Solar Deity is perhaps the only established and happening Black Metal band across India. And yes, those words ought to be politically correct, given the band’s rise to prominence in the underground circuit since their inception in late-2011. The band started out as a 2-man act, with Aditya Mehta taking on vocal and guitaring duties and Yash Pathak behind the drum kit. And now with Pathak replaced with bassist Animesh Das, Solar Deity have come out with their third EP ‘Devil Worship’ and yes, their music is the Devil’s incarnate pounding into the head of the listeners.

A 3-track EP this one, ‘Devil Worship’ goes on upto a wee over 25 minutes. Not a surprise to Black Metal aficionados, who are used to prolonged tracks that blast in and out of their skulls. The first track ‘Raise The Horns’ begins with blasting thunder, symbolically indicating what is to follow. Thereon begin the rampant guitar riffing that are well supported with the brilliant drum programming. Aditya’s raspy vocals come along to be an absolute delight, with the feeling of ear-crushing growls prevalent throughout the album. Mehta’s screams lead on to the second track ‘Supreme Evil’ which is an intriguing blend of melodic death and brilliant guitar progression. The intro builds up to a catchy riff and those who hum along the guitar tracks in their mouth (or is it just me) shall love this track. The overall tempo of the song shifts by a couple of gears into the verses, with the interludes being an all-out blast to bask in.

The final track is surely a finale, 11 pristine minutes of dark and gloomy Death metal. This track, ‘Through the Hallways of Narak’ is what desis would consider a metal mela, with an eclectic combination of uber fast breakdown riffing, blast beats at unimaginable BPMs and dark vocals that send those chills down one’s spine upon listening to the song, given Narak is the Hindi term for Hell. With a blend of instrumental savagery and Mehta’s screams painting a picture of ambient perfection. Speaking of painting, Aakash Dwivedi’s artwork for the EP is simply astounding and syncs with the band’s theme with absolute ease. Ashwin Shriyan and Daniel Kenneth Rego of the renowned Demonic Resurrection are credited with the high quality production, which is to be noted as Solar Deity have left no stone unturned in the way they have wanted their EP to turn out, along with a zero compromise policy.

Solar Deity have already come of age, and ‘Devil Worship’ is just some of their mature(read neck-breaking) music, that which is a cocktail of heavy and relentless growling, amazing on-the-face guitaring and surprisingly enough- a bassline that accentuates the aggressive tone of music that the band MUST continue to churn out over the years.

Rating – 7.5/10