MAGNACULT were formed in 2005 and they are from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. They play a mixture of Death and Groove Metal and released their fourth full-length album. "Lucis" has a length of almost 40 minutes, and it is an independent release. The album starts with a short intro, leading into "Eternity's Gate", which is introduced by powerful guitar riffs at measured tempo with a sluggish rhythm. The vocals are growls and they vary around the medium end of the guttural range. The drumming offers plenty of double-bass drumming and a few blast-beats. The melodies are grim with a few melancholic features during the break. The break includes a short lead guitar solo. "Eternity's Gate" is a head-banger throughout and a good start to the album. "The Darkest Truth" continues with direct, aggressive, and powerful guitar riffing. It is a mid-tempo track, but with many subtle changes in tempo and rhythm. The vocals have backing vocal support, where higher growls are utilized, which gives the track an additional layer. The break is very abrupt and is introduced by an acoustic guitar part. Another abrupt change leads into a bit of a frantic part with a breakdown at its end. Due to the many twists and turns, "The Darkest Truth" is not the easiest track to digest.

"The Red Circle" continues with the groovy Death Metal sound. It is again a track at a measured tempo with plenty of slight changes in tempo and rhythm. The guitar riffing is direct and simple, while the vocals are very aggressive. The song is another banger for most of the time, where the focus is on an aggressive delivery, rather than on melodies. The title track consists of two parts. "Lucis I" is a one-minute dark and guitar-driven interlude. "Deceived From Day One" starts with a pounding rhythm and a slow tempo, leading into a mid-tempo verse part. The guitar riffing is tight and a bit more playful compared to the previous tracks. The vocals are a bit more versatile as higher-pitched growls are utilized, especially during the choruses. The melodies are spine-chilling throughout the track. The break is abrupt and starts with a slow guitar part, where a bit of melancholy is introduced to the melodies. During the later part of the break, an extended and very contributing lead guitar solo is offered until the end of the track. It all sounds a bit unfinished, as the track slowly fades out. "Heartless" is introduced by a two-minutes guitar-driven instrumental with blood-freezing melodies at a measured tempo. The track then transitions into a verse part at crazy pace. The guitar riffing is punishing, and the vocals are full of anger. The choruses switch to a measured tempo with more focus of a grim melodic delivery. The break in "Heartless" changes to insanity and mayhem at blistering pace and this part of the track has a few Thrash Metal inspirations.

"Blackened Crystal" goes right from the start into the verse part at measured tempo. The guitar riffing is simple and direct and has a lot of Grooves. The choruses deliver spine-chilling and partially melancholic melodies. The break is two-parted with a distinct switch in between, with the second part offering a short lead guitar solo. The title track part two is another guitar-driven inter-lude with dark melodies. "Lucis II" is a bit longer than "Lucis I", but it is a direct follow-up of "Lucis I". "Wind Of Creation" has a grim melodic start with the guitars deliver a dark atmosphere. The track transitions into the verse part, driven by crushing guitar riffs accompanied by a lot of double-bass drumming and very aggressive vocals. The choruses offer chilling melodies and plenty of atmospheric patterns. The break delivers an extended and very contributing lead guitar solo, which lasts until the final chorus. "Wind Of Creation" is one of the album highlights. The final track is called "Final Decision" and it consists of part one and part two. "Final Decision I" is a 90-seconds tension-building introduction to "Final Decision II". "Final Decision II" is a mid-tempo track with thunderous guitar riffs and plenty of grooves during the verse and chorus parts. There are a few subtle twists in tempo and rhythm, however, the track has a clean verse/chorus/break structure. The break offers another extended and cool lead guitar solo, which closes the track. "Final Decision II" was released as video, and the YouTube link is provided below.

MAGNACULT release a good fourth album. "Lucis" is a fine blend of Groove and Death Metal with focus on powerful guitar riffs and aggressive vocals. The songs are not always easy-to-listen to, because of the complexity of song textures and the many twists in rhythm and tempo. The lead guitar solos are often very contributing. The album is well produced. Fans of Groove and Death Metal will be delighted with the new release of MAGNACULT.