Insanity Cult – logo
Just in case it isn’t obvious from the bands over the top logo, “Of Despair and Self Destruction” by Insanity Cult is a full-on Black Metal experience.
That said, the album does however lure you in with the instrumental introduction “Prologue – the Light that Drowned itself”.
This is then followed by “Seeds of Lesser Gods” which features what you’d expect from a black metal track, along with the added bonus of spoken word in the Greek bands native tongue.
With “All are now Wounds” Insanity Cult are at the height of evilness from the music to the bleak lyrics, not that you can exactly sing-along. Sacrilegious (presumably a stage name), screams the vocals, while Eκ πτωτος and Vohamon provide a duel attack on the guitars.
Insanity Cult – “Of Despair And Self-Destruction”
It’s a track that along with “Birth of Eos” have Insanity Cult ripping apart your soul. Both are around the 7 or 8-minute mark, grabbing you by the throat without showing any signs of letting go. They stand out as personal favourites on the album, purely because they are so intense. There aren’t any breakdowns, no real solos or drum fills to speak of, just a barrage of noise.
Much like the prologue, there’s another instrumental with “Interlude – the Bitter Wind of Remembrance”. It’s my only criticism from the release, it may provide a much-needed breather, but another 8-minute epic just distracts from what makes the extremes of the album so good.
Good job then, that Insanity Cult don’t end things on a low point. As the title suggests, “Sinister Lights and Manic-Depression” is that of a frontman continuing to deal with his inner demons. Vocally it erupts into that “Of Despair and Self Destruction”, while musically the guitars and rhythm section are left to bring the album home.
Insanity Cult – “of Despair and Self-Destruction” out now.
If you like your Black Metal and want some more ludicrous logos, then check out Kladovest and Theosophy reviewed elsewhere on this site. Then there’s Ides of Winter, with “Minus Twenty” being another great record that’s definitely worth a listen.
Insanity Cult
