Cataphract: The Witchpower of Invisibility (2017)

Arising out of the icy depths of barren and hellish Kansas is this two-man black metal band, which includes Cauldron Pest, the current drummer for Lightning Swords of Death, and a singer/guitarist named Hagged.  I first heard about this one on a Youtube video and it sounded interesting enough so I decided to take a flyer.  That is where I have been discovering a lot of good music these days.

It is true that great black metal comes from pretty much anywhere and that is once again proven here.  Kansas is not exactly known for its great metal scene, but this is a terrific little demo that shows that these guys know what they are doing.  The music is steeped in old-school Norwegian and Swedish black metal, sounding like an unholy brew of Marduk and Mayhem.  The atmosphere comes off cold and foreboding, with swirling tremolo riffs, blast-beating drums, and some seriously deranged vocals courtesy of the aforementioned Hagged.

Unfortunately, this is all we have from Cataphract to date.  Just one 20-minute, four-song demo.  Hopefully we get something else at some point, because this is terrific.  But if not, they certainly made the most of it.