CULT OF DAATH "The Grand Torturers of Hell" CD
Battle Kommand Records, Deathgasm Records
One characteristic that often sets apart the masters from the fledgling followers is the ability of a band to ration and refine its output. The five year interval between Cult of Daath's overlooked classic "Slit Throats and Ritual Nights" album and this demo tape of new recordings demonstrates that Cult of Daath recognize the value of calculated restraint. While the band may often go relatively unnoticed in the U.S. black metal scene, a sincere listen to the body of work they have accumulated reveals that they belong to the top tier of active black metal bands here and throughout the world. While Cult of Daath has gradually established their niche in the underground, their style is one that is not easy to define. Since their debut in 2001, Cult of Daath have polished and honed their sound. The five songs on this new demo show the band moving yet another step forward compositionally. While still retaining the razor assault of their previous work, the new songs are more measured, calculated, and diverse than on any of their previous releases. Though the recording quality is not that of a formal album release, the sound on this demo is professional, capturing the band in their most natural and visceral form. The many influences in Cult of Daath's sound are distinctly audible yet filtered and transmuted in such a way that, when listening to their work, there can be no disputing the fact that they are among the very few U.S. black metal bands to have defined for themselves a genuine identity. Beginning with a foundation evoking the pioneers of early first wave black metal such as Bathory and Hellhammer, Cult of Daath manage to incorporate the aggressive precision of early death metal such as Possessed, the hateful and malefic occult aura of early Mayhem and Darkthrone, and the victorious majesty of Greek black metal such as Varathron. The mention of these various names does little to convey the overall effect of Cult of Daath's music, however, as the summation of these influences produces, in CoD, a sound that cannot be readily compared to any other band.