How much malice, evil and blasphemy can someone fit into fifteen minutes? A fair fucking bit when you take a closer look at the first demo from Acualli, who are able to channel the spirit of black/death acts such as Blasphemy, and thus bring forth six songs of sickening wrath and unstoppable fury.
The opening title track has an imminent effect on the listener, as you are overwhelmed by the destructive spirit of the band. Imposing guitar sound and the continuous beating of your ears is all that you will find within, aided by the fast tempo and the deep, abyssal vocals that destroy all hope. The tempo might change with “Rites of Mockery,” but the abrupt and menacing personification of the band retains the same characteristics. A dark ambiance and the rejection of any light is all that you will find within the core of Acualli.
This band is fucking good at what they play and that is something that you will notice from the very start of the album, and aided by the really decent quality of production, when you think that this is just a demo release, you get the sense that Acualli are not messing around and are very serious about what they do. The more in-your-face “Six Eyes Open” is proof enough of all that. Twisted riffs and a paranoid part with shrieking vocals lead the way as this path through brutality carries on.
“Lust for Absolution” continues to lay waste to all with its more direct black metal riffology and insane drumming, making it easily one of the highlights of the demo. On the other hand, “Mortent” sees the band taking on a more intoxicating vibe and unleashing some slithering riffs at the same time that the deep voice and the heavy drums act as a constant reminder that this is more than just a fleeting nightmare. Finally, the outro, “Illhare Extreme”, features unearthly frequencies feeding back to the abyss and puts this demo to rest.
Pact of Possession could definitely be the beginning of something truly great. Acualli have shown their intentions and their outlook on black/death is very promising. It will be very interesting to see what the follow up to this demo will be like.
Released via Crepusculo Negro
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