[ALBUM REVIEW] Siculicidium - A rothadó virágok színüket vesztik

Genre - Black Metal

1. Zuhanás

2. Holnap Majd Felgyújtom Az Erdït

3. Várnak A Varjak

4. Ökörtej (Latte Bue)

5. Halványan Az Idï Ellen (Rehearsal)

6. A Sajnálat Utolsó Lehelete (Taxidermia) (Rehearsal)

7. Bakarasznyi Mumus

I first encountered Transylvanian Black Metal act SICULICIDIUM a couple of years ago now when I stumbled upon their (currently only) full-length release ‘Utolsó vágta az Univerzumban‘ in a local record shop and bought it on a whim and subsequently loved it. They exhibited a striking blend of influences from TORMENTOR to INQUISITION and DARKTHRONE among others. ‘A rothadó virágok színüket vesztik’ is their first new release since that album and retains the same basic style and principles of the last album, except this time it appears to have been stripped right to the bone and sandblasted with a huge amount of wretched dirt.

The underworldly melodies have been for the most part been replaced by a brash and obnoxious punk like influence which for the most part seems to transfer across rather well. It’s a short enough affair, there’s only three proper songs which are new, then you’ve got two interludes and then two tracks which are rehearsals presumably left over from the recording of their debut album. “Zuhanas” kicks things off with a horror driven dirge and you can immediately hear the TORMENTOR influences in the band’s sound here, most notably in Béla Lugosi’s grim, rasped vocals. Supported with subtle synth work and Krul’s slightly muffled albeit impressive drumming it is the only track that really carries forward that grisly, evil sound from before. 

“Holnap majd felgyújtom az erdőt” is where the crusty Black ‘n Roll influences really seep through, HELLHAMMER-esque in all their raw garage like glory. Ultimately though this song doesn’t really do much for me, its repetition doesn’t really work and the song in general just comes across as a tad silly. Then came “Várnak a varjak”, and even though it wasn’t even two minutes long I thought it was pretty fucking awesome, except it sounded a touch familiar. Struggling to put my finger on it and racking my brain for ages it then dawned on me, that same rhythm and arrangement was used on “Halványan az idő Ellen” which is a track off the last release and also makes a cameo here as well in rough rehearsal form. Here it is moulded into an atmospheric and melancholic interlude that provokes an eerie sense of unease and trepidation and a direction I wouldn’t mind the band exploring further. It works very well.

“Ökörtej” reverts back to the raucous and raw Black Metal, brisk in pace with its primitive tremolo riffing and those obnoxious vocal patterns and ugly attitude, it almost sounds to these ears like a twisted marriage between DARKTHRONE and ABUSRD. The vocals could definitely do with being filled out a bit though, it sounds as if Bela Lugosi has been recorded while singing halfway down a hallway. The next two tracks are rehearsals off the last album and there’s not much to say about them really other than “Halvanyan...” having the same melody as “Varnak...” except transcribed in metal form this time around and “A sajnálat utolsó lehelete” being an extremely unevolved version of that previously seen on the last album.

For what it is, ‘A rothadó virágok színüket vesztik’ is again another decent release by this Romanian horde. It’s a lot different in contrast to the last album though, bearing an altogether more repulsive and odious facade than previously seen in its punkish delivery. At the end of the day though there are only four completely new tracks here, the rest appears to be no more than a collection of odds and sods that have been tacked on for good measure so I would advise newcomers to start with the debut first, and then opinions deciding, they could move on to this without too much hesitation. 

7/10

Sounds like - Inquisition, Absurd, Barathrum

Originally written for The Metal Observer

Siculicidium - Utolsó Vágta Az Univerzumba

1. Utolsó vágta az Univerzumban
2. Halványan az idő ellen
3. Bizonytalan ideák 1-2 - Ellenállás! (Bizonytalan ideák pt. 2)
4. Talán (ha hallanám...)
5. A sajnálat utolsó lehelete (Taxidermia)
6. Lebomlás, lelassulás


I have been meaning to review this album for a while, but only got round to doing it now. This was one of those CD's that you find sitting in a record shop, you see the cover and a war erupts in your head whether to buy it out of pure curiosity because it looks like you might enjoy it, or be sensible and save your hard earned (or not so hard earned) cash. I chose the former, I am a complete sucker when it comes to buying music blind.

'Utolsó Vágta az Univerzumban' is the debut by Romanian black metal outfit 'Siculicidium', which roughly translates to 'The Last Gallop of the Universe'. Worth noting as well are that the band are also from Transylvania, an area of infamously horrific folklore and legend, which many other black metal bands write about, but can only dream of experiencing. I suppose an apt term for describing Siculicidium's music would be 'Transylvanian Black Metal', for they embody everything of the legend that shrouds Transylvania and her many mysteries. They play a very undermined style of black metal, the type of slow, brooding venom that Inquisition produce. Inquisition appear to be the biggest influence on 'Lugosi Bela' here, the guitar riffs are the same type of rolling, throbbing rhythm present in their Columbian peers. Rather than just remaining content with being an Inquisition clone, the music is sporadically intertwined with melodic, acoustic guitar, giving it an added edge of originality, take for example in the first song at 2:30, it helps in breaking up the music from its macabre procession and keeping you from pressing the skip button. What is notable too is that the music is extremely melodic but still holds the acutely evil atmosphere they are aiming for. Although don't get this mixed up with 'Dimmu Borgir-melodic', for it doesn't contain any keyboards at all, the melody all comes from the guitar riffing and vocal patterns which LB uses almost in unison with the turbulence of the guitar. The vocals are again heavily influenced by Inquisition, akin to Dagon's morbid crowing but slightly more 'sung' and less like they were being spoken. The drumming is fairly simple and straight forward, which is more that suitable for this music as it doesn't require a Hellhammer or Frost to hammer the kit to pieces. Simple rhythms and patterns keep the music at it's lethargic, underworldy pace, where as anything else would just be a distraction. If I had to pick a comparison, I imagine the best I can come up with is twenty percent Barathrum, and eighty percent Inquisition.

The production here is thick and dense, it's good to see the band have also went to the effort of getting a decent production as more often than not it hinders a lot of black metal albums. The band look to have gone for a completely different style than is the trend at the minute, while we are infested with swarms of 'DBSM' clones at the minute, 'Siculicidium' have gave us a very unique album in 'Utolsó Vágta az Univerzumban'. It stands out from the crowd, and I would love to see these guys getting more recognition, because based on this album, they deserve it. If you like your black metal with a real evil atmopshere, catchy riffing and identity, and detest the 'blast and flail norsecore' style then I would strongly recommend this album.

85/100

Sun & Moon