Black Fucking Cancer – Procreate Inverse
Release Date: 18th March 2022
Label: Sentient Ruin Laboratories
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Metal
FFO: Classic Darkthrone, Funeral Mist, Gorgoroth, Waitan.
Review By: Rick Farley
Dark and fucking violent. Procreate Inverse is a malevolent culmination of many of Black Metals eras, set to eradicate humanity with its vile, uncaring imperial Black Metal domination. Hailing from San Jose California, Black Fucking Cancer are declaring an aural assault to everything and everyone within its sonic range. Drawing influences from traditional Black Metal, set on the preservation of its diverse classics. The band throws up a middle finger to the current trends in USBM and instead chooses to worship at the wretched Norwegian alter, where the pure and untouched flame still burns. The diversity of influence ranges from the likes of Emperor, Immortal, Sweden’s Dark Funeral, and Germany’s Katharsis. Played with a dose of Death Metal spirit, BFC make Procreate Inverse an inspired, authentic and engaging listen. A hate filled enshrinement to the very best of Old School Black Metal. Black Fucking Cancer are not doing anything new or unique, but frankly who the fuck cares!
Filled with buzzsaw riffs, sludge passages, furious blasting and filthy rage filled Black Metal. Procreate Inverse is a Scandinavian Metal cornucopia of ferocious nightmarish enjoyment, deadset on dragging you straight to hell. Bits of crusty Old School Swedish Death Metal riffs peek their way into the mix, making the faster, blacker parts even more hideously impactful. The trebly and high gain jagged guitars sound as if they could saw through bones. Disorienting droning parts filled with serrated blackened riffs and dissonant whammy filled guitar solos straight from the pits of hades, erupting into a cacophony of sound. Frantic drums fiercely blasting, and turbulent fills pummel the listener like a coiled snake striking repeatedly. The vocals are raspy, shrill, brutal and constantly churning and spitting its vile like an angry demon. It all just sounds so maniacal and completely fucking grim. Despite the sonic tribulation, the occasional hooky and memorable Black and Roll style groove keeps the music from sounding entirely malice and brings respite from the austere soundscape.
Nearly everything to love about Old School Black Metal is on full display here. It’s not symphonic or shoegaze, it’s just pure rage with the blackest of heart. With high level musicianship, the songs are well written and executed fiendishly. Completely sounding raw and filthy, the production is actually quite good. It maintains an old traditional sound, but the clarity between instruments are leagues better. The bass makes everything sound much thicker. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still ugly as fuck, but you can hear most everything. Some of the drums and guitars do get a bit lost in the overly noisy sections, but that’s part of the charm and possibly on purpose. Aside from better production, there’s not much modern about the vile sounds coming out of the speakers. From the depths of hell ambience created by ugly feedback, heavy reverb, evil sounding choirs, skin crawling tortured screams, horror movie sounding background noise, creepy interludes and high-pitched notes slightly bent and tremolo picked flesh out this awful beast. There is very little light on this album, if any at all. It’s pure powerful Black Metal the way it’s meant to be.
The bands press release states, “the sum of all Black Metal’s most degenerate and nihilistic traits thus live within Procreate Inverse like the gospel of endless and perpetuated violence.” Honestly, I’m not sure I’ve ever read a press release quote that was so dead on the money. The pure essence of many of Black Metal’s authentic and traditional styles do reside within this one ambitious album. It’s spiteful in its lack of current genre trends and its ambition to keep the old ways and sounds preserved. Grandiose and merciless at the same time, Black Fucking Cancer create a swarming, callous, tenebrous and wretched piece of uncompromising Black Metal elegance. 
(4 / 5)
