Artist: Cult Of Lilith

Album Title: Mara

Label: Metal Blade Records

Date of Release: 4 September 2020

I’m mega late to the party with this record and for that, I apologise. Partly, it was due to my unexpected September hiatus. But partly, it is down to the fact that until about a week or so ago, I had absolutely no intention of reviewing this record. The mention of ‘metalcore’ in various press releases put me right off, because anyone who knows me, will know that anything with ‘core’ in the descriptor will put me right off. Except a little smidgen of grindcore, which I’ve grown to rather like in the last few years.

However, having heard some fine things said about it, I became tempted to hear what all the fuss was about. That, coupled with the artwork from the incredible artist Eliran Kantor, meant that this debut record – yes, debut full length, on Metal Blade – became something I felt I had to hear.

Given I’m over a month-and-a-half late, I’m not intending to go into the kind of detail that I would normally. Let’s face it, if you are interested in this release, you’ve probably already bought it or dismissed it. Nevertheless, there are some of you poor souls that seem to like my reviews, so if you’re one of them, thank you. And, if you remain on the fence with Cult Of Lilith, and this debut, ‘Mara’, maybe I can help sway you one way or the other.

Thankfully, upon listening to ‘Mara’ for the first time, it is clear that there is much more to the band than 100% pure metalcore. In fact, to my delight, it is primarily in the vocal department where the metalcore influences can be heard; vocalist Mario Infantes Ávalos has an aggressive shriek that the genre would be proud of. But, as will become clear as you delve further into the record, there’s more in common here with tech/progressive death metal than anything else on ‘Mara’. That, and a desire to inject a plethora of unexpected and generally welcome ideas into the extreme mix. It’d probably be fair to say that no two songs within the eight on offer are truly alike, and that’s an impressive feat for a fledgling band.

To underline my point, the opening track begins with a harpsichord melody before crashing headlong into a brutal face melting blend of progressive death metal, with a thrash element. At times, it recalls Darkane, especially when the vocals momentarily depart from such a caustic attack to something a little more ‘epic’. The lead guitar embellishments are excellent, but then so are all of the performances within the Icelandic five-piece band, a band that began as a one-man project at the hands of Daniel Þór Hannesson.

From there on, we’re treated to a smorgasbord of variety, ranging from the sublime to the almost ridiculous. There’s a strong neo-clasical bent throughout much of the material, but it’s the embellishments that emerge from what would normally be relatively standard prog death fare that are the most arresting. Take, for example the random organ solo slap bang in the middle of ‘Purple Tide’, a track that is oddly book-ended by bold electronic synth sounds. Or the plethora of pinched harmonics that litter ‘Enter The Mancubus’, within the strong neo-classical riffs and rough-sounding clean vocals within the violent growls.

They can mix up the music in terms of tempo and intensity too, as ‘Atlas’ demonstrates their more nuanced side from the outset. ‘Comatose’ is clearly ironically-titled because there’s no chance of being unconscious during a song that lurches and grinds as only an extreme metal band of this nature can do. And there’s room for some weird atmospheres and vocal effects to provide a moment of eye-raising material. But it’s the insane drumming from Kjartan Harðarson that catches my ear most of all.

I know what you’re thinking: this is all very well, but prog death isn’t prog death without a little Latin flair. Well, worry not, because ‘Profeta Paloma’ duly obliges with a flamenco-esque sequence that strangely fits like a glove. And, if you’re missing a little operatic influence, worry not, because the final track, ‘Le Soupir du Fantome’ duly obliges, ably assisted by some lovely acoustic guitars. It’s incredible just how well it all works together and how smooth everything feels; this kind of experimentation should be a clunky, disjointed affair, but nothing could be further from reality.

Genuine kudos must be given to Cult Of Lilith because their ambition has been matched by their ability and skill. Yes, there are a few rough edges here and there, but given that this is a debut release, you’d expect that. It provides space into which Cult of Lilith can grow further, as their experience and ability increases over time. I’m rather shocked by how much I enjoy this album, so all I can say is this: if you haven’t already, leave any prejudices you might have at the door, and check out ‘Mara’ as soon as possible. I can’t imagine that you’ll be disappointed.

The Score of Much Metal: 86%