Album Review: Stench of Sorcery – Spellcaster

Band: Stench of Sorcery
Title: Spellcaster
Label: Independent
Release date:  March  12th,  2025
Country: Spain
Format reviewed: High-Quality Digital Recording 

Album Review: Stench of Sorcery – Spellcaster by Sílvia

Ready to enjoy a very good dose of Death Metal, old school style? “Spellcaster”, the second EP released by Stench of Sorcery, delivers that sound, you’ll recognize as “kind of familiar” some of the riffs in this album, and the worship that Jaume Roca has towards this genre, and for some of the classics in particular.

Jaume is the only person behind Stench of Sorcery, and he does a great job composing, playing all the instruments, also with the vocals… He also plays guitar in Icestorm and was a member of Siroll! for a few years. 

Two things caught my attention when I started listening to “Spellcaster”: one was the catchy (and big amount of) riffs, where the two guitars seem to entwine in a hypnotic spell, filling my ears with some of the most amazing sounds in Death Metal. With the bass having a quite audible role, which is bordering perfection. And the other thing grabbing me by surprise was the vocal work. Jaume delivers raspy screams and growls, and in his voice there’s a profound sense of suffering.

“At the Black Mountains of Evil” opens with a riff that will remind you of a very well known Death Metal band from the UK. But this song is much more than Bolt Thrower worshipping (ooops I said the name): there’s a big amount of darkness in it, as if a thick fog permeated the music and it reached your ears a bit softened. But only in terms of ambiance; because this song is fierce, intense, remorseless.

I really love when musicians put their hearts into the music, and I can notice Jaume did it with this four track EP. He has written devastating lyrics, played some of the sickest riffs and harmonies, annihilated the listener’ sanity with those pummeling and relentless drums… And he managed to infuse a gloomy atmosphere to his creation, and the result is astonishing, I can feel the breath and the cold bite of death in my flesh. “Eternal Flaming Tower” closes the album with a big display of Old School Death Metal worshipping, at times bordering on the frantic. I love it. 

The artwork is by Ian Miller, an artist from the UK who has done a lot of fantasy illustrations Tolkien-inspired, including works for some fantasy gamebooks, card games and for some H.P.Lovecraft books. If you observe all the details of this cover, you’ll find yourself wandering into a surreal world, with that impossible castle built upon grim roots, with twisted and horrific faces. So, like this are the lyrics of the songs: dark, sinister, and telling epic stories. The matching is perfect. 

Be sure you don’t miss this second offering by Stench of Sorcery, or you’ll regret it.  9/10

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9/10  Epic Storm
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