The tall flames of a raging bonfire begin to reach towards the dark navy-blue sky above. The anointed skull of a sacred ram is tossed into the inferno and subsequently, within the fire, a flaming depiction of a steel gate takes form from within its fierce orange hue. The stratus sheets of clouds that adorn the earth’s ceiling sprint towards the horizon in a reactionary flee. The left hoof of the summoned fallen lord takes its virgin step on this freshly cursed soil. Maledictvs Peste is the name of a young Black and Death Metal entity that was formed in 2023. Hailing from Santiago in Chile, the band has unveiled their first macabre offering of insidious musical devilry with this first release, which is entitled ‘Demo MMXXV’.
This tape contains three tracks and a total runtime that is just shy of twelve minutes. I will open this patch of written discourse by stating that the band are demonstrating rather a lot of interesting substance on this brief first outing. Be it the dark and disjointed ambience prevalent on the introductory passage of track one ‘The Calling + Eternal Self-Destruction’. After this short moment of atmospheric tone-setting, the instrumental weight of the track beckons this ancient musical curse into the fold. With agile drums, and ghoulish vocals that evoke the wicked malevolence of Darkthrone’s classic A Blaze In The Northern Sky. I could also liken the vocal performance to a more recent group that also indulges in clandestine blackened mayhem such as Spirit Posession. The band’s sound here is fleshed out and ready to leave a memorable impression, the guitar playing also reminds me of the impending terror of many a Dark Funeral track.
‘Fetid and Impure Death’ leans more towards a ‘whipped by harsh arctic winds’ type of sound with the speed of its Nordic Black Metal guitar performances. The drums here are just as intense and riveting as the first track, and I must say that I am really liking what I am hearing from the percussion on this demo overall. ‘Ritual of Hate and Annihilation’ closes out this bewitched experience by showcasing an equal level of flaming chaos as the previous two tracks.
This is a quality demo from a new band, and it implies considerable creative intent for the group. I do hope that the Chilean Black Metal underground is suitably braced for the impact that this band’s future debut full-length release may leave upon its eventual arrival.
