It has been about four years since this Laredo, Texas, USA based Blackened Death Metal band has released anything. The previous two albums already showed what this duo had in mind when it comes to their musical course, nothing that had anything to do with subtlety or frivolity. And their almost bestial sounding journey clearly goes on through this newest effort of them, ‘Reap The Reviled’.
A full-length album that clocks under the 23-minute mark? That is right up my alley. These two gentlemen definitely understood the fact that the shorter the attack, the more lethal. What is further immediately noticeable is the development in sound; although I noted earlier that the musical direction has hardly shifted, a subtle change is noticeable at the detail level. Gradually, the band has allowed a more Death Metal sound into their musical hodgepodge, which in doing so does not get in the way of the band’s Black Metal blueprint. However, the result is a much more brutal and savage kind of Black/Death Metal alloy. It may not be quite in the Ross Bay Cult tradition, but it’s clearly not miles away from it either. The furious Slayer-esque whammy solos, the gravelly sound of the guitars and the deep vocals all fit that bill. The drums, too, seem to make a stab at Bestial, just listen to the tactless, staccato ramming in ‘Molested Carnal Offering’, for instance, a clear nod to a band like Abysmal Lord. Here and there, however, some well-written and beautifully crafted melodies can still be discerned, something you can’t accuse the likes of Blasphemy or Proclamation of. Herein, then, lies both the musicianship of the musicians and also the Black Metal background of both men – ‘Black Goat Kvlt Psalm’ even hides a ‘Filosofem’-era Burzum melody. All in all, definitely a very solid third album for Venereal Baptism, which further clarifies the band’s path without denying its roots or indulging in modern trends.
