Label: Vicious Witch Records
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
Length: 25:34
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Satanic Priest are a black/thrash metal band from El Salvador, formed in 2019. In 2020, the band released their first demo and, in 2024, they unveiled their debut album ...Of Blasphemies & Lust! via UK label Vicious Witch Records. The album is available in digital format and on CD, limited to 300 copies. It's the first time I've listened to a band from El Salvador, and I've really been won over by this discovery. I'd like to thank the label for allowing me to discover bands from countries whose extreme metal scene I'd never explored before (the first time was with Demonslaught 666 from China).
...Of Blasphemies & Lust! features 11 tracks totalling 25:34 minutes. The tracks are short, direct and hard-hitting, with a style where thrash metal meets the aura of black metal. The guitars are unleashed, supported by pounding drums and incendiary vocals. I even felt some punk influences, as in the few first moments of to the track Succubus (on vocal). The album features a few transitions and tempo changes, though these are not a constant. The raw, clean production retains the wild, raw essence of Satanic Priest's genre.
Several passages on the album particularly caught my attention. On Don't Burn the Witch, the bass line comes to the fore at 0:58, before a sharp solo is added at 1:07. The vocal performance on Succubus is impressive, displaying an overwhelming intensity that gives the track its character. On Lust & Alcohol, the moment at 0:59, when the instruments fall silent to make way for a heart-rending scream, remineds me italian Bulldozer. Metal Attack offers a catchy passage at 0:33 with incisive guitars, reinforced at 0:43 by more assertive drums, giving the track an even wilder dynamic. Through Lucifer's Lands shines with its relentless energy, evolving throughout the track and incorporating dark, stealthy melodies from 1:04 onwards, adding a darker dimension to the song.
The other tracks have no lack of impact. The Rise of Satan is an unstoppable blast of sound, while Good Beers Good Times stands out thanks to a well-placed tempo change at 1:26 and a powerful solo at 2:07. The Ninth Gate recalls the atmosphere of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas from the very first notes, and the vocal performance is particularly powerful. On Hate, Suffering and Power, the instruments are unleashed relentlessly, creating a continuous intensity from start to finish. The last, Wolves Among Sheep, the longest track on the album, features a slow instrumental intro lasting 1:41 before shifting into a deluge of sound with dark melodies, accelerations and blast beats.
...Of Blasphemies & Lust! is an intense, savage album that captures the essence of black/thrash with raw, uncompromising energy. A promising debut album that shows Satanic Priest have their place on the extreme scene. I'll be looking forward to their next release...