Haunted Cenotaph - Haunted Cenotaph

Haunted Cenotaph - Haunted Cenotaph (FALLEN TEMPLE - CD 2019)

It’s awesome to see Haunted Cenotaph back from the tomb so shortly after their first recording “Nightmares from Beyond”. This time they bring four anthems (with an intro to start it all) compiled on the EP simply called “Haunted Cenotaph”. And what can I write other than if you have listened to “Nightmares...” and liked it, then this new onslaught will definitely be up your street. It actually is even better than debut, what is exactly what I expected from this band - an improvement, even better songwriting, which at the same time would keep all the best aspects of the debut intact. Good work. 

Creepy intro as usually has to come first – and these are three minutes of the sounds from the deepest and darkest corners of catacombs. Intros are something what you either like or hate, some people dislike them for being something useless. I have different opinion and I think that intros are able to set up the proper mood for your entire album. There are actually albums, which I couldn’t imagine without their intros. It’s exactly that case here – these intros help you visualise the lyrical theme of Haunted Cenotaph’s music. But once “At the Gates of R'lyeh” is over, a fantastic doomy riffage come forth, sounding like a crawling, most horrid beast. It's heavy, nasty and damn vicious, savage monolith of death, crushing and massacring with no hesitation. All three “proper” songs from this EP present similar style and quality, of killer doom / death metal. Slow paced riffs, some mid paced parts to get a bit of diversity, ghoulish vocals, horror atmosphere... Actually “Into the Realm of Thanatos” is faster than anything this band has done so far and I’m glad to hear that Haunted Cenotaph sounds equally great in both slow and faster death metal. But slowest, doomiest death metal is the juice of this music, with the song “Rites of the Undead” shining on this EP the most. I could only moan that this CD is so short and three songs end up too early. But it gives an enormous appetite for Haunted Cenotaph’s next efforts. I am definitely looking forward to hear them. 

Standout track: “Rites of the Undead” 

Verdict: 85/100