The great Daemon Worship Productions-label was originally created in Russia, but resides in the U.S. nowadays. The label released quite some remarkable underground stuff in the past, and with this split they just continue that permanent quest for glory and superiority. It has been released as well via S.A.R.S. Productions, with two other bands bringing one track, but being extremely limited, but vinyl-fans will surely adore this specific issue.
One side brings Ascetic Temples (5:02) by Dutch (and initially Portuguese, as a matter of fact) act Israthoum, which were formed more than two decades ago. They released some EP’s and two full albums before (the second one, by the way, was released by this label too), but let’s focus on this piece. Ascetic Temples brings extremely rough and thrashing old styled Black Metal with subtle hints of melody (hehe) and quite some energy, yet an enormous dose on darkened atmosphere and epic Pagan-pride as well. I am not ashamed to mention bathorian grotesquery at all… Besides an amalgam of massive rhythms (cf. brutally performed bass lines, guitar riffs and throaty screams), there are quite some additional things that are remarkable: melodious choirs, harmonic chants and shamanistic yells, some floating synth lines, precisely executed guitar leads and soloing, and lots of changes in tempo. I think it’s an impressing contribution!
The other side comes with Chalice Of Blood’s Sacrament Of Death (3:51), this band being a Swedish outfit that I knew from one single split, being one with Arkha Sva. And for your info: in mean time this label and this band did release a 12”EP too, which I will review in a (near) future. But first things first, and that’s Sacrament Of Death. This band’s approach is much more necrotic and eccentric, with totally disturbed leads, unstoppable, sadistic rhythms (listen to those bass drums or down-pressed bass lines), utter-most razor-wired screams, frenzy hooks and loops, and the mardukian energy.
I do not know which song out of both I would prefer, but there is no doubt I do appreciate both of them.