Lustrum - Opening The Portal of Lust

Having reviewed almost the entirety of Lustrum's discography in quick reviews, their 2011 debut demo, Opening the Portal of Lust must not be forgotten and should be valued at more than an afterthought. It is, likely, their best release both in terms of the content as well as a listening experience. While the three splits they've done all facilitate strong material, the songs as tracked on this demo are an essence unto themselves, even more-so than the live tape which, though capturing the energy of Lustrum's attack, does not elicit the same defined strike as these properly recorded tracks. Early Bathory and Venom as well as hints of the earliest and rawest incarnations of Sodom helps Lustrum's compass steer the band towards as ideal a tone for this demo as could be chosen. There is a subliminal attitude that rolls through Opening The Portal Of Lust that is finely honed; an attitude of machismo and borderline-cockiness that suggests, "of course this is awesome." Necessarily, the five songs are perceptually urgent and seem to disappear quickly to demand the listener to pay attention.

Opening with "Until The End", a perfectly structured and written piece as is discoverable, Lustrum, to what would have been uninitiated listeners, effects an aura of confident obscurity through the now defining mix of The Intolerant One's reverb-soaked vocals and massive specific rhythms. Though a slower overall track, it highlights the faster "Wolves of Heresy" which follows. "Wolves of Heresy" defines the foundational black metal and thrash influences of the band leaving no doubt that Lustrum is serious about portraying the evil and maliciousness that resides in their art and not just rabble-rousing. "Temptress (Pact of Satan)" is the most Venom-esque, almost coming clear off the rails during verses but realigning during the chorus and locking further in gear during the middle instrumental section. Either "Buried in Silence" or "Flesh of the Serpent" are the weakest track, yet big rests and pauses are riveting sliced into "Buried in Silence" and "Flesh of the Serpent"'s grandiose culmination is not to be ignored.

Listening to Venom's "Black Metal" at midnight in negative temperatures while driving to Pennsylvania this past weekend, I was amazed at how perfectly the track was composed. It's often ignored in discussions that Venom were not only masters of imagery and shock but also of simple, basic, high-impact songwriting. Lustrum have taken their notes. Songs are replete with transitions that are natural, effective, and Powerful; the big chords that ring through "Wolves of Heresy"'s chorus and pull the listener into the bridge, the highlighted breaks in the verses of "Buried Silence", or the tight alternating melodic movement of "Until The End". If there is one aspect which is missing here, it's the inclusion of the leads and solos to add some compositional elements and depth to the songs. Even without these details though, the songs are powerful enough to hold their own and be engaging through sheer force.



Putting Lustrum, and particularly this demo, into perspective would be hard outside of recent memory. In 2011, the black-speed metal movement was peaking and Lustrum came of age as Midnight released their debut album Satanic Royalty, Speedwolf released Ride With Death, and a slough of other up and comers were getting mainstream traction. While it's important to note that Opening the Portals of Lust was in no way original at this time, perhaps missing the title of progenitor of the black-speed metal revival in the US by four or five years, what Lustrum did was highlight the more black-metal attitude of the movement compared to the more speed metal angle.