The Devil's Sermon - Rydwany ognia

THE DEVIL'S SERMON - Rydwany ognia (PUTRID CULT - CD 2020)

The Devil's Sermon is a Polish black metal project that debuted in 2019 with "Nie ma boga nad Diabła" album. I never had a chance to hear anything from this album. But I was both lucky and surprised that the band sent me a copy of their new effort, which is “Rydwany ognia” EP. Well, I am more than happy that they did, because this EP is fantastic. It's one of those few examples, when you get a CD of a band you don’t expect much from, but it turns into a pure black gold and impresses you fully. Awesome!  

There are four songs on this EP and first I want to write about my two favourite tracks. First, it's "W otchłani na swoim miejscu" - the best song! - which has this KILLER main riff that is clearly influenced by the classic Celtic Frost / Darkthrone black metal, with its old school obscure style and mesmerizing feel. But the song has a lot more to offer, I really love the arrangements the band came up with here and the melodic line, which pops up at some point is also amazing. Great dark atmosphere, great feeling, amazing song. And then there's "Ten który nie ma pana" - in the first part it's traditional, rather fast, but old school sounding simplistic black metal, but it's far from being tedious. The best comes from the fourth minute, I think, when the violin starts to contribute and add something truly unique to the atmosphere of this song. From then on it all sounds just insane, the melodic line is just superb and memorable as hell. This is one of those moments, when the music gives you goose skin, believe me. I am on my knees. 

The remaining two tracks are also awesome. The title song is actually "Chariots of Fire" cover, but played faster, differently arranged, so sometimes it's almost hard to recognize that it's a Bathory song. But I like how fast and aggressive it is, but with some surprising violin parts for instance. Awesome cover for sure! And there’s also “Bądź nasieniem zła które zatruje świat” - just as good as the other tracks, it's dark, blasphemous and impressive. On top of all that, I can mention a very good production, which is harsh, yet clear enough that it won’t give you a headache. And the vocals and lyrics – they both really underline that demonic, evil character of this music. I have nothing else to wish for. It's a highly recommended release. 

Standout track: "W otchłani na swoim miejscu" 

Verdict: 80/100