NAMTARU - Cult of Ancient Deities [CD]

IMAGES SHOWN ARE DIGITAL MOCKUPS, AND THE FINAL RESULTS MAY VARY.

Named after the ancient Mesopotamian god of death, NAMTARU, from Trento, Trentino-South Tyrol, Italy, delivers a style of death metal steeped in Scandinavian black metal lore, mixed with a cosmic Middle Eastern/Sumerian aesthetic.

NAMTARU was formed in 2017 as a spin-off of Mistigma, (which also boasts founding member and guitarist Alessio Faccoli). Joined by drummer Marco Scarperi, vocalist/guitarist Kejvin Rexha and bassist Robert Kolodziejczyk, NAMTARU slowly-but-steadily have established the band’s menacing sonority over the past eight years.

After releasing three band room rehearsal type quality demos (pre-production tracks and raw mixes of studio outtakes), NAMTARU finally unleashes its highly anticipated debut full-length album, “Cult of Ancient Deities,” through Awakening Records.

On its nine commanding tracks (including two dynamic instrumentals), the band dutifully combines mesmerizing melodies, maniacal blast beats, monolithic riffs and diabolical-yet-decipherable guttural bellows. Composed and arranged between 2017 to 2019, a few of these tracks have appeared on their previous demos, but have been refined here with more impact and cohesiveness.

Forging a blueprint of simplistic song structures, NAMTARU’s mostly mid-paced tempos serve them well, especially with the use of transitions and rhythms that segue seamlessly into different dynamic shifts that commands the listener’s attention. While the band isn’t overly concerned with speed (although there are plenty of furious moments), NAMTARU prefer to focus more on delivering dark atmospheres and creating other-worldly moods.

Instrumental album opener “Cult of Ancient Deities” sets an ominous tone for what follows it. Decorated with synth accents and Sumerian/Middle Eastern tribal rhythms, the track ends with sampled flickering flames as if the listener has just witnessed a cult ritual taking place in some dark and foreboding forest.

With NAMTARU’s black metal and death metal influences almost equally combined, there are also some punk rock and traditional heavy metal elements that lay underneath their blackened death metal juggernaut of sound. On “Cold : Dead : Waste,” the band’s slamming black metal elements; cannon-esque blast beats and tremolo picking, are more restrained and more engaging compared to the typical black metal approach. Whereas with “Insane Litanies” and album closer “Call from the Depths,” the band’s savage death metal influences come to the forefront more-so compared to the other tracks.

With lyrical themes based on Sumerian mythos, H.P. Lovecraft literature (with a strong focus on Cthulhu), horror themes, science fiction, false deities and Mesopotamian civilizations, NAMTARU has crafted mini demonic narratives that blend perfectly with its feral musical compositions. “Great Old Ones” from the band’s 2021 “The Cosmic Call Promo 2021” demo and “Dagon,” create vivid Lovecraftian storylines that perfectly accompany the songs’ massive head-banging grooves and powerful riffs. The brooding-yet-enchanting ending of “Endless Self Devourment”—with its reverb-drenched acoustic/electric guitar segment—is hauntingly beautiful. Keeping with the cult/religious themes, instrumental “Ascending Fire of Moloch”’s epic and majestic melodies are delivered at a furious pace, while the mid-tempo savagery of “Weeping Angels” is decorated with heaps of melodious brutality.

Mixed and mastered by vocalist/guitarist Kejvin Rexha, the album captures a simplistic rawness that is abrasive, abyssic and valiant at the same time. On “Cult of Ancient Deities,” NAMTARU manages to capture splendid melodies with a relentless delivery, keeping the album engaging and thrilling throughout its duration. Although the band hasn’t recorded much material in its short eight-year existence, NAMTARU is primed and ready for mass destruction. — Kelley Simms

AWA 113 CD
NAMTARU
Cult of Ancient Deities

1. Cult of Ancient Deities
2. Cold : Dead : Waste
3. Great Old Ones
4. Weeping Angels
5. Ascending Fire of Moloch
6. Dagon
7. Endless Self Devourment
8. Insane Litanies
9. Call from the Depths

■ 16-PAGE BOOKLET
■ JEWEL CASE
■ LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES

Out on April 4, 2025