One of Europe's most respected Lo-fi Raw Black Metal bands comes from Portugal. Black Cilice is a one-man band formed in 2009 that has made only a few live appearances, including at Fortress Festival, while also releasing tons of music. This latest album, Votive Fire, is their seventh, among many other splits, demos, EPs, and compilations.
Votive Fire was released on 1 May on CD and vinyl by Iron Bonehead Productions, and on cassette and digitally by Altare Productions.
The album, which consists of only four tracks, begins with raw but kind of epic Black Metal driven by the guitars, almost as if we were on a chase through a foggy night where our lives depend on how fast we can run... before the rhythm changes and a whole dramatic atmosphere falls upon us.
The following tracks maintain the drums and the feeling of a never-ending chase. The guitars stay in the same tone, but their work is great; at some moments, they add a touch of melancholy and a kind of melodic vibe. The voice is muffled and distorted, as if it were coming from the end of a tunnel.
Listening to Votive Fire carefully, trying to catch all the details, is so delicious, and it turns the album into a glorious work when you finally take it in as a whole. Black Cilice does an amazing job of pushing Lo-fi Raw Black Metal to its limits. Maybe one step further and it would be too much for me.
Being Lo-fi Raw Black Metal, it's natural that this is a genre for only a niche (inside the niche, inside the niche...), but even if you don't like the genre, give it a try. Listen to it carefully and see if it suits you.
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