Cultic's Doomed Command: "Beseech the Olden Throne" (Video Premiere)
There’s nothing quite like a good doom groove—mostly anybody can throw a cool riff together, but only a select few bands can take one of those, turn it into the backbone of an entire song, and leave the audience wanting for another precious minute of the opiatic earworm. Cultic are one such group, although their “dungeon metal” features a lot more than just doom: the band’s sophomore album Of Fire and Sorcery is effectively the result of leaving dungeon synth, black metal, heavy metal, and more to rot in a festering sub-basement for a solid thirty years or so. But on “Beseech the Olden Throne,” which we’re premiering the video for below, Cultic invokes a timeless, reverb-drenched doom approach to gloriously addictive results.
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To some degree, this feels like a recruitment video, and I have to say—it works. “Cry out to the ancient one,” declares vocalist/guitarist Brian Magar, and yeah, I’m in. Hell, I’ll venture into that creepy tower in the background and kill a skeleton or something too—just as long as the robe is part of the deal. Cast in cryptic shades of purple and gold, the band (consisting of husband/wife duo Brian and Rebecca Magar) cast ominous glares at the camera while pounding out the stomping main riff, and also engage in some sort of ritual. It’s a weird, cult-like video, which is frankly the only possible choice: Of Fire and Sorcery is a celebration of the strange, shadowy corners of heavy metal that have managed to remain unpolished and abhorrent throughout the years.
Brian comments:
“Covid forced us to rethink our strategy when it came to the creation of the video. The process was tricky because we chose to shoot everything ourselves. We did this using a handful of iPhones, one tripod, and a 10 ft green screen. Not an easy feat for two people. I’ve always liked the look and feel of old rotoscoped movies. So, I was kind of aiming for something similar in tone when it came to the postproduction work. There was a steep learning curve involved in creating this ourselves. The song is about harnessing inner power. I think we achieved this goal.”
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Of Fire and Sorcery releases April 22nd via Eleventh Key (digital available via the band’s Bandcamp as well).
