Cult of Fire – Live in the Underworld

One of the elements of art which I have always been enamored with lies within its quality to be the medium which connects the soul that creates such work to the mind that perceives it, for the art is but a vessel that allows the unification between creator and the one who looks upon it. The same can be translated even in music, in my opinion, the soul which dwells within a melody depends naught on how polished it may sound, or the intricacies of its shape, quite the contrary, I believe to truly extract that honest spirit,the artist that etches these notes must be willing to imbue onto this ember his very soul, let it flow into the melodies like an open wound that pulsates in ecstacy, for with every scrape of a chord to the beat of the drum, to every word that is vocalized, let it be an extension from within.

Cult of Fire has managed to evoke this pure, unfiltered magick in the form of their live album, “Live in The Underworld”. To some, they may  cast it aside as just an ordinary live album, but it is not just a “live” album, I would even go as far as to say, I believe this is an integral part of their main discography. What Cult of Fire has managed to do is peel the flesh off their own creation, and onto the audience, they render themselves bare, naked…this vulnerability acts as the zenith and strength upon this album, because now you are able to drink upon its essence as intended, there is no layer that separates the creator and the one who ingests the art.

The album possesses an expansive tone to it, this is due to it being recorded in the Výpustek cave for a show which took place on the 24th July,2021. The reverberation of being enclosed in this environment is utilized to this advantage, for the unorthodox sounds as well as ceremonial vocals envelope and changes its mass in a very rivetting way. Spanning from different pieces of their catalog, performing such offerings as “Satan Mentor”, “Moksha” and “Buddha 1”, Cult of Fire bestows onto these tracks a new breath of life, for a new perspective can be heard, wherein they lend a certain intimacy, as though you are the practitioner within this transcendental aura. Take for instance, the track “Har Har Mahadev”, even though it’s very fabric is woven from the threads of Black Metal, this version it ascends the genre, taking it to a more mystical height, where it truly feels as though it is a spell being invoked to a higher being, as though the you are now a conduit receiving such gifts.

We often look for the doorway within music, to usher us into a new realms, to let our emotions intersect with the melodies so that they may form the tapestry of lament’s song or the mirth of joy. What Cult of Fire has managed is to make the consciousness apart of this very ceremony, for you are not merely being a witness, instead you too hold the chalice and dagger hand in hand, you inhale the burning incense of these transcendent shapes manifested through sounds, and upon the altar your soul is offered to accept this esoteric mantra.