Cultic’s progression over the past nine years has been interesting to follow, as the Pennsylvania based band started off on the more primitive end of the spectrum writing very heavy death/doom that pulled from the likes of Celtic Frost and Winter. Their full-length debut High Command was pretty straightforward in its emphasis on bludgeoning, slow instrumentation and very low growls back in 2019, but shortly after that things began to shift. By the time 2022’s Of Fire and Sorcery rolled around, the group now dubbed their sound “dungeon metal” and had equal amounts of dungeon synth/ambient tracks alongside the death/doom. For album number three, Lore, Cultic has refined this approach by making the synth elements more diverse and fully intertwined with the rest of the material. It may seem daunting at eighteen tracks, but given the album still wraps up in just over fifty minutes the ideas don’t generally overstay their welcome and there’s plenty here to draw in fans of everything death and doom.
Lore unfolds in a similar fashion as its predecessor, moving from lumbering death/doom to eerie dungeon synth on a track-by-track basis. But there have been some noticeable shifts to how Cultic does this that keeps things from becoming repetitive. Opener “Nomad” showcases some of the differences on the metal side of things, as the sound has somehow gotten even louder and denser with the bass and drums feeling like they’re going to collapse your chest with each note and hit. “Nomad” plods along at a deliberate pace, but there are some flourishes of melodies that fall somewhere between dungeon synth and psychedelic which shake things up. From there “Perilous Turn” showcases the first of many short synth only tracks, which when compared to Of Fire and Sorcery there’s a bit more happening composition wise. Not only are these tracks more varied, but the way they flow seamlessly into the metal songs makes for a more fluid listen all the way through. I really like the way the two sides come together on the likes of “Crone” and “Warlord’s Quest”, as it almost sounds like a death/doom take on the type of medieval themed black metal from a few decades ago. The more concise songwriting works to the band’s advantage and considering the emphasis on slow and mid-tempo arrangements they do shake up the formula enough to keep your attention from beginning to end. Admittedly there are a few moments that still overstay their welcome, particularly the eight minute “Ancient Kings”, but the bulk is genuinely engaging and the synth tracks never come across like throwaway interludes.
Brian Magar’s vocals continue to skew towards the extreme low end of the spectrum, but unlike a lot of growlers it’s much easier to pick out the lyrics. Since the band’s earlier days the approach has reminded me a lot of Winter’s John Alman, but there are nuances to the performance that gives Cultic its own identity. Don’t expect a ton of variation to the growls as they stick around the same range for much of the album, but you do get some guest shouts and other vocal work on some of the synth tracks that break things up. “Warden” in particular has some spooky cackling that makes that particular late album track stand out, but there are other examples earlier on where these small details add a lot.
Lore refines and pushes Cultic’s sound further out, retaining the core death/doom riffing but injecting some much older black metal and hints of other metal and punk styles into the mix. The synth and other ambient elements have also been woven further into the material, standing out both on their specific tracks and on the heavier sections where they enhance the atmosphere. I do want to see them switch things up by the time a fourth album emerges, as the flow between synth and metal tracks is very close to the 2022 effort, but there’s no denying the effectiveness here. If you’re in the mood for something with a heavy fantasy slant that’s heavy and dense, this album will fit perfectly.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
