Staffordshire has a rich background for Heavy Metal. I mean the county spewed out one Lemmy Kilminster in 1945... So, with the presence of such a legend in the county's history books, what are they producing in the deepest and darkest parts of the Midlands today? Well, allow me to introduce SAARKOTH. A young Black Metal band formed in 2016, unsigned to this day and producing their own strand of the dark music. They have a back catalogue of shows available for anyone to view on their Facebook page that shows their extensive touring around the country to spread the joy of their music.

The focal point of this review is their recently released EP "Follow The Cult" a trailblazing EP that consists of a singular SEVENTEEN AND A HALF MINUTE long track.... Now let that sink in, this is not a concept album, this is not prog. No, it is a Black Metal epic that is so unorthodox that one cannot help but to be instantly drawn into its orbit.

The artwork is very simple, with a paganistic sculpture entwined with brambles on a black background, simple and memorable it was conceived by Joe McEvoy. So, onto the review of the music and what a journey it is. With an acoustic introduction to make you feel as though you are floating in an ethereal vacuum before being thrown head first into chaos. The main body is heavy, it flows between sections seamlessly and follows an obviously very structured path. With relentless riffs that are accented by a guitar overtone. It adds an extra dimension of musicality to the piece.

The vocal line is raw and powerful, with a very stereotypical and recognizable Black Metal feel to the melody. I was very impressed by the standard of the vocal line to this track. Musically it remains true to the bands influences in the form of bands like WINTERFYLLETH and EMPEROR. "Follow The Cult" is an exceptional piece that demonstrates an understanding of the music beyond this band's years. Being so bold as to produce an EP that is so unlike pieces produced before. I understand that there have always been songs that are pushing the boundaries for their length, but these are often accompanied by other tracks within an EP or album. The fact that this is a stand alone track on an EP is fascinating and I would love to be able to pick the brains of the band over this.

Overall, I would have to say that while at first, I was hesitant about the EP, fearing that it may feel as though it would drag, I was pleasantly surprised and actually incredibly impressed by the quality of the music. I can't stop listening to it! I am looking forward into delving into SAARKOTH's back catalogue to see and hear what else they have released.