Darkness” is one hell of a Black Metal release. Alongside the vicious guitar onslaughts, perfectly crafted (and varied) drum patterns, and your hellish screams, there is an undeniable level of mastery behind the band’s music. Purists of the genre will certainly be completely blown away by the quality and intensity of this release.

Label: Amor Fati Productions

Release: March 10th, 2021

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Unknown