Mystic Blood - Mystic Blood

Among the countless inconsequential black metal side projects, it is a relief to occasionally come across something genuinely good. One such case is Mystic Blood, apparently formed around 2025, whose self-titled debut EP offers a tasty dose of raw black metal.

The duo’s history includes some slightly older bands, such as Kratti and Dark Divination, as well as a number of other projects. The biggest question at this point is simply how long — or how briefly — these kinds of side projects will last.

There are only four tracks on the release, bringing the total running time to just over 17 minutes. It is a short and to-the-point journey into old-school black metal, somewhere at the crossroads of the first and second waves.

Some of the rougher and faster tracks evoke the wild frenzy of first-wave black metal, while other moments, complete with synthesizers, lean more towards the crude sounds of the early ’90s. The riffs are very simple in places, but they work remarkably well.

The songs have exactly the kind of youthful fire that could be heard on comparable releases from several decades ago. The vocals occasionally descend into outright shrieking, bringing early Burzum to mind. Elsewhere, the delivery is more of a straightforward roar, which also fits the production nicely.

The guitar and drum sounds are suitably dry and crude, a long way from the polished production of modern metal. This is, of course, exactly the right approach for such primitive black metal.

Mystic Blood is hardly going to blow anyone’s mind with such an unoriginal approach. The end result is nevertheless pleasing, and that is what ultimately matters. A good start all around.

Track list:
1. Luciferian Devotion
2. Essence of Evil
3. Hateful Landscape of Ungodly Empire
4. Funeral Chant

Links:
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Mystic_Blood/3540566976