Artist: Caedes Cruenta
Country: Greece
Label: Zombi Danz Records
Formats: CD
Year: 2026
Although having been a fan of Caedes Cruenta for a long time, I looked at this album with a bit of mixed feelings. Obviously I was very eager to listen to new material, finally, as it took the band five years to come up with a follow-up to 2021’s ‘Of Ritual Necrophagia And Mysterious Ghoul Cults’. But at the same time, with 90 minutes spread over two CDs, this new album is nothing short of ambitious. Considering that this is the final release of both the band and the label, I suppose they wanted to go out with a bang.
And for sure, a bang it is! This album undoubtedly faces the challenges inherent in any album that exceeds the 35-minute mark, let alone one that lasts an hour and a half. Nevertheless, one cannot help but have a great deal of respect for a band that pushes itself to the limit, thereby demonstrating that it has given its all, only to then call it a day as a band. Perhaps even more so when you realise that Caedes Cruenta has never taken the path of least resistance, because although it is undoubtedly a Greek Black Metal band, none of the material they have released is particularly typical of Greek Black Metal.
At least not in the most traditional sense. Greek Black Metal is, by its very nature, peppered with Heavy Metal riffs and melodies that seem to blend flawlessly with influences from the warm-blooded, Mediterranean climate. It is therefore certainly the case that there is plenty to enjoy on ‘Ὅρκος ἐκλεκτῶν’ for those who can’t get enough of Rotting Christ’s ‘Thy Mighty Contract’ or Varathron’s ‘His Majesty At The Swamp’. But for those who like to look a little further afield and prefer to see the boundaries of Greek Black Metal stretched a little, Caedes Cruenta has always been an essential purchase.
That very concept has brought Caedes Cruenta to a point it felt it has reached their ultimate goal: an album that is both unorthodox and versatile, while still firmly rooted in the traditions of mystique and occultism of Greek Black Metal. Theory in practice: this means that on ‘Ὅρκος ἐκλεκτῶν’, Caedes Cruenta takes us through thrilling gothic passages reminiscent of classic Cradle Of Filth, or tranquil sections brimming with Dungeon Synth, acoustic Neo-Folk and Ambient (just listen, for example, to the beautiful closing track ‘Les Fleur Du Mal’). But apparently, the musicians involved also found a way to sneak a Morbid Angel cover, ‘Angel Of Disease’, into the already packed tracklist.
Although not everything really comes across quite as well, many of the acoustic folk tracks and the Morbid Angel cover do break the momentum and atmosphere of the album, yet a positive impression of this album still lingers. Although Caedes Cruenta’s swan song doesn’t quite match the level of experimentalism found with Necromantical Invocation, fans of the slightly more adventurous Greek Black Metal will once again be delighted by this release. Furthermore, the band has chosen to move from Helter Skelter, which I’ve always found to be a surprisingly poor choice, to Zombi Danz Records, and ‘Ὅρκος ἐκλεκτῶν’ is a worthy finale for both parties. It is now to be hoped that the focus will return to Ithaqua, which has been on the back burner for far too long, and the much-underrated Opus Magorum.
