Artist: Black Cilice
Country: Portugal
Label: Altare Productions / Iron Bonehead Productions
Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD
Year: 2026
When Black Cilice hit the underground scene with their first two albums in the first half of the 10s, they already had a very impressive back catalogue of short players, and although true connoisseurs of raw or even lo-fi Black Metal were already ecstatic with the material on offer, I bet no-one would’ve believed the Portuguese one-man band would not only go and grow to become one of the main icons of the niche genre but even getting wide recognition from all over the Extreme Metal spectrum. But that is exactly what happened with Black Cilice and perhaps it is even more remarkable that the band did so while sticking to their own terms and plans, keeping things very strictly and tightly to the musical core of what the band stood for in the beginning of its career.
However, the attentive listener will, of course, have noticed quite a few subtle changes in the Black Cilice formula over the years. For instance, the first two albums are by far the rawest in nature, whilst others are somewhat more riff-oriented or, conversely, more atmospheric. With seven albums now under its belt, it is perhaps inevitable that some diversity has crept into the discography, though this is only apparent to those who really take the trouble to really absorb the music.
This seventh full-length album, ‘Votive Fire’, is perhaps the most dynamic and colourful of them all. Whether this was done on purpose or not, the fact that this is the first release in their extensive discography to feature colour in the cover design perhaps says a great deal in itself. That’s not to say, however, that ‘Votive Fire’ is a world away from what we’ve come to expect from the anonymous musician behind Black Cilice. Rather, this latest work seems to be a sort of anthologised collection of what Black Cilice has unleashed upon us over the last two decades. In a surprisingly inventive way, he weaves the rawest elements together with the characteristic repetitive, melancholic and drawn-out riffs, with the emphasis sometimes on the riff and at other times on the hypnotic, almost delirious trance-like mood. Having listened to ‘Votive Fire’ quite a few times, it’s also striking that Black Cilice and that other icon of the Portuguese Raw Black Metal scene, Candelabrum, are growing ever closer in terms of musicality, feel, intensity and overall sound.
Perhaps not entirely surprising, but with a generally more diverse sound, ‘Votive Fire’ is perhaps also the easiest album to get into if you are not yet familiar with the band, or not familiar enough. It should be noted, however, that at the same time, absolutely no compromise has been made on Black Cilice’s core values and true musical identity; this is an album that long-standing fans will still be able to embrace wholeheartedly.
