Cult Burial knows only violence.
Based in London and still independent, Simon Langford (all instruments) and César Moreira (vocals) released their third album, Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust, in 2025.
The oppression begins from the very first moments of Vincula, a dissonant opening track that starts off heavy and then becomes extremely violent when the screams kick in and intensify the aggression. Doom overtones sometimes slow down or thicken the mix, which erupts with blasts and virulent riffs before moving into an unsettling groove with Collapse, whose anxiety-inducing introduction gives way to a veritable cataclysm of violence. The rhythm section explodes regularly, naturally returning to a dark tranquility, but making the track quite fast, crashing into Aether, which in turn tramples us, letting the lead guitar float and provide the necessary touch of contrast. Although sharp, the solo is also very different from the rest, creating a real moment of surprise before drowning again until reaching Mire, who gives us a moment of respite before unleashing all his power on us once more, letting his riffs crash down uncontrollably. There are also a few touches of tapping complementing the infernal harmonics, then Enthrall spreads its darkness with a very raw performance, barely allowing the guitars to release their dissonant notes between waves of fury. The track eventually fades into darkness, but Beseech emerges in its place, reviving the aggression and constant anxiety with disturbing harmonics that gnaw at our ears until the few moments of calm in Vestige. They obviously don’t last, but leads retain that haunting tendency that quickly becomes unbearable and further thickens the already virulent track before the long Seethe establishes its misty atmosphere before striking with a heavy rhythm that rages at full speed and offers its majestic tones to serve the violence of the riffs, but still leaving room for the leads before a lighter final section.
If you’re not familiar with Cult Burial, Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust will blow you away with its omnipresent oppression. Each track develops its own darkness, but it’s safe to say that it spreads naturally.
90/100
