I love bands that transform their local legends and sagas into music. This also happens in Sardinia, where the Black Metal band Vultur has been making a name for themselves since 2005.
They do this in their own language, Sardinian Campidanese, and as far as I know, they are the only Black Metal band that does.
Cultores de Perdas e Linna is the successor to Ogu Liau from 2014, and they haven’t been idle in those 11 years. In the meantime, they released several splits and compilations, but not a full-length album like this one.
With a new album that practically overflows with Sardinian traditions and history, they now return. From the cover art, featuring a popular wooden carnival mask called Su Boe, to the title, which means Worshippers of Stone and Wood—a name the Christian church mockingly used for the island’s original inhabitants.
All of this is wrapped in eight filthy, grimy, dark, and aggressive tracks, steeped in Sardinian occultism and folklore.
With musical influences from the dark Scandinavian forests and the ‘90s sound of bands like Immortal, Marduk, and Dissection, as well as those closer to home like Rotting Christ, the occult message from Sardinia’s past hits even harder than you might expect.
Eight tracks that grab you by the throat and drag you back to a time when other gods still ruled the island and nature was worshipped. With a history dating back to the Bronze Age, and when combined with the darkness and aggression that Vultur brings forth, you get something powerful—something genuine.
Some highlights include the intense Su Spegu, the massive walls of sound in Femina Mala, and the closing track Nemini Parco. The song Cultores Lapides et Lignea, which recalls old Rotting Christ, also hits hard.
The acoustic track Arestis is another standout, especially because it provides a moment of respite amidst all this sonic violence.
With this album, Vultur delivers a top-notch record that truly deserves a vinyl version alongside the CD.
90/100
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