Metal Underground.com

The overly simplistic cover artwork and a name like Baphomet’s Cunt might lead some to immediately dismiss the music to be found here, as the band’s aesthetic choices bring to mind low end grind acts with 20 second songs. Although “The Darkness of British Culture” is a somewhat raw experience, the one man black metal act Baphomet’s Cunt shows that you really can’t judge a book by its cover.

Consisting of only two tracks, “The Darkness of British Culture” has a surprising amount of depth and musical proficiency provided by sole member The Baphomet General. Opening song “Dark British Culture” takes the British national anthem and slowly detunes it, adding in ominous and threatening guitar sounds before the black metal hell breaks loose. The song definitely deserves tags like “lo-if” or “kvlt,” but it also has an atmosphere that isn’t bogged down by the muted production, and the song structure is strong enough to shine through the non-stop abrasive black metal.

The second half of the demo consists of “The Lowest Dirt,” which becomes much more moody and moves at a slower pace. Even the rasping black metal vocals can’t escape the mood of despair on the song, making the whole length a melancholy trip with significantly different tone than the first track.

In some ways the project is almost an anti-black metal band, as the music exposes the negative aspects of the musician’s heritage instead of celebrating it. The cover art features a representation of Britain’s notorious Myra Hindley, who was involved in the murder of several children, and the songs dwell on the darker side of The Baphomet General’s homeland.

Apparently the project hasn’t gone anywhere since the release of “The Darkness of British Culture” in 2008, which is a pity, as there are plenty of lower quality solo acts out there. The demo is a definite winner for fans of black metal who like their music to have both old school atmosphere and melodic song structure.