Artist: Prehistoric War Cult
Country: Germany
Label: Fucking Kill Records / Iconoclasm Conquest / Kellerassel Records
Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD
Year: 2024

With a good couple of short players in the past few years the German Black/Death Metal band Prehistoric War Cult already started to carve their name into the book of Bestial/War Black Metal, something that they intend to solidify with this first full-length album. Especially the band’s ‘Under The Sign Of The Red Moon’ 10” EP was a particularly and well-versed exercise in the secret arts of barbaric sonic savageries, and yes, the aptly titled debut album continues just on that same path…

In just under half an hour, which is just the right length for a long player in this particular style, the German trio again shows what they are made of. The album is another textbook example of wild and aggressive audial frenzy that follows the rather downtrodden paths of this niche genre of Black/Death Metal. That means that none of the album’s content has anything remotely new to offer, everything ‘Barbaric Metal’ is presenting you with echoes the soul of bands like Conqueror, Beherit, early Impaled Nazarene and Archgoat. Still, if everything is executed with such abandon and displays so much blood, sweat and tears then there is no need for originality – at all.

Compared to the majority of the band’s previous material the band provides a wider dynamic scope in the sense of tempo changes, going from an excruciating sluggish pace to violent burst of vitriolic frenzy. But the current, slightly more textured sound, coming at the expense of the band’s earlier more unstructured chaotic nature, allows the music to excel in its more riff-driven onslaught.

It is clear, all possible opinions and controversy aside, ‘Barbaric Metal’ doesn’t only live up to its title, it is also another victorious piece of the Prehistoric War Cult discography; it showcases all the band’s main musical elements in a striking balance. it revels in its relentless and violent beating as well as portraying some actual song writing. The haters will hate, the ones who dare to indulge will beg for more.