(written by Islander)

The German duo Barbaric Oath made their truly barbaric debut with a three-song demo in 2024 accurately named Attack Attack Attack!, and on March 27th of this year they’ll have their debut EP Sword, Sorcery, Vengeance released by Caligari Records.

As you might guess from the EP’s title, the songs thematically focus on fantasy from ’70s and ’80s cult films, as well as role-playing games like Heroquest. But the music isn’t what most people would imagine as “sword and sorcery” metal. For example, it’s about as far away from power metal as you could get. Instead, it’s a gutting, gouging, thunderously bone-breaking, and vocally unhinged attack of blackened death metal — “a sound more akin to the likes of Finland’s Belial, Mythos, and early Bolt Thrower” (to quote from the PR materials).

What we’ve got for you today is the premiere of “Sword and Sorcerer”, the second song to be revealed from the EP so far — and it’s likely to get all your nerves firing on full auto. Continue reading »