Lust Hag – Lust Hag (Review)

This is the debut album from US one-woman black metal band Lust Hag.

It’s here! It’s finally happening! A full Lust Hag album! Rejoice! This artist was one of my favourite new finds of 2023, so I have been massively looking forward to the day a full album would appear. And now it has – 37 minutes of elite black metal to get to grips with. Let’s be clear from the start – Lust Hag is so damn good it hurts.

So, before approaching Lust Hag, I urge you to also check out Mistress in the Mirror, Demo II / Promo 2023, Hagridden Black Metal (Split with Floodhag), and the split with Bury Them and Keep Quiet, simply because they’re all so good.

Caught up? Then let’s dive into Lust Hag.

I love Lust Hag‘s mixture of raw aggressive passion and spectral vampiric atmosphere. It’s one that’s both feral and restrained, allowing the music to tear out of the speakers with violent claws, while also cloaking itself in swirling mists of darkness.

The well-written music is dynamic and flows nicely, not only in the individual songs, but across the album as a whole. Each track has something of its own to offer; a voice that speaks in unfettered shrieks and distorted nightmares. Each song is extremely moreish and boasts the sort of riffs, melodies, and atmosphere that many bands would kill for.

Speed and fury is an integral part of the songs, but the artist behind Lust Hag also demonstrates that she understands the use of slower and mid-paced sections to build mood or crush with rhythmic intensity. She has a keen ear for a good meaty riff, and knows how to craft engaging macabre atmosphere that draws the listener in intimately. Of course, the blast beats just come and tear off faces and smash in skulls.

Honestly, this is just fantastic. I have not been disappointed, and the artist’s talent for this sort of black metal remains shockingly good. Catchy, moody, and harsh – how could you not love it? More people need to be made aware of this superlative artist’s output, as Lust Hag absolutely rules.

Essential listening for any connoisseur of underground black metal.