Band – Sacral
Album – Three of Cups
Country of Origin – USA
Genre – Black Metal
Release Date – April 21, 2023
Label – Syrup Moose Records
Author – Hayduke X
I’m late to the party on this EP, but it sure is fun. The Bandcamp has this slogan in regards to Three of Cups: “Songs of love and belonging.” While not exactly what black metal is known for, the statement is apt for this release. Mixed in with the black metal, there is some upbeat electronica and a deep sense of euphoria.
Sacral is a solo project by Ash. He is joined by various guest musicians offering different contributions to the release, including the members of his other band Northstar the Wanderer (check them out too). Themes for the album include mutual aid, biking (bicycles, not motorcycles, I think) punks, smoking weed, drinking beer, hailing satan, and the beauty of nature.
Three of Cups brings an element of whimsy to a scene that takes darkness too seriously. Make no mistake. This is legitimate black metal music. It just chooses to follow a different path than the grim, corpse-painted, spike laden creature of the night that so many black metal musicians cosplay as. The EP is excellent…and fun. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Biography: Hayduke X has been writing for MoshPitNation since June of 2016. He is also a contributor to The Metal Wanderlust. Prior to joining the MoshPitNation team, Hayduke published reviews on his own blog Rage and Frustration. In addition, he has DJ’ed an online metal radio show of the same name as his blog, written for TOmetal.com, done interviews for Metal Rules, and collaborated with The Art of B Productions to create video interviews with a wide variety of bands.
