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This is the second full-length for Vuohivasara (roughly "Goathammer"). A Finnish band that play a refreshingly non-cliched variety of chaotic Black Metal. The band starts off with a nice, fat sound, and they churn out some satisfying heaviness by not being addicted to tremolo. Still, this is not Deathy by any stretch, and the melody and depth of the music is undeniable. The mix puts the vocals quite low in the music, and this not only lets the rest of the instruments take the center of attention, it makes the vocals sound far more arcane and mysterious. The drum work is really splendid on this album, as skin-basher Krig Von Alastor does not fall into the trap of simply blasting, but accents and accentuates the music with rolls, fills, and other flourishes that do not call attention to themselves, but still give this disc enormous texture.

This really grabbed me, and I keep listening to it. A Cult Revived is not groundbreaking, but it reminds me of what was cool about Black Metal to begin with. Vicious, aggressive, chaotic but with hidden complexity – this is not an album to miss.