ALBUM REVIEW: Capricorn Wolves – Kultika

The latest release from Romanian noise mongers KULTIKA sees them move further away from their black metal roots and embrace proggy, post-metal stylings. Capricorn Wolves opens with the ten-minute Building Nothingness Inside Faith, which starts off as a beautiful instrumental piece and grows in intensity until Jack Popescu’s roars breakthrough.

For the most part, though, the band are most interesting when you block out the heavier parts and listen to the guitar and drumming work in the background. These guys have such a talent for musical world-building, which comes through the swirling guitar lines and the ebb and flow of the rhythm section but is often overwhelmed by the generic, chugging ‘heavy’ sections.

Moments of genuine brilliance shine through during Capricorn Wolves. Under The Hollow Sun features a stunning central instrumental part, bringing together ideas of the cosmos and topping off with a guitar solo that wouldn’t be out of place on a PINK FLOYD record. When Popescu drops the death metal roars, his vocals only add to this – indicating what an incredible album this could have been.

Six tracks in and it does all come together in the spectacular A Fixed Reality For Prometheus’ Identity. Tying together the melodic and technical musicianship, with the death metal stylings that previously had felt workmanlike. It’s as if KULTIKA find the next gear, adding greater variety to the heavier sections to bring those themes to life. The album ends strong as well. Sounds Of Everlasting Desire sees the band retrace the ground covered across the whole album. Adding touches of classic rock in with the prog, sludge and death metal. Popescu is a brilliant vocalist and gets to show that here, as the band build to a euphoric finale.

This sounds like a band trying to reconcile what they were and what they are striving to become. Capricorn Wolves isn’t 100% successful at walking that tightrope but it should make people excited for what comes next.

Rating: 6/10

Capricorn Wolves is out now via Loud Rage Music.

Like KULTIKA on Facebook