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 Kastiphas

“Intense Bewitched Instinct” (Brazilian Ritual Records, 2022)

The South American scene, especially the Extreme Metal scene, is populated with… extreme bands and extreme musicians. From Sarcofago to Mystifier, and the many more in between, the Brazilian scene in particular always had a tendency for the most abrasive fringes of Black Metal, and Kastiphas might be an exception. I only discovered the band today, so I have no background to support more than my opinion on this release, but I was expecting something in the line of the bands mentioned above and the Finnish scene (Beherit, Archgoat, etc.), and things are not that similar. The band is composed of 2 musicians: Ocvltvs Saatanallivs F.D.S.C.F. (vocals and drums) and Sado Baron Zsandor Kastiphas (vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards). Sado Baron has a long record of involvement in the Underground scene in Brazil, in fact he did vocals for Beelzeebubth’s 2020 EP, “Saeculum Obscurum” (Mystifier’s main man), along with many more bands/projects he is involved in.

Kastiphas is a Black Metal outfit, dynamic, and miscellaneous in a way. Expect the unexpected and be surprised with the Doom details in the band’s work. It is more inspired by European Black Metal than South American sound, and that is why we hear so much variation in pace, and less aggressiveness. The inclusion of the violin gives more consistency to the aforementioned characteristic of the album, and it sounds amazing. Overall, the sound is distinct from what we normally expect from the other side of the pond, and it was a very nice surprise. “Babylon, Mother of Abominations (The Woman with Scarlet Soul)” is an intense example of superb Black Metal with a very neat production, clean enough to give us a clear “view” of everything. Mid pace, pounding drums, melodic guitars, intense atmosphere… and the vocals are top-notch! And we are only halfway through the record… A release that deserves more attention from fans of European Black Metal with a desire for blood.


Brazilian Ritual Records Official Bandcamp



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