When you call yourself Unholy Vampyric Slaughter Sect you know it's got to be sick and twisted. On their third full-length Kane—the mastermind behind the band—does not disappoint. The World Trapped In Vampyric Sway (Darker And Darker) is truly evil. Heavy and powerful this is black metal that reflects on the sheer insanity of the genre. It embraces the madness and drives listeners into the pit. Few US black metal bands have this truly evil sensibility. Unholy Vampyric Slaughter Sect eagerly lean into the madness. This record is special both because of the raw chaos and the way it's counterbalanced with unique songwriting concepts. Few bands this extreme embrace the same breadth of ideas. It makes for an exciting listen from the Massachusetts masters.
This record is magic in the way that it is gleefully evil. Tracks with titles like "Forced Genuflection on Adoring Gored Knees" can't help but claw at one's sanity. Torment ricochets throughout the record adding to this sense of madness. On "And I Shall Come to Thee As An Iron Wolf" one really gets a sense for the artist's twisted vision. It revels in devilish twists and turns. The bombast and pain embodied here are enthralling. Unholy Vampyric Slaughter Sect prove again and again that they are worthy of its over the top band name. They consistently show they have the potential to evolve into one of the most twisted acts in the genre. By embracing the insanity, they come to embody it.
The other key differentiating factor is the diversity in the sound. One might think a band whose iconography was so orthodox would be similar atavistic in their compositions. This is decidedly not the case. There are certainly elements of classic second wave black metal but Unholy Vampyric Slaughter Sect is special because it embraces so much more. The doomed crush of "And I Shall Come to Thee as an Iron Wolf" is one such diversion. Moments that shine include the industrial passages as well. The electronic bridge of "Lunar Intrusion of the Crown Shaktra" is but one such highlight. The willingness to embrace industrial and even harsh noise elements serve to make this a truly remarkable project. The production is so good it actually all comes together nicely. On The World Trapped In Vampyric Sway (Darker And Darker) even the weirdest stops, starts, and stylistic shifts shine brightly.
The World Trapped In Vampyric Sway (Darker And Darker) is a masterful work. Unholy Vampyric Slaughter Cult clearly has the potential to make big waves in the world of USBM. This scene has for too long needed for a new savior. But Kane might be that person. This is an album where listeners will lose themselves in. Listeners will peer over the depths of hell and find themselves understanding their own inner torment. Unholy Vampyric Slaughter Cult has crafted something here that is powerful, personal, and terrifying. Because of its eagerness to embrace demented sides of the genre, it goes above and beyond. This is forward-thinking black metal for the clinically insane and it rules.
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