The Pitch: Southern California black metal act Sicarius unleash the aptly-named Serenade of Slitting Throats via M-Theory Audio. "Like a merciless dagger onto the scene comes Sicarius with their murderous, bloodthirsty and ultra-violent black metal assault." FFO: Skeletonwitch, Young and In The Way, Otargos
What I Like: After the obligatory mood-setting intro, Sicarius immediately set to work shredding the listener to pieces. I'm generally tired of every album opening with a prelude these days, but this one further serves to amplify the already intense eruption of blastbeats and larynx-tearing vocals. And so Serenade of Slitting Throats sets the bar high eary on, matching the extremity of Otargos' Xeno Kaos with the blackened hardcore ethos of Young and In The Way. This band straddles a number of subgenres, but never lose sight of their roots. Above all else, Sicarius strive to be a black metal band, and as Argyris himself puts it, "to write music that we want to listen to, and to carry the torch of the classic bands from the late ‘80s / early ‘90s such as Rotting Christ, Mayhem, Bathory and Gorgoroth." With these imposing riffs and the band's overall dedication to giving 110%, it's difficult not to be impressed.
Critiques: Some of the later tracks suffer for a number of reasons. For one, a few of them are just too long. This band's strength lies in its brevity, which is part of why the opening song works so well. They manage to pull off the 5+ minute title track, but anything beyond that carries a sense of drag. "The Onyx Void" is a prime example, containing several solid moments but ultimately becoming repetitious. Similarly, the album itself falls victim to its own tropes over time. As a result, the second half lacks the same character and punch despite keeping the intensity high.
The Verdict: While Serenade of Slitting Throats could benefit from a few tweaks, they're minor enough that they don't mar the overall experience. Quite to the contrary, a few small changes would simply push Sicarius from "solid" to "exemplary" status.
Flight's Fav's: Ferox Impetum, Serenade Of Slitting Throats, Forceful Bleed
-Review by FlightOfIcarus
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