The lands of Ireland have very good bands in its underground, but even now, with internet connections with great speed and all support from internet platforms, we know only a few bands from the country. So, when you hear a good work from a band as the quintet VIRCOLAC, from Dublin, you must have the idea that they are true warriors. The EP "The Cursed Travails of the Demeter" speaks for itself.

They play a traditional form of Death Metal, aggressive and raw, but with some different elements that you hear in their songs. They come from a good technical approach and with rhythmic changes in the songs, because even being a band with roots in the traditional way, their music doesn't sound moldy or outdated. It's alive, aggressive and bleeds with raw energy. Recorded at Elektra Studios, in Dublin, and having the production, engineering and mixing done by Ola Ersfjord (who played some keyboards parts on the EP as well), and the mastering from Phil VK, the sound quality is truly raw and nasty, a bit beyond the needed. But even in this way, their songs sound understandable to our senses. It could be better, but it's not so bad at all.

"The Cursed Travails of the Demeter" is raw, intense and heavy, with a very good aggressive work from vocals and guitars; "Charonic Journey (Stygian Revelation)" has a funereal insight, showing good rhythmic changes (what shows the good work from bass guitar and drums); some massive nasty guitar riffs can be heard on the traditional Death Metal song called "Lascivious Cruelty" (again with very good variation of the tempos); and the long, somber and darkened "Betwixt the Devil and Witches" has a slower tempo, but keeping the aggressiveness on high level, and shows that VIRCOLAC is truly a good revelation, and can be a great band in the future.

They are talented musicians, the band is truly fine, but a better sound quality would work miracles in the future. For now, "The Cursed Travails of the Demeter" is a very good release.