I get offered multiple albums every day, and the vast number of emails just get filed away, but for some reason I took a second look at this one. I had never heard of this Belarus-based black metal duo prior to the email, but there was something about this which made me decide to grab it and give it a try: I can only think the unusual black and white cover made an impression on me. I have not heard any of their other albums, but they have been incredibly prolific with this being their sixth album in five years, yet if the rest are as good as this then quality and quantity go hand in hand.

The line-up is Dzmtr (guitars) and Ldzmr (vocals, drums), and what we have here is traditional black metal with some melodic influences here and there. They certainly know how to provide the buzzsaw riffs and attacks of the more frenetic bands as they move towards thrash without ever crossing the boundary. This is an album which just feels totally out of time as this is what we were hearing 30 years ago and is all the better for it. Due to the vagaries of the alphabet this came onto my player immediately after the latest release by Darkthrone and the contrast between the two could not be starker, and if one had used these two albums to determine who was the classic outfit then the result could well be surprising. Old school all the way, this is black metal being played with venom and purpose from a band who refuse to conform to modern ideals and are instead taking their influences from the classics of yesteryear. Downcross is definitely a name to look out for and fans of black metal should be seeking this out.

Rating: 8/10

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/downcrossofficial
https://www.cavumatrumrex.com/