Black metal from Nicaragua – why not?
I know, that’s a silly introduction, for there are tens of great acts from Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, but even the most experienced non-Latin American metal head needs to admit that he / she might not know an impressive list of bands from ‘out there’ (unless you live there).
Even undersigned, after almost three decades of ‘being into the scene’, cannot recall more than one single hand full of bands from Nicaragua. …at all… But it does not matter, for let’s focus on this sublime entity, called Lucifuge Rofocale.
During the first half of 2012, Sarth Norgaath Santeliz (guitars / vocals), Lord Baal Zebuth (drums), and Lord Berith Satanail (bass) did record this album (which has a total running time of half an hour) at the Blackendeath Records studio. It was released on CD and tape via diverse labels, and re-issued recently once again via Ukrainian Vacula Productions. After a very short intro (Crushing Blasphemy), Lucifuge Rofocale offer the audience a somewhat primal and primitive form of melodic and fast-paced old styled Black Metal (the way undersigned adores). It collects and combines fierce and evil riffing, venomous screams, blasting outbursts, a harsh rhythm section, lots of changes in tempo, and more of the ingredients that do make this kind of stuff so attractive. Besides, the quality of the song writing is as grandiose as it is simplistic. And forget about the minor sound quality, because, well, let’s be honest, the production isn’t that terrible at all – just little too primitive.
Despite being a band from the Pacific shores, they come with a sound and performance approach that has a lot of connecting elements to the Scandinavian scene for sure. No, it’s not that Lucifuge Rofocale sound like another Dark Funeral, Emperor, Carpathian Forest or Behexen, but one cannot ignore or deny the influence from the northern shores of Europe that easily. And it’s not only the influence that might sound inspiring to a modest reviewer. The quality of the individual compositions too is more than acceptable. The only thing I do miss is little more variation in between the individual pieces, but that isn’t but a superficial remark I wanted to make.