New incantations for Feral Forms.
The band’s first EP is released soon after its creation, but in 2024, Federico (vocals), Ciro (guitar, Fierce), Paolo (bass, Claustrum, Grime) and Chris (drums, Affliction Vector, Grime, ex-The Secret) sign with Everlasting Spew Records for the release of Through Demonic Spell, their debut album.
The album starts out oppressive with Monastery Raid‘s noisy approach, but the band quickly becomes very aggressive, with an Old School sound and effective patterns. A few more melodic spikes disturb the abrasive rhythm before giving way to Under The Banner Of Hell, which adopts the unhealthy tone of Black Metal on some piercing leads, but you get the sense that the band remains rooted in raw fury. We stay in similar vein with the massive Titanomachia, where the harmonics lacerate us in their turn, offering little respite to our ears as they are continually martyred, before slowing down a little to move on to Angelcide, a very short track that borrows from Grind for maximum violence. Sadistic Inner Hate takes us back to a more moderate pace, where the musicians combine darkness and dissonant sound with ferocious riffs and beastly vociferations. Antichrist Congregation then sets a more impressive tone, almost solemn and occult, before letting loose again and resuming their cruising speed. The musicians allow us to catch our breath slowly with Prelude, which at first sounds ominous, then the onslaught begins, and lasts for a short while before finally making way for Hellish Nuke, the final track, which offers explosive acceleration over an already aggressive rhythm before letting itself die in a larsen.
Brutality is the main ingredient of Feral Forms. Somewhere between unhealthy Black and wild Death, the band makes Through Demonic Spell is a compendium of raw violence with clear Old School influences. The album isn’t accessible, but it’s still devastating.
85/100
