Scutum Crux are from Poland, (although now based in the UK), and this is their Black Metal début album.
The album starts with a Classical piece with a martial feeling that leads into first track-proper, Chaos Ritual; this is fast, scathing Black Metal with snarling vocals and lots of hyperblast.
Scutum Crux’s Black Metal is dark and razor sharp, with blast beats used frequently and interspersed with either fast drumming or slower, groovier sections.
The guitars are steeped in Blackened melodies and the riffs are fast and solid. Occasional atmospherics and classical sections raise their heads out of the whirling maelstrom before being subsumed once more by the Blackened attack.
Demon Scutum is a great example of this as near the middle of the track the song stops and an atmospheric section starts which is soon replaced by an epic heavy guitars and drums part. This even has a guitar solo in it, (welcome and unexpected in Black Metal), before the speed returns once more.
The vocals are snarling creations bellowed out of the darkness. Although they don’t really deviate from the Black Metal template they do benefit from being more rabid than most.
A solid Black Metal release. Be sure to give them a listen.
Wonderbox Metal 