▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Witchg÷at ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Egregors of the Black Faith █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2019 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-09-14 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Thrash Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Morbid Skull Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ In mid 2016, veteran Salvadorean guitarist P. █ █ Scyther begins composing music with the idea of █ █ creating a blackened thrash metal project that █ █ would go back to the elements of old school █ █ European and Latin American thrash metal and that █ █ would also combine the brutality and █ █ precariousness of the 1980Æs metal and the melodic █ █ ideas of the 1990Æs blackened death metal. █ █ Thus, was born the idea seeking for the essence █ █ and a raw and real old school sound that would █ █ leave out any technological refinements. In the █ █ beginning of 2017 and after having several songs █ █ composed, the search of elements to make this █ █ project real begins and so drummer E. Driller █ █ becomes part of the project and the recording █ █ starts. The missing ingredient would arrive in the █ █ middle of 2017 when M. Miasma joins the band █ █ bringing in his vomitory vocalizations; creativity █ █ and recruiting on his own the bass player C. Fog. █ █ Since that day they have dedicated time to write █ █ songs for the creation of a long play album that █ █ they are hoping to produce in the second half of █ █ 2018 and that gives birth to this first demo tape █ █ ôUmbra Regitö released under the flag of Morbid █ █ Skull Records as a prelude to the debut full █ █ length album. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ Born in 2016 with intent towards inspired, █ █ transitive sub-genre blending San Salvador, El █ █ Salvador extreme metal musicians Witchgoat would █ █ innately channel the meaningful correlations █ █ between the extreme thrash metal of the █ █ mid-to-late 1980Æs thatÆd fuel the escalating █ █ ambitions of the 90Æs most favorably remembered █ █ black, death and thrash metal servitors. Their █ █ debut, æEgregors of the Black FaithÆ, is entirely █ █ appropriate as titular representation of the modus █ █ employed within as they connect the lineage from █ █ Point A (Kreator, Sarcofago, Destruction) to Point █ █ B (Nifelheim, Dissection, Aura Noir); A clear █ █ influential legacy of intricacy and beyond-violent █ █ blackened wrath informs the high-speed, riff █ █ driven attack of Witchgoat as a result. Though █ █ blackened thrash metal exists today in a major █ █ glut of well-worn imagery and dulled stylistic █ █ production design the art of composition is rarely █ █ representative of the ferocity of the old ways. █ █ Rote imitation has long and doubly cheapened the █ █ great works of old. From their first release, the █ █ æUmbra RegitÆ (2018) demo, these Salvadorans have █ █ emphasized a classic extreme thrash informed sense █ █ of composition that aims for parity with (rather █ █ than imitation of) the classics and the quality of █ █ work is immediately evident. To so purely invoke █ █ Mercilessæ earliest works and with a hint of the █ █ unassuming complexity of Mutilator (Brazil) had my █ █ head spinning but, that demo did little to prepare █ █ for the full span of Witchgoatæs sound on their █ █ debut. █ █ Demo or full-length considered, ôEmanations of the █ █ Underworldö in either fidelity expresses the core █ █ ethos of Witchgoat in less than three minutes as █ █ the moderately technical, hard-riffed guitar work █ █ of Teutonic thrash metal collides with the █ █ rasping, blackened and pulsating focus of early █ █ Necrophobic; For my own taste it is ôProliferation █ █ of Dark Soulsö, with its Absu-meets-æTerrible █ █ CertaintyÆ progression that succinctly █ █ communicates what these songwriters do with █ █ satisfying and inspired rhythm beyond that of many █ █ peer. That they would build upon legacy rather █ █ than imitate its facade indicates a powerful faith █ █ in the effective thrash riff and an understanding █ █ of what remains so freshly inspirational about the █ █ formative extreme metal produced in the 80Æs and █ █ early 90Æs. At this level of aptitude and █ █ appreciation Witchgoat nigh effortlessly achieve █ █ the spirit of classic central and south american █ █ metal on æEgregors of the Black FaithÆ. What is in █ █ it for the unprepared or uninformed listener? The █ █ distinction comes with the combination rather than █ █ the approach. What will read as old school extreme █ █ thrash metal colliding with their first wave black █ █ metal relatives does eventually stretch into █ █ second wave black metal refineries. █ █ ItÆd be less obstructive to point where the riffs █ █ arenÆt effective on this debut than it would to █ █ fawn over the great successes of æEgregors of the █ █ Black FaithÆ. Spirited moments of greatness █ █ ultimately outweigh the merely average details of █ █ the record where the sheer genius of ôBeyond the █ █ Soil of the Deadö or ôEmanations From the █ █ Underworldö tower over the expected chops of █ █ ôPutrefaction of Soulsö. Not every inspirational █ █ moment has its counterweight and the full listen █ █ does smear itself into one great mass of █ █ punched-up riff, where I think Witchgoat earn a █ █ few stripes comes with those unexpected moments █ █ where they string late 80Æs and mid-90Æs █ █ exuberance together; These pieces speak to the █ █ long-term metal fandom within as they sum the █ █ appeal of a handful of powerful æsceneÆ or █ █ stylistic movement into a four or five minute █ █ song. Where I become mildly skeptical of this █ █ conglomeration of dark souls comes with some █ █ repetition. IÆd begun to wonder where the project █ █ could go next after IÆd satisfied my curiosity for █ █ the details of these compositions. TheyÆve █ █ captured my curiosity at the very least, and IÆd █ █ likely be satisfied whether they kept it true like █ █ Desaster or repeatedly morphed like so many █ █ others. █ █ What comes next matters little in the realm of █ █ objective thought and what I can say is that this █ █ is an inspired undertaking that invokes the rawest █ █ of bestial thrashing the world over and injects a █ █ high-brained sense of melodic deconstruction to █ █ avoid pure meathead thrash syndrome. æEgregors of █ █ the Black FaithÆ is a raw blackened thrash record █ █ that doesnÆt waste a moment fumbling around, █ █ feigning ineptitude for the sake of barbarism; █ █ Instead Witchgoat offer spiked bludgeon to swing █ █ just inches from the skulls of their terrorized █ █ victim, the rapt listener. As such I can recommend █ █ this debut with some reasonable enthusiasm but, █ █ with the small caveat that this is one for the █ █ ætrueÆ and the deranged thrash head. If that is █ █ you, the rest of Morbid Skull Recordsæ output █ █ should satisfy your barbarism as well. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Litanies of the Adversary 0:33 ░ ░ 2. Proliferation of the Dark Souls 3:41 ░ ░ 3. Black Vomit of Souls 3:44 ░ ░ 4. Emanations from the Underworld 4:50 ░ ░ 5. Putrefaction of Souls 4:15 ░ ░ 6. Into the Jaws of Death 5:07 ░ ░ 7. Eyes of the Profane 5:11 ░ ░ 8. Umbra Regit 4:39 ░ ░ 9. Beyond the Soil of the Dead 6:05 ░ ░ 38:05 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░