Artist: Baphomancia
Country: USA
Label: Nihilistic Mortality
Formats: Cassette Tape
Year: 2026
Although the ancient and occult Black Metal movement is primarily a European and South American phenomenon, there are a few American bands that have made their mark. One of the best American bands in this field is undoubtedly Baphomancia, hailing from sunny California. Last September, they recorded their set at the Regent Theatre in Los Angeles; this has now been released on cassette tape by Nihilistic Mortality.
As I wasn’t at the concert in question, I can’t say whether the entire set was recorded on cassette. It does seem a bit short to me, though, as the whole tape is less than half an hour long; but if this was indeed the full performance, then with six songs and no banter in between, they certainly made good use of their time on stage.
The people who were there heard the band play a couple of songs that previously appeared on one of the band’s demo/rehearsal tapes ‘Anointed In Black Torch’ and ‘In His Offertory’ (both taken from ‘Agonized In Belial’s Land’) and ‘Rotting Vulva’ (from ‘Treblinka Noise Chamber Rehearsals’), but also ‘Venomous Waters Of Thy Kingdom’ and ‘Old Blood Mysticism’, that both appear on the split LP with Behemoth (Brazil). Most interesting though is ‘Antichrist Imprecation’, a song that I never heard before. I suppose it is a new one or at least one that was previously unreleased. ‘Old Blood Mysticism’, too, is a song that was unreleased until recently, it was recorded for a split EP that never materialized and eventually ended up on the aforementioned split LP with Behemoth.
So, for purists and completists, this tape will be an interesting purchase, if only for that one completely new track which, until recently, probably few people had ever heard before. However, as the sound quality is rather rough and no effort seems to have been made to tweak it, which earns a thumbs up, it might not be the best starting point for newcomers.
