Kastigation Solitas Votum
Self-Released 2008
By Jason Jordan
Frequenters of UM will likely recognize the name Kastigation as the young, Colorado-based quintet features UM scribe Ryan Starr (rhythm guitar) among its ranks. Their first and current release Solitas Votumor Prayer for Solitudeis a four-track demo of promising, if slightly pedestrian, black metal.
On a positive note, Kastigation arent outright copycats. They dont sound like what most would consider standard USBM such as Leviathan, Xasthur, and a host of others. Nor do they mirror their Western peers, Wolves in the Throne Room and the long-defunct Weakling. And needless to say, they dont experiment quite like Nachtmystium do. Instead, the five-piece rely on speed, melody, and raspy growls to get the job done. Opener Oblique has solid hooks and good drumming, though the latter could be tighter. The lead melody in Then We Prevail (see: 2:57-3:19) is great, however, and makes the song better than it would be otherwise. Similar to numerous other black metal bands, I think Kastigation would benefit from a thicker, cleaner production because their overall sound doesnt necessitate a lo-fi delivery.
So, Solitas Votum hints at a superior future for Kastigation. My advice would be to further hone the musicianship, concentrate on melody, and obtain a better production next time around. Nevertheless, theres some good stuff here.
Official Kastigation MySpace
Self-Released 2008
By Jason Jordan
Frequenters of UM will likely recognize the name Kastigation as the young, Colorado-based quintet features UM scribe Ryan Starr (rhythm guitar) among its ranks. Their first and current release Solitas Votumor Prayer for Solitudeis a four-track demo of promising, if slightly pedestrian, black metal.
On a positive note, Kastigation arent outright copycats. They dont sound like what most would consider standard USBM such as Leviathan, Xasthur, and a host of others. Nor do they mirror their Western peers, Wolves in the Throne Room and the long-defunct Weakling. And needless to say, they dont experiment quite like Nachtmystium do. Instead, the five-piece rely on speed, melody, and raspy growls to get the job done. Opener Oblique has solid hooks and good drumming, though the latter could be tighter. The lead melody in Then We Prevail (see: 2:57-3:19) is great, however, and makes the song better than it would be otherwise. Similar to numerous other black metal bands, I think Kastigation would benefit from a thicker, cleaner production because their overall sound doesnt necessitate a lo-fi delivery.
So, Solitas Votum hints at a superior future for Kastigation. My advice would be to further hone the musicianship, concentrate on melody, and obtain a better production next time around. Nevertheless, theres some good stuff here.
Official Kastigation MySpace
