After releasing a single back in late 2023, Chilean Black Metallers LEX TALIONIS presented last year their debut EP “The Initiation” and this is what I’m going to describe here. Simple: raw, violent and dense Black Metal to the core, delivered with ferocity and a huge sense of melody that speaks the tongue of the devil. Right from the beginning, LEX TALIONIS opens a portal to something macabre and merciless. And despite the EP being a short 21 minute journey, you feel that it is enough to lay down your soul to the nucleus of this chaos and absolute darkness. “The Initiation” consists of four tracks, each one a different manifestation of the band’s vision and philosophy. And you can still hear the echoes of some classic Black Metal bands in their DNA for sure, but with a distinct sense of purpose driving these compositions. The vocals are a tortured howl from somewhere in the caves of hell that make you feel this music more like an incantation. If you listen to the EP several times, the whole picture will look like a single unbroken assault, but the third track, aptly named ‘Lex Talionis’, surely demands attention. That’s a killer one! It surges forward like a vengeful spirit, all flailing speed and bloodthirst, yet somewhere within the fury lies something cold and morbid. The band is telling a story, they are, one where free will is met with consequence, “an eye for an eye, death for death”, that’s what LEX TALIONIS is all about! And yes, my favorite track is ‘The Initiation’, the closing one, a track too sinister and the track that ends up the EP with that sense of finality, like a completed ritual. You can almost feel the blood dripping onto the cold stone. LEX TALIONIS arrived with intent. “The Initiation” is a strong debut and it doesn’t just nod to tradition. It’s raw, fast, and ruthless, but with enough thought and craft behind it to show this band is not here to entertain in any party. This is Black Metal, period, closed in its own perversity and going way beyond their own limits. What can I say? Chile, one more time, again and again and again, putting on the table another piece of its blood to the underground. LEX TALIONIS fucking rules, man! Check them out! https://lextalionisblackmetal.bandcamp.com, www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563068500501