Sepulchral Curse - At the Onset of Extinction

SEPULCHRAL CURSE - At the Onset of Extinction (LYCANTHROPIC CHANTS - MC 2017)

I’ve been playing both previous Lycanthropic Chants releases lately and I have to say that I really like the stuff, which this small label has unleashed so far (and which were Morte and God Disease tapes). Sepulchral Curse cassette titled “At the Onset of Extinction” is next release from Lycanthropic Chants and another one, which I truly enjoyed. I have to admit that this EP impressed me, because not only its quality is higher than your average newcoming death metal band would usually bring, but also ‘cos the music is different to the typical Demigod or Demilich copycats, even if certainly some parts of the traditional Finnish as well as Swedish sound can be spotted here. I don’t want to say that Sepulchral Curse sounds unique nor that it is something extraordinary and spectacular. It’s solid stuff, which just sounds a bit different to most of these one dimensional sounding bands around.

Their style is deeply seeded in the traditional death metal, but the way they incorporate melodies or screamed vocals take their music sometimes even into the black metal territory. It’s a pleasant mixture of death and melodic black metal with some hints of doom then. It includes many impressive riffs and arrangements, most noticeable in the opening song “Envisioned in Scars” (best song for me). I personally like, when Sepulchral Curse speeds up, all these fragments with blasting drums and truly uncompromising riffage are crushing! But on the other hand the slowest song from all, which is the final gigantic anthem “Disrupting Lights of Extinction” also stands out with great harmonies and sheer doom heaviness. So yeah, diversity is definitely a positive aspect of “At the Onset of Extinction” and all these four songs are very interesting and enjoyable.

I suppose the only thing, which I don’t really like about “At the Onset of Extinction” are the mentioned screamed vocals. I never like this sort of vocals, when mixed into heavy death metal growls, it doesn’t work for me and rather annoys me than makes positive impression. But I can live with it. Sepulchral Curse brought us a good release and we should keep our eyes open for their next recordings.

Standout track: “Envisioned in Scars”

Final rate: 70/100