Artist: Oath Of Malignancy
Country: Ecuador
Label: Wolfkult Religion
Format: Cassette tape
Year: 2025
The primitive sound of South America and Greece, if there would be a collective description of what unifies most of the recent releases on Wolfkult Religion it would be that. Whether it’s the Nordic Black Metal of Likno, the Greek sound of Haan Valar, or the old school Extreme Metal of Bestial Rites, the label aims to bring gems from the underground to the attention. A new player on the label is Oath of Malignancy, a brand new band from Ecuador that has just released their debut record ‘Sabbath Witchcraft’.
After some incantations, ‘Desecrated Winter Storm’ starts the recording off in orchestral fashion. Immediately clear from the keyboard-heavy and muffled sound is adoration for early adopters of Black Metal, and in particular Samael, the Hellic sound of Necromantia and Varathron, and Mystifier. And while I’m unsure whether the band intended to do so, the fact that the Ecuadorians share their band name with a song off the magnificent Moenen of Xezbeth album ‘Ancient Spells of Darkness...’ is kind of telling. With a heavy bass sound, one cannot deny comparison with the Finns of Barathrum either, but all make it clear: this is crude, unpolished Black Metal true to the late 80’s and early 90’s of the genre. The vocals are distant with a touch of reverb, the guitars are there, but overall are submissive to the thick bass and in particular the keyboards. And the same can be said for the melodies: they’re subtle, not too overt, and mostly give way to the foggy atmosphere.
The music on display here is nothing short of an extremely charming homage to first wave Black Metal. But while often crude and stripped down, Oath of Malignancy does not sound simplistic. For instance, the crawling tension in ‘Sabbath Witchcraft’ with the rising tonality of the synthesizers is simply excellent, and the play with pace keeps said song fresh and intriguing. Or the entrancing monotony and clean vocals of ‘Pilgrim of My Obscurity ‘, simple in its composition yet intricate in its level of authenticity.
As always in this genre, regardless of the complexity of the music one can only conjure an authentic feeling if the songwriting has been done well and the intention is heartfelt. And that, Oath of Malignancy has done splendidly on ‘Sabbath Witchcraft’. Worshippers of early Samael, Barathrum and the Hellenic scene, and more contempary acts such as Moenen of Xezbeth, Forbidden Temple, Phlegeton’s Majesty and the likes, rejoice!
