During the total eclipse of the sun earlier this year, I wasn’t as stupid as most of the population seems to have been by looking at the sun, I admit to taking pictures of it. It was a bit magical, I had a bonfire going, and through no consequence at all I ended up listening to this album all day (so did my neighbors, if I’m completely honest.)

So what better day to discuss the incredible new album from Mexican stalwarts Hacavitz. Muerte is their sixth full-length and it is fucking massive. Six tracks of interstellar Black Metal that are super-massive in structure and diabolical precision.

The first track “Muerte Primera” comes in with sublime chanting before the blast hits you, flaying the skin from the bone with these absolutely chilling riffs that sound like madness put to music, twisting and turning around your unassuming cerebral cortex.

The monstrous second track is by far my favorite, “Hiaretikos Nicte” is a slime-covered, lumbering Satanic beast baring fangs of DSBM before bursting into a Celtic Frost/Hellhammer riffing attack, a tidal wave of brutality that utilizes every second of its 9:04 run to punish you, constant reader.

My first exposure to Hacavitz was their phenomenal “Venganza” album way back in 2005, and after that, I kind of lost track of them for a few releases.

Here and now however, Muerte is blowing me away with track three, “Moonstench” is a  heads down and banging away like a maniac, with a Death/Thrash midsection and a Black Metal stinger, it’s just so well put together it adds another layer of complexity to this already mind-bending album. “Voivodvz” is another foray into cosmic Black Metal, I know I mention those little creatures from the Wrath of Kahn quite a bit but, that’s how this elemental power works, the music wraps around your brain and causes maniacal head banging, so it’s sort of similar.

“Tsontekotl Ika Tlet” is an instrumental, and serves as a bit of respite from the blistering heat of the surrounding tracks. It’s sublime and quite haunting.  This is needed before the surge of power that is closing track “Conticinium” bursting with 10:46 minutes of soul-eating Black Metal, a slow crawler at first and continually picking up speed towards the discordant ending of the song.

I think six is the magic number for Hacavitz. Muerte is a spectacular slab of pitch-black madness, a total mind fuck of an album. If you like the cosmic, interstellar side of Black Metal that fucks with Satan on the heavy, then Hacavitz is going to be right up your tree. FFO: Teitan, Blut Aus Nord, and Deathspell Omega.

[Visit the band's website]

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