UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN
Häxan Sabaoth
(Iron Bonehead Productions)
42:38min

Before I type any word about the band’s latest album “Häxan Sabaoth”, I would like to bring some type of context. The connection I have with UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN is very special. Not only because of the band history, style or view, which are related to topics that are really close to me like their Lovecraftian background, the fact that they are important representatives of the Chilean, the most prolific underground Metal scene worldwide (in my opinion) and my favorite one. Or simply because of their occult philosophy turned into a very unique, obscure and evil Death Metal act that (by the way) I see more as a “vehicle” they use to carry crucial aspects of the band and that constitute their morphology. Because, rather than simple “additives”, UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN practices its rituals around esoteric arts like necromancy, spiritism or witchcraft. Perhaps such practices are determined before the music for them. It’s simple: what they bring to their releases and live shows is actually a ritual, rather than just one more band sounding like standard Death Metal. If you have been following the band, you’ll easily understand where I’m coming from. That is UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN’s aura, and if you want to comprehend the personality of this entity, you’ll definitely need to walk around its mind way before you get into its music. Uncover the symbols! Speak in tongues! But don’t name the books! UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN is not here to teach, indoctrinate nor influence anybody. They’re not! Their music… Wow! Evilness! Obscurity! That’s exaclty what you’ll feel around! Even from the demo days we identify the band’s orientation towards the occultism, an aspect that simplifies who UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN is and that plays a key role in its own definition of a Death Metal band. 20 releases in 23 years cursing the world reflect activity, hard work, consistency and coherence (the most important to me). But this is not just about empty numbers. This invocation was initially a project band named SPAWN that existed for around two years (from 1997 to 1999) and that was the mother band of the songs that they put out later on the UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN demos. They took influences from bands like ENTOMBED, GRAVE, ROTTREVORE, SADISTIC INTENT, MORTEM, PURTENANCE, MERCILESS DEATH, NECROPHAGIA, IMPETIGO, SUFFOCATION and others, until they reformed and gave place to the birth of this creature named UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN. And this may give us an estimate of how strong this malignant spectrum has always been. Now, if we migrate throughout their demos, EPs, splits, compilations or full-lengths, it’s easy to see that the band has kept the initial momentum, while still preserving the music within the blackest dimension. Moreover, because UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN makes part of those bands that like MORBID ANGEL, NECROPHOBIC, ATOMIC AGGRESSOR, SHUB NIGGURATH, the Mexican R’LYEH or the Colombian YOGTH SOTHOTH (to name just a few) were soaked up by the H.P. Lovecraft spell, conferring to all of them a language that probably no one else in the vast universe of Metal has. And that synthesizes (maybe) the spirit of this “Instrument of Death” that is able to cover everyting around with its pest and that we call UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN. And what about “Häxan Sabaoth”? Well, this album was released on CD and 12” vinyl this February of 2024 through Iron Bonehead Productions, the label that has been taking care of most of the band titles since 2013. The band’s sixth full-length to date. Seven tracks, almost 43 minutes long. With “Atomizer Pig” on bass, “Joseph Curwen” on vocals and guitars, “Butcherer of Christ” on drums and “Herbert West” on guitars. Art by the Chilean artist Rodrigo Pereira Salvatierra, who has been (along with the art of other bands) behind the cover art of UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN albums like “Keziah Lilith Medea (Chapter X)”, from 2017 or “Teufelsbücher”, from 2019 and who has represented quite reliably in his paintings, the exact ritualistic malevolent ambient that the band has spat later in the form of Worship of Death. And that’s what this painting is describing for “Häxan Sabaoth”: a sempiternal ceremony celebrated in inhuman tongues announcing that the “Witch of Hosts” is here. And once you go over the seven tracks, one by one, you’re part of the Sabbath. ‘Lamia Sucuba’, the first song, with that spoken Spanish introduction, creates the perfect environment for the damnation to come. The Witch will now poison the night. And I’m not listing the seven tracks as it’s totally unnecessary. Simply listen to them! All of them are key parts of the ritual and complement the story. But maybe I’ll say that my favorite one (musically at least) is ‘Our Almighty Chthonic Lords’. A song that (again) with those spoken Spanish words as an intro, is going through the scene of that mother who lost her baby and is not aware that her dead baby will never see the face of God. On the contrary, her baby will fall into the arms of our almighty Chthonic Lords. And it may be fair to say that this album is (perhaps) dominated by a more “atmospheric” nature itself, appearing as a “sadder” album when you compare it to the previous ones (perhaps). But I like this a lot as it translates into a more sensitive album that integrates this condition very well, that ilustrates the anatomy of the album and that I personally enjoyed a lot. Here, the guitars are putting way more emphasis on a more melodic role for sure. And I’m not saying that the band has lost their Identity and now is playing soft bullshit, by any means. From the very first second, you immediately know that you’re about to face that skull and human bones of this black mass with the name of UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN. Certainly, I liked this “more melodic” result nonetheless! The Cauldron… Awaits! Die Teufelsbücher! Iä! Iä! Iä! Shub Niggurath! Iä! Iä! Iä! UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN! More about UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN at www.facebook.com/ukulten, label contact: www.facebook.com/ironboneheadproductions

Oswaldo Gonzalez

Oswaldo Gonzalez

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