Admittedly, I am arriving a bit late to the party with my review for the one and only release of the gritty sounding Canadian Black Metal band Venusberg Cardinal. ‘Atlas Of Dungeons’ was released by Nuclear War Now! Productions in the early months of last year, but because of the rather unique nature of the music a little bit of extra (belated) attention for it is more than justified.
Venusberg Cardinal is conceived by the same individuals who have been shaking up the scene for over two decades with their unpolished take on the Black Metal genre. The three musicians behind the band can also been found in bands like Akitsa, Ash Pool, Roman Cross and Departure Chandelier and that gives away what we’re getting with Venusberg Cardinal too.
While it might not be the most raw affair of the three gentlemen, Venusberg Cardinal wears the same harshness proudly on its sleeves. Repetitive punky riffs with a thoroughly Departure Chandelier sort of sound. Something that is not all that surprising as these tracks were recorded during the same sessions as Departure Chandelier’s ‘Antichrist Rise To Power’-album that although it was released in 2019 was recorded back in 2010. ‘Atlas Of Dungeons’ has the same sort of piercing and gritty guitar sound as that much revered Departure Chandelier debut album, but at the same time it has that thriving Punk vibe that makes a lot of those primal Ildjarnian sounding Canadian bands seem to have embraced over the past quarter of a century.
While Venusberg Cardinal might not have delivered a world changing record, it still offers a very enjoyable ride throughout its entire 40 minutes. ‘Atlas Of Dungeons’ is another little rare gem of the crudest sort of Black Metal and, unsurprisingly, fodder for those who have been enjoying the rough affairs that Akitsa and Departure Chandelier have delivered over the past years.
