Délétère / Sarkrista - Opus Blasphematum (2021)

Just when you think 2021 can not get any better with Black Metal releases, Sepulchral Productions drops the split release “Opus Blasphematum” between Canada’s finest Délétère and Germany’s Sarkrista. Unleashing nearly 40 minutes of soul-crushing BM, this release perfectly combines the fury and finesse of these two outfits with three songs from Délétère and four from Sarkrista. For fans of the genre, this is one of the best split releases of the year, so don’t sleep on it and get your speakers ready.

Canada opens this split with the punishing “Seule affamée”, a perfectly crafted piece that balances menacing riffing with melody and Thorleïf’s gut wrenching vocals. Délétère has been gradually getting better and more brutal over the years, and their intensity is perfectly framed by lush atmospheric and melodic undertones, as “Verminanda”. This track continues the blistering pace thanks to crafty drumming and incisive guitars. The band’s participation ends with the melancholic harshness of “ La cour des fanges”, our favorite song from this side of the release.

As we all know, Sarkrista does not fuck around and they level the place down as soon as “Arrival of the Horned” starts. Fierce vocals, paired with demoralizing guitar work and insane drumming, this band’s BM style is as punishing as it gets, as we can hear on the majestic “Psalms of Impious Malice” and its waves of headbanging passages. The band’s participation really hits its stride with the excellent “Sermons of Burning Blood” and the crushing barrage of riffs and crafty drums, seemlinly blending into the ravaging intensity of the closer “Unleash the Purging Fires”.

Filled with intense guitar work, demonical vocals, and crafty drumming, both Délétère and Sarkrista deliver intense songs that should further elevate their status in the Black Metal ranks. We are particularly impressed that “Opus Blasphematum” makes two different, and yet punishing, BM styles work well together and create one of the most intense and pummeling releases of 2021, so we warned and get a copy of this release.

Label: Sepulchral Productions

Release: December 2nd, 2021

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Canada/Germany