Earth Plague - Cult of Damnation (2013)

   Earth Plague's debut was interesting for two main reasons. First of all it both reflected and summarized the most common main characteristics and motivations of the Hungarian extreme metal scene in an enjoyable way. And second, the music sounded so old school like if after being preserved in some time capsule for decades, it was insidiously released on the unsuspicious audiences, even though the '90s local scene lacked such unified albums with basic and essential concept and themes. 

   At Hungarian black metal bands it's a common "phenomenon" that despite their major numbers, most of them lacking enough skilled drummers who could play with the required intensity, therefore most of them ending up playing black/thrash or some middle speed black metal, that mostly ends up in eventless atmospheric monotony. However, even if "Cult of Damnation" wears the features of a typical Hungarian blackened thrash album, the music sounds more intentional than by being the forced outcome of necessity. The songs doesn't intend to sound more extreme than how they are. Simple, groovy old school riffs and thrash influenced hammerings assisted by fast blackened themes switching each other frequently. This might count as a pretty basic toolbar, but it's well practiced. The primitive sound adds more to the dirty old school impression, and therefore the result is simple and consequent blasphemy with ancient touch. In total, the album is pretty enjoyable in its basic form, and  successfully plants the feeling that it recalls something ancient and very familiar that haven't been heard since a few decades.