CoC : Crimson Relic - Purgatory's Reign : Review

Crimson Relic - _Purgatory's Reign_
(Nuclear Blast, 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti (4 out of 10)

Hailing from California, Crimson Relic was born out of the ashes of the late Divine Eve. Xan Hammack is the only member left from the previous band, and he has joined forces with Morgion's Rhett Davis (drums and timpanis) to form this old school black metal wannabe outfit. One word can describe this album - repetitive. Perhaps it is because Xan saw it necessary to take on all the responsibilities of vocals, guitars, and bass himself. The guitars here are simplistic at best, the bass non-existent, the vocals are as weak as my grandmother's and the drummer is half decent, if even that. I guess the problem with this album is that they are about ten years too late, and therefore it's hard to take these guys seriously. Don't waste your cash with this one, just crack out the old Celtic Frost albums instead, this one's a bust.

(article published 18/4/1996)