Black Curse - Burning in Celestial Poison (2024)^{Release ID: 55686}

Black Curse follow up their 2020 debut with another slab of blackened death metal that displays the pedigree of the band members who perform this unholy racket. For a quick update, Black Curse have members of Khemmis, Primitive Man and Spectral Voice. An eclectic if not consistent range of metal music is gathered here yet the music itself could not be more basic in all honesty. Here be the realm of no fucks to be given and Black Curse are right in their sweet spot inhabiting such a space. With all the best elements of Teitanblood, Grave Miasma and a smattering of Revenge and Archgoat for good measure, Black Curse have grown into a real tour de force come record number two.

For performing with sheer abandon alone, Black Curse get a five-star rating. The wall of noise that underpins their sound is a swarming entity that envelopes all in its path. The whole record sounds like it was recorded in the bowels of the earth itself, erupting from its core like volcanoes spewing utter despair and blatant disregard for life. The chaos is so tightly contained it borders on being overwhelming. The music swirls around your head like taunting demons, undertaking pretty much the same dizzying exploits as they fly into your ears, disorientating your senses.

To infer that Burning in Celestial Poison is nothing more than pure, blunt-force trauma to the head metal is unfair a reflection as this feels a very calculated level of clawing stealth. These five tracks make for a complete experience. Without checking the lyrics, I would go as far as to say there is something of a concept at play here (technically tracks 4 and 5 are one song – according to the booklet anyway). If it is a rampant blackened death metal journey you are after to close out 2024 then look no further folks. However, do not think this as simple an offering as you might first think.