Barbaric Oath |Sword, Sorcery, Vengeance |Caligari Records

Release Date March 27^th, 2026
Format CD/Cassette
Genre Death Metal
Country Germany

Hailing from Germany, Barbaric Oath consists of the duo G. And L., individuals who have operated in the underground trenches alongside Into Coffin, Nekus, and Putridarium. They fired their first shot in 2024 with a demo named "Attack! Attack! Attack!". Fast forward to now, they arrive with their debut mini-album via Caligari Records, bearing the title "Sword, Sorcery, Vengeance".

This release channels a specific kind of old-school fantasy destruction. You get twenty-one minutes of audio violence heavily inspired by vintage role-playing games like Heroquest alongside bloody fantasy movies from the seventies and eighties. The guitars churn out massive, primitive riffs recalling the early days of Bolt Thrower, mixed with the hostility of Finnish acts like Belial and Mythos.

"Sword, Sorcery, Vengeance" unleashes five songs of absolute sonic warfare. The drums pound relentlessly, driving the momentum forward like a spiked club to the skull. The duo pile on the distorted tremolo picking and monstrous guttural vocals, building a totally brutal and vicious soundscape. "Crom Cult" and "Bestial Witchery" deliver prime examples of this skull-battering hostility. The songwriting stays totally focused on aggression, serving up heavy blows and ignoring any technical wankery.

The production comes off suitably raw, matching the caveman aesthetic perfectly. The mix favors the low end, keeping the guitars thick and the bass booming. "Sword, Sorcery, Vengeance" brings a highly satisfying dose of fantasy death metal to the table. It provides enough skull-crushing material to keep headbangers returning to the bloody battlefield for another round.

Score: 7.5

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