What better way to end a year than to release a compilation of both previous demos. That is what the Black Metal band Loferogh and Unpure Records must have thought when they joined forces to release this Swiss band’s two 2022 demos together on a cassette tape on the very last day of 2023.
This tape compiles both the ‘Sanctimonious’ and ‘Rectitudinous’ demos, pretty much as the title already suggested. Both were both previously available through the band as digital streams and limited CDR-releases. Only the first demo also saw a (also self-released) version on cassette tape, which makes this compilation the first appearance on analogue sound carrier for ‘Rectitudinous’.
Both demos are well in line with each other and reinforce Loferogh’s conscious musical direction, however, when listening to them in succession like this, some differences are clearly noticeable. The most obvious distinction is in the sonic packaging of the two individual demos. The three tracks on ‘Sanctimonious’ are much sharper in tone, whereas ‘Rectitudinous’ has a much more oppressive sound.
That makes ‘Sanctimonious’ a way more bleak Black Metal affair with a piercing sound that would appeal to anyone who has a knack for the more general Raw Black Metal aesthetics. The darker and more suppressed sound of ‘Rectitudinous’ combines well with the more throaty vocal delivery and the almost gritty sort of Death Metal-oriented guitar tuning.
But, apart from the cosmetic of the production of the two recording sessions, Brahz, the sole person behind the band, delivers his Black Metal in a raw and suffocating manner. The way of hiding all sort of musical details, such as those great and compelling subdued melodies, under the equal raw production makes ‘Sanctimonious Rectitudinous’ a more than interesting ride for those who like to dig deep into the never-ending depths of the Raw Black Metal scene.
