Black Oath is a Doom Metal Band From Italy
The members are:
A.Th : Guitars and Curses
Paul V. : Bass
Chris Z. : Drums
Black Oath manages to hit that deep dark bass tone that is the mother’s milk of doom metal and suits the name of the band like an undertaker special, unearthing the kind of music that would emanate from a sewer drain, drinking in filth and spewing out black woven riffs. The riffs are given room to breathe (or not breathe as befits the style), stretched out chords dangle from the hanging tree with cinder blocks tied to their feet. Black Oath gets full value from their efforts. Before you know it, the riffs begin to stab and chop as on “Scent of a Burning Witch”. Just the title of the song alone should get the blood flowing to all the right areas for traditional doom fans. And then you hear it! Yes, the band delivers on its promise of muscle bound riffs and great imagery.
Vocals are provided here by one A. Th. They are epic, classic metal vocals and speak boldly of forbidden things. It would be a lie to say that there isn’t a feeling of Candlemass or other trad. Doomers like Argus or Las Cruces or even Pale Divine, Bedemon and Lord Vicar not only in the vocals but overall throughout the disc. It’s brilliant for example to hear the classic metal shreddin’ solo in “Night Witch Curse”. The speedy guitar solo is just something you don’t hear too often in a genre characterized by slowness and head down / hair in face humility.
Drums are workmanlike, never doing anything too flashy but always doing the job right. In theory, when a drummer is doing his job right, you don’t notice the drums on record because they are just perfect. Chris Z provides the perfect tempo here, the way you would want the drums to sound if you had only heard the other instruments first, providing the kind of fills and beats that you couldn’t imagine the songs being without.
If you’re searching for a standout track however, look no further than “Drakon, It’s Shadow Upon Us”. This song has everything I’ve described above and is just a fist pumper that inspires one to do terrible things. It’s got what I call a “long hair and leather jacket riff” if I’ve ever heard one. The solo towards the end of the track is absolutely combustible as well. Check it out. It rips.
Now, as regards the album title: Qliphoth is a Jewish Cabalistic words that literally translates as shells or husks and is the representation of evil and impurity. The title track features some of the darkest storytelling on the disc, both lyrically and musically. A wrong turn down a dark alley where one disappears into the fog and is never heard from again. Slow and dark with whispers behind the ears, “Ov Qliphoth and Darkness” stirs the most hidden fears within the breasts of men, somehow managing to tap into the savage beast that lurks just beneath the surface of polite society, exposing it and ourselves for what we are at our roots. Every trek outside the doors of our homes is an invitation of death and worse than death and may as well take place in Hades or Xibalba.
‘Ov Qliphoth and Darkness’ is the soundtrack to a muggy summer night full of evil deeds, whether it be stalking an unrequited loved one, shitting on a tombstone or just simply trying to get home alive, it’s kill or be killed with Black Oath in your ears. Get yourself amped up in survival mode with this one.
This album is released on vinyl and tape by Horror Records and on CD by I Hate Records. Meanwhile, the vinyl has a bonus track on it, a cover of Acheron’s “Ave Satanas”, look into it!
Written by Lucas Klaukien
Thanks to the band, Horror Records and I Hate Records for sending us a copy to review.
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