Untitled

The times are changing. If somebody would have told me in, shall we say, 1989 that a black metal band (!) from the Czech Republic (!!) will pay tribute to Jon Lord (!!!), I would have laughed out loud. Yet the opener of the untitled new EP of Cult of Fire offers a keyboard solo that hails Deep Purple mark II. Indeed, it seems to come from beyond. Jon (R.I.P.) gets wild again and does not care about the fact that his orgiastic playing is embedded in a furious black metal masterpiece. In its most enthusiastic moments, it seems as if Satan has no better friends on earth than Cult of Fire. The dudes show their most energetic side and create two extremely intensive songs which combine insanity with rage, velocity with melody and spirituality with heaviness. Their last two-track EP, the glorious "Ctvrtá Symfonie Ohne", offered more symphonic pieces that praised the beauty of their local nature without losing sight of the necessary heaviness, but here we do not have any bombastic or expansive elements. The two songs, too bad that they do not have names, jump headlong into the deepest blackness and Jon adds the progressive touch in a sovereign way.

The raw and opaque atmosphere of the untitled songs is impressive and both outbursts are filled to the brim with exciting details. Eastern Europe has always had some bands that integrated rather strange elements in their music, for example the pioneers of Master's Hammer. Even the ultimate fury of the opener leaves room for these curiosities, for instance the strange ritualistic singing at the beginning. Yet the characterizing features of the tracks are the almost magical density, the stirring spontaneity and the more or less abrupt breaks that keep up the tension. Forget words such as coolness, aloofness or hesitation; every musician works with the highest degree of dedication. As a logical result, the songs reveal the blackened souls of the artists and that is exactly the way it should be. And I may not forget the great musical understanding of the guys, just experience the fantastic melody line that creeps out of the unbridled vehemence at the end of the first song.

As far as I can see (I am not familiar with their "Life, Sex & Death" EP so far), one thing becomes evident. The impulsiveness of the pretty mysterious formation has reached a new level. The demonic vocals, the partly hyper-fast drums, the freelancing keyboard and the relentless guitars - all elements merge with each other. (And Jon Lord never created such brilliant sounds during his lifetime!) Not to mention the very suitable production which emphasises the gloomy elements of the compositions. Not long ago, the Norwegian (Scandinavian) hordes ruled the black territory. Then came the Germans, the mostly progressive French and many other black metal legions from Western Europe. Maybe now begins the moment of truth for those countries that were once separated by the Iron Curtain. At least it seems to me that Cult of Fire are unstoppable on their way that aims for nothing less than the black metal world domination. Did I already say that the times are changing?