Review by Felix on May 25, 2019.

I still regret the sudden death of the German black thrash unit Cruel Force, but some things ease my mental pain. Megathérion's debut EP brought back the Cruel voice and sometimes Infernal Assault sound confusingly similar to the fallen heroes. "Bastard Cult", for example, has the beat, the aggression and the ruthlessness of the highlights of "Under the Sign of the Moon". Needless to say, that the lead vocals also sound pretty similar to those on the second album of Cruel Force. Anyway, Infernal Assault spread the virus of blackened thrash metal in its pure form and all supporters of the Norwegian community (Aura Noir, Deathhammer, Nekromantheon) or the German scene (early Ketzer, Eurynomos, Desaster) will love this double EP which consists of six previously unreleased tracks and the songs of the first EP.

Sometimes albums which are actually a double EP are pretty difficult and suffer from inconsistency. Aggravating the situation, three of the "new" songs have already been recorded in 2014. But this is no problem in terms of a narrow-minded style and black thrash is not known for its cosmopolitan way of thinking, to say the least. Even though there are some years between the recording sessions, significant differences do not show up. Like any other honest black thrash horde, the dudes of Infernal Assault are not interested in complexity, experiments or stylistic adventures. While despising complexity and innovation simultaneously, they take the road straight ahead. Nevertheless, maybe without knowing it, they have created the first piece of a new style: relaxed black thrash. The mid-paced "White Fire Rapture" scores with a primitive and casual guitar line that lends the track an exceptional flavour. However, usually the band prefers to put the pedal on the metal, even though it does not create the stormy fury of formations such as Condor from Norway. Either way, the Teutonic force has a knack for quite catchy guitars ("The Sign of Mayhem" or "Horned Plague") and combines this talent with an affinity for grubby scenarios. I really don't have a clue why they saw a reason to offer their version of a Venom classic, but I admit that "Live Like an Angel (Die Like a Devil)" does not hurt the flow of the album.

Infernal Assault have found their niche and they do not lack integrity. Moreover, their songs are presented in a sound that exactly fits the needs of the filthy sub-genre. Producer Magma has already created this kind of sound for further German formations and neither Eurynomos nor Megathérion had a reason to complain. His albums always offer this proper portion of dirt without falling victim to a powerless overall appearance. Spectres of the Night does not sound blurred, but it celebrates its underground authenticity. And so, there is not much to grumble. Perhaps the four-piece should slightly increase its level of insanity or rawness, but that's not a crucial factor. The most important thing is that the double EP leaves a coherent impression. It reflects the conviction of the band members and it avoids lukewarm tracks, albeit there is still room for improvement, both in terms of quality and quantity. So what - Infernal Assault are alive and "Bastard Cult" shows the way and gives me hope, even though Cruel Force do not rise again from the dead.

Rating: 7.7 out of 10

Review by Felix on January 3, 2021.

Maybe I'm a technocrat, but I think a piano intro two and a half minutes long is disproportionate on a mini-album with a playing time of less than 25 minutes. On the other hand, I also have to state that this first release of Grimcult itself is also too long - despite its rather meagre overall volume. As the colleague before me has already written correctly, one should not expect high-fidelity sound. But against the dull hum presented here, even Quorthon's second album shines with a differentiated, technically elegant guitar sound. (At this point, the R.I.P. for the much too early deceased Swede must of course not be missing.)

By the way: in terms of composition, Grimcult displays no obvious Bathory influences. The monotonous screaming voice relies on a mixture of despair, violence and hostility, the guitars lack dynamic riffs in places and especially Quorthon's feeling for catchy melodies and choruses remains a mystery with seven seals for the musician active here. Similar to the sound of the release, his compositions reach the quality of an above-average demo at best. But of course, the one conditions the other. A drum kit that would provide a massive drive would already be helpful. But here the snare sounds weak and wooden.

The one or other violent eruption increases my interest in Grimcult's art, but it mostly remains a short-lived pleasure. The songs seem too flat and too dull and even a good start like in 'Death Dream' cannot prevent that in the end also the energy of this song somehow gets lost in a big black hole. The pieces present pure and raw black metal that spits on external inspirations, but they lack coherence, impact and inner strength. I can't really extract any viable substance. Therefore, Grimcult unfortunately belongs to those names that give one-man projects a questionable reputation. In addition, Putrid Cult, for all the merits that the label has, especially for the Polish scene, should perhaps not sign every solitary artist who maltreats his guitar with the clumsy force of a lumbering Berserk and then calls the result black metal. A little more musical finesse is allowed. Otherwise the rehearsal room should be the natural biotope. And last but not least: offering an additional pointless outro of more than one and a half minutes certainly doesn't make the technocrat in me feel any better.

Rating: 2.9 out of 10