Epic death/doom - it is a rare amalgamation to behold, forged in ancient crucibles under the watch of hooded mages with fiery eyes and dark intent. It sinks to deep, melancholic lows hidden beyond the shadows in the human heart in order to draw upon powers of a bygone age and roar with a scathing, primal rage. It is this scarce commodity that Cult of Salem brings to us with their debut album "Unhallowed Rites". Hailing from Germany the band blends traditional doom, epic doom, death/doom, and a few near-gothic symphonic arrangements with themes of evil and Lovecraftian horror to create awe-inspiring songs of darkness. It's as though Cult of Salem found the rift between Candlemass and Paradise Lost, erected a gilded palace there, and then summoned an orchestra of spirits to haunt the place. Chanting choirs and melodic guitar leads bleed through the band's grim yet thundering determination creating a loud storm of stark and beautiful misery. Low, warbling, nigh-operatic vocals descend into biting death growls in the unholy din. Placid moments will either erupt into a sharp, bleak barrage of anguish or ascend to inspiring heights with mighty riffs and synth. I keep listening to this over and over and losing track of time as I get lost in the otherworldly vortex of dark and exquisite sounds. This is truly consuming - Cult of Salem is a cult worthy of your devotion! -Brandon
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