Blood Cauldron – Infernal Patterns Review

“It’s a satanic #dadrock thing…you wouldn’t understand.”
Woe to you, of earth and sea, for the Devil’s choristers are upon thee. Be not afraid, my sour-hearted fanatics, for Beelzebub’s balladeers are here to conjure your most immoral desires into being. Dastardly deeds and profane undertakings beckon, and the veil between perdition and the soil beneath our feet will be torn asunder. The battle of all against all looms large, and ancient plagues shall be unleashed. Thy Diabolic Majesty, hear our pleas, grant us immortality so we may serve eternal in your Mephistophelian legions.

All hail the netherworld.

Praise the accursed.

Or, you know, some shit like that.

You know who spoils all the fun, goddamn cringe-worthy Satanists. We get it, bud; no one doubts your Prince of Darkness fandom. We know you love all that ‘shadowy faces in dark forests’ stuff. But come on, have a giggle or two; it’s all fairytales in the end. The truth is, self-aware Satanists are a Hell of a lot more fun. Who doesn’t love a fan of Ol’ Nick who understands that ridiculously over-the-top theatrics are the best bit? Wave goodbye to all that self-serious ritual malarky and say hello to B-grade trash, schlocky horror, and shocking histrionics; overcooking your incantations is where it’s at! Forget all those more-evil-than-evil dorks in wraparounds and all those sad sacks wandering about with candelabras. Embrace the infernal, but throw a cheeky wink to the audience, too.

Much devilry with a sly wink is what Aotearoa New Zealand rockers Blood Cauldron specialise in on their full-length debut, Infernal Patterns. The band’s album features plenty of addictive earworms, with Blood Cauldron’s “dad-rock for Satan” being aptly blasphemous to boot. (As a fitting bonus, Blood Cauldron’s far-flung Dunedin base is certainly situated South of Heaven.) Blood Cauldron’s music is made by musicians as well-versed in obscure 70s rock as they are in lo-fi black metal. Instrumentally – and, I’d hazard a guess, spiritually, too – there’s a little of The Devil’s Blood’s Anti-Kosmik Magick here. Blood Cauldron’s vintage riffs feature similarly moreish satanic hooks. However, press play on Infernal Patterns and the rough ‘n’ ready authenticity of several Rise Above Records releases, most notably Ghost’s classic Opus Eponymous debut, will likely spring to mind first.

I mention Ghost hesitantly because the Swedish band obviously cast aside the basement buzz of their debut in favour of signing up to become corporate rock stars. (And that’s fine. I know Ghost have a zillion fans. I might think every major label release from the band has featured nothing more than calculated chart fodder, and you’re allowed to disagree and love the band to death.) In any case, Ghost’s earliest – i.e. best – years are the period Blood Cauldron invoke. Similarly, Blood Cauldron’s members cultivate mysterious personas via pseudonymous identities*, and the band’s Luciferian liturgies conjure the classic chills ‘n’ thrills of films like The Devil Rides Out, The Wicker Man, The Blood on Satan’s Claw, Häxan, and The Abominable Dr Phibes, etc.

(*I mean, as much as is possible to remain anonymous in a small Southern Hemisphere city with an even smaller pool of heavy rock/metal fans.)

Produced and recorded by Ben Cochrane at Bestial Scum Bunker and mixed and Mastered by Dero (aka Daryl Tapsell, guitarist/vocalist from NZ’s long-running death/grind outfit Malevolence), Infernal Patterns sounds excellent and features punchy drums, synching six-strings, and crisply captured vocals. Seconds into opener “Aokigahara”, you’re awash in Infernal Patterns‘ gritty production, which harks back to an N.W.O.B.H.M.-worthy aesthetic while also thrumming with proto-metal inspirations. Blood Cauldron’s not-so-secret weapon – vocalist Beleth Cephalor – mixes black metal’s cut-throat croaks with deeper baritone howls as melodic guitars, soaring solos, gothic organ, and a thumping rhythm section tear into psych/prog-injected slabs of heavy occult rock. It’s not a wholly accurate comparison, but Mercyful Fate covering Uriah Heep or Deep Purple is a workable reference point throughout. I’m sure Blood Cauldron’s influences run deeper than that, but you can’t escape the classic hard rock undercurrents here, either.

Sulphurous tracks like “Archetypes of Sin” and “We: Infernal Votaries” dig into metal’s primordial ooze, while “Ave Saturnus I – A Deluded Prophecy” and bass-charged “Polytheist Inimical Reverence” rock hard and often. The exceptionally catchy “Ihtiriekko” mixes staccato riffage with Hammond organ propulsion, and I defy you not to be possessed by the gripping epicness of “Dominus Anulorum”. Crucial points to note are how Blood Cauldron’s driving guitars never overpower the keys and how those intertwining vocals add so much colour and shade.

Unearthly symbolism and otherworldly subversion also play prime roles here. Blood Cauldron’s tracks reveal a band obsessed with the sinister side of psychedelia, subverting the genre’s usual sunshine and turning it into darkness. Progressive rock is also given a menacing work over, with Blood Cauldron casting a few long-form necromantic spells. Sometimes, the band stretch out on more keyboard-led passages. Other times, Blood Cauldron spookily toy with soft-loud dynamics or go all-in with venomous vocals and throat-gripping riffs. Whichever artistic avenue they choose, or whatever musical potion they use, Blood Cauldron’s infectious and, dare I say it, seductive melodies lure you into the band’s nefarious web.

A long line of releases – from Sabbath’s debut to Black Widow’s Sacrifice, Coven’s Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls, and Blue Öyster Cult’s first album – have contributed to the supernatural heart beating on Blood Cauldron’s first full-length. Fans of ye olde metal and heavier strains of prog and acid-rock will find much to enjoy on Infernal Patterns, with Blood Cauldron’s self-ascribed ‘black metal from the early 1970s’ tag being 666% accurate. It would be a shame if the band’s far-flung location meant potential disciples missed hearing Blood Cauldron’s sacrilegious hymns. I’ve done my bit of unholy evangelising right here; now you do yours. Spread the sinister word, brothers and sisters.

The Devil always has the best tunes; Blood Cauldron further proves that. Infernal Patterns marries primal power to hellish fun, and there’s no shortage of fiendish creativity to admire. With hooks as tempting as sin, Blood Cauldron’s occult-heavy tracks dig into the roots of heavy metal. However, the band aren’t here to exhume or examine the entrails of any specific genre. Instead, Blood Cauldron’s mission is simple: to have a wickedly good time. Infernal Patterns is an absolute blast of diabolic rock. Kneel down ye sinners; ungodly pleasures await.

Posted by Craig Hayes

Old man from Aotearoa New Zealand. I write about dadcrust for d-beat dorks, raw punk nerds, and metal dweebs.

  1. Damn right or is that Dadrock right? Their recorded word isn’t a patch on their live show which is most definitely a wicked good time indeed

    Reply

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