ALBUM REVIEW: Sect of Vile Divinities – Incantation

Despite having a career that has lasted just as long as many of the big names in the original North American old-school death metal scene, North East extreme metallers INCANTATION have largely remained entrenched in the underground. But it is a realm that has suited them. Led by front man and lead songwriter John McEntee, the four-piece has forever been unapologetic in its extremity, taking that core old-school death metal sound and mixing in elements of black metal, grindcore and doom to great effect. The 2010s saw a run of good form for INCANTATION, and McEntee and co. are starting the new decade with a brand new offering – Sect of Vile Divinities. But can they maintain their strong track record of recent years? 

You’d be hard pressed to argue that 2014’s Dirges of Elysium was an incredible achievement for INCANTATION. Capitalising on the momentum they built of 2012’s Vanquish in Vengeance, the quartet hit their stride magnificently. 2018’s Profane Nexus, had it followed almost any other album they released in the 2000s, would have been heralded as another brilliant offering – however, following the brilliance of Dirges of Elysium and carrying the band’s cleanest, most polished production to date, it didn’t quite carry the impact it should have. However from the opening notes of Ritual Impurity (Seven of the Sky is One), the opening track of Sect of Vile Divinities, it’s clear McEntee and co. aren’t messing around.

Immediately its clear the band have moved back in a rawer, harsher direction with Dan Swanö‘s production this time – a move that pays dividends throughout the record. And as an opening statement of intent, Ritual Impurity hits hard as a bag of bricks. Falling comfortably into the faster side of INCANTATION‘s arsenal, it’s a blistering opening gambit complete with intense solo work to close the song off. A wonderful start, and things only get better from here. Propitiation is the kind of low and slow offering that INCANTATION have become masters of, while video single Entrails of the Hag Queen is a brutalising exercise in dissonance that transitions seamlessly between doomy and eviscerating sections, complete with some higher pitched screams from McEntee that break up the funeral dirge of his gutturals very nicely.

Only three tracks in, and Sect of Vile Divinities has already been a wild ride – and the fun doesn’t stop. From here, INCANTATION deliver ironclad proof they are at their absolute best – be it the devastating brutality of Guardians from the Primeval, closing opus Siege Hive or video single Fury’s Manifesto or the funeral doom crawling chaos of Ignis Fatuus. A further testament to INCANTATION‘s brilliance across Sect of Vile Divinities is just how different every song sounds, while still sounding every bit like INCANTATION. Sometimes it’s easy to fall into the trap of delivering 40 minutes of blasts, with no moments really standing out – this album has no such issue. But while there is incredible strength to be found across the entirety of the record, there is a four song run towards the end of the album that really stands as some of the very best of INCANTATION.

Kicking off with the grinding ferocity of Chant of Formless Dread, McEntee and co. really push themselves to their creative limits – and it works incredibly. Where Chant of Formless Dread is a beast, untamed speed and chaotic at every turn, Shadow-blade Masters of Tempest sees a wonderful mix of riffy, doomy filth and up-tempo aggression. But it’s the 10-minute plus change one-two smack of Scribes of the Stygian and Unborn Ambrosia that really stand out – no mean feat, given the quality on display across the whole record. Drenched in funeral doom misery, classic doom groove and death/doom aggression, take a wild guess what side of INCANTATION this one-two shows best? A chaotic crawl through the void, both Scribes of the Stygian and Unborn Ambrosia perfectly highlight the strength of a slower approach – particularly in contrast to the high speeds that the band have employed throughout much of Sect of Vile Divinities.

There is no question – Sect of Vile Divinities is the crowning glory of INCANTATION‘s 21st century releases. It ticks all the right boxes for any INCANTATION fan, but it is a record that is far more than just fan service. McEntee and co. have truly outdone themselves here, not just continuing the run of good form they’ve had over the last decade, but raising the bar to a whole new level. With old-school death metal in a period of wonderful revival in the global scene, its important to remember that some of the legends that came before can still hang – and INCANTATION hang with the best of them.

Rating: 9/10

Sect of Vile Divinities is set for release August 21st via Relapse Records. 

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