Rebecca Magar is one of those people whose diversity of talent just make you shake your head, feeling humbled. I mean, look at that cover art up above that she painted for her band Cultic‘s new album, Of Fire and Sorcery. And then also look at her painted cover art for the band’s preceding debut album, High Command:
And then consider that she’s also Cultic‘s formidable drummer. And then further consider how marvelously interwoven her cover art is with the music she and her equally formidable husband Brian (guitar, vocals, keyboard, and arrangements) have made under the Cultic name — which we’ll give you an immediate chance to do through our premiere of the new album’s second single, “Warlock“.
In concept, High Command told an archetypal (and allegorical) story of rival powers, and they’ve continued that fantasy-based narrative on their new record, presenting (as the press materials explain) “a psychedelic journey through a world where magic and might are paramount”. In keeping with these tales, Cultic‘s music weaves “a bizarre tapestry of extreme doom, death metal, black metal, traditional heavy metal, martial industrial, and dungeon synth”.
With respect to the song we present today (which, along with the rest of the album, was recorded along with bassist Reese Harlacker), Brian Magar tells us: “‘Warlock’ addresses the transformative nature of people. It’s about turning into a sorcerer through sheer will. This was one of the first songs we wrote after the completion of High Command.”
In this new song the filthy, clawing, and reverberating tones of the guitar quickly create an atmosphere of menace over a plodding beat, and Brian‘s echoing snarls and screams, coupled with dragging chords, skull-splitting percussion, and bursts of growling, horn-like abrasion intensify that feeling of encroaching terror.
It’s a dismal, primitive, and increasingly frightening experience, an infliction of caustic doom that suffocates hope but will also elevate your pulse rate as a result of those harrowing vocals, Rebecca‘s extravagantly obliterating drumwork, and the immense heaving and gouging riffage. Metronomic blaring tones end the song, providing a segue into unearthly experiences yet to come.
Of Fire and Sorcery will be released on CD-r and digital formats on April 22nd through Eleventh Key, and a limited run of cassettes will be issued via Sign of Evil Productions. To get more info about the release, check the links below.
We also encourage you to lend your eyes and ears to the official video for “Beseech the Olden Throne“, which gives you a chance to see the Cultic duo in the flesh — and will make your own flesh crawl with its poisonous and preternatural sounds, even as it subjects your spine to serious trauma and gives your brain a potent dose of psychedelics. Check that out following the links.
And finally, we’ll share the news that the Of Fire and Sorcery CD release show is slated for April 30th at the West York Inn in the band’s hometown of York, PA, where Cultic will be playing alongside Altar and the Bull (Evil Black Doom from Pittsburgh), Spellbook (Occult Rock ‘n’ Roll on Cruz Del Sur), Et Mors (DC death-doom merchants), and Vaelastrasz (DC Dungeon Synth Mastery).
PRE-ORDER:
https://eleventhkey.com/shop (CD + Bundle + Merch)
https://cultic.bandcamp.com (CD + Merch + Digital)
https://signofevil.com (Cassette, to be issued soon)
FOLLOW CULTIC:
https://linktr.ee/culticband
https://www.culticband.com
https://www.facebook.com/culticband