Wampyric Rites and Moloch are both black metal bands, from Ecuador and Ukraine, respectively.
Ever since encountering Wampyric Rites on their 2022 album The Wolves Howl to the Moon, I’ve been smitten, so when this split appeared I knew I wanted to hear it. The band contribute two songs to The Serpent Cult of Darkness, with a combined total duration of 19 minutes.
La Gelida Nieblina Asciende de Las Tierras Australes is the first song, and opens with a disarmingly melodic intro that has a medieval feel, before bursting into full blackened life after almost two minutes. The music comes across as ancient and traditional, yet also vibrant with a dark melodic grace and infernal atmospheric presence. It’s a relentless song with some great classic metal-influenced melodies, and I still love the singer’s voice; high screams with the occasional deep growl. Very nice.
Following this is The Mystical Singing of the Lone Wolf in a Cold Forest, which is also bright with sharp melody and underpinned by blackened vitality. The feeling is mournful and despondent, despite the overall energy of the song. The winding melody dominates the music, threading through it as an emotive knife through sorrowful flesh. The song has a depressive black metal air that works well for it, until about five and a half minutes through, when an absolutely malevolent riff breaks through everything to turn the song into a murderously groovy affair. The depressive aura is then briefly returned to its grim glory, before it winds down with the killer riff again and a molten solo.
Moloch, (whose drummer is a current/ex-member of Blut Aus Nord, Fides Inversa, Frostmoon Eclipse, Liber Null, Macabre Omen, and Manetheren), contribute three tracks, with a total duration of 12 minutes.
The Black Moon Shadows is a 3-minute synth introduction to the main event – Enthroned! Thy Unholy Spirit! – which reveals itself to be a 7-minute slice of understated blackened atmosphere twinned with harsh, forceful hostility. It’s a mixture that works well, allowing for speed and aggression, while also delivering an air of the night sky. After this the split finishes with its title track, which is another synth piece, half the length of the first.
Although the Moloch side of this split is a decent listen, for me The Serpent Cult of Darkness is all about the wonderful Wampyric Rites. Not only do Wampyric Rites have the bulk of the split’s running time, but they also have the most substantive contribution, due to Moloch having two synth-driven tracks. Besides, Wampyric Rites are just really enjoyable. Either way, I recommend you check this out in its entirety and see what you think.
Wonderbox Metal 