CoC : Castrum - Black Silhouette Enfolded in Sunrise : Review

Castrum - _Black Silhouette Enfolded in Sunrise_
(Folter/Warfare, 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10)

Oh my God -- or is that Lord Satan? Well, since I am an atheist, the expression has no personal significance either way, but the linguistic implication of either is significant and requires explanation. Castrum are a true surprise. Though not a black metal revolution, the quality of the eight tracks, spanning nearly an hour, which comprise _BSEiS_ is exceptional. Yes, you can hear the influence of black metal's finest, but what's important is that you can hear the -influence- instead of the band just ripping off their "heroes". Production is astounding and instrumentation very impressive, altogether not for the weak, faint at heart or those obsessed with brutality alone. That the band claim to be "a clan of Croatian vampires" and have a press release challenging Holland in the cheese stakes is excusable only because their music is exceptional, and therefore I haven't let it affect my mark.

(article published 1/10/1998)