Album Review: Vircolac – Masque (Dark Descent Records/Sepulchral Voice Records)

After 5 years of roaming city streets like a pack of rabid dogs, Vircolac have released its debut full length album titled Masque via Sepulchral Voice Records in Europe and Dark Descent Records in the US.

Rabid is a choice word to describe Vircolac. Their brand of fanatical and frenzied black metal is coarse and grim to the ears. The cavernous guitars and drums really gives opener Titan some serious depth while the vocals shriek, bringing the darkness to the forefront.

The velocity of the hatefulness that is ever-present throughout Masque rears its ugly head during Tether & Wane. Before So I Hang From a Wretched Tree drops the dismal rhythm down to appalling depths and Snake Among Men delivers an unnerving experience of focused heavy guitars.

It’s all perfectly solid if uninspired stuff. The most exciting moment comes from the less traditional black metal moments such as the doomier riffs of The Long Trail. Vircolac aren’t doing anything particularly wrong here, it’s just not an album that is going to live long in the memory.

Vircolac – Masque Full Track Listing:

1. Titan
2. Tether & Wane
3. So I Hang From a Wretched Tree
4. Masque
5. Snake Among Man
6. The Long Trail
7. End of a Beginning

The album can be picked up over on Bandcamp in a number of formats. More information can be found over on Vircolac’s Facebook Page.