Mantric Malediction is an unforgiving vision of black metal telling tales of death and murder through left hand path occultism. Guignol Noir immerse the listener in savage, frostbitten soundscapes. Each tremolo picked riff has an eerie, discordant and slightly worn sound, giving the record an antiquated essence, topped off with Schiach’s forceful and primitive bellowed growls. In an age where high quality studio production is more available than ever, it’s fascinating to hear a black metal album made in 2020 that sounds like it could genuinely have been recorded in the early ’90s.
Guignol Noir are an act shrouded in mystique, only playing a handful of shows and festivals, but are ready to make their mark with this debut full length album. Mantric Malediction was self-recorded by Guignol Noir in their private studio, and mixed and mastered by Kerberos of the Swiss black metal collective Helvetic Underground Committee.
