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Despite the generally low amount of skill required to put out a black metal EP these days, Brooklyn's own Horns & Hooves have greatly exceeded expectations with this release. The duo consists of Malebolge and Salpsan, with each member handling multiple instrumental duties and both providing vocals. This results in a sound more in line with a full band than a typical studio-bound black metal project. The obscene cover art greatly elevated my interest in the release, as it seemed that the band members weren't afraid to scare off people who like to play it safe.

From the opening incantation, it's immediately clear that this band specializes in perverse and irreverent old school black metal with lyrics paying homage to Satanic hedonism and other sinful pleasures. The non-stop riffs are razor sharp and the rhythm section keeps things rolling at an energetic pace throughout all four tracks of filthy black metal. Every track on this album is incredibly catchy, memorable and fun, but I took great amusement in having "Cuckolded by Satan" stuck in my head for the entire day after a single listen. The short runtime makes it very easy to listen to these songs again and again.

If you like ugly black metal that isn't scared of being immoral and obscene, this is an essential release. Horns & Hooves continue the tradition of other classic US black metal acts such as Profanatica and Grand Belial's Key, crafting the type of enjoyably perverted music that is sorely lacking these days. This EP is limited to 100 copies, so Satanic deviants need to act fast or it will be gone for good.