Earlier today I was approached on Instagram by a Melodic Black Metal band called Cacotopia, who asked me if I’d review their self-titled album which came out this May. My first thought was, “Of course I would, that’s right in my wheelhouse.” Although, truth be told, I haven’t actually replied to them yet — I figured it’d be a hell of a nicer surprise for them to stumble across this review without warning.
So here we are.
And I’ll say this straight off: I’m glad they reached out, because Cacotopia is a fucking beast of a record.
Where a lot of “Melodic” Black Metal leans on keyboards or symphonic layers to sell the atmosphere, Cacotopia take a different route. Every ounce of melody here comes straight from the guitars. Riffs twist and climb over each other like barbed wire, cutting you open even as they catch your ear with sharp, memorable hooks. It’s an approach that makes the record sound more raw, more urgent, and more honest than most of the genre’s keyboard-heavy cousins.
And let me tell you — this thing is relentless.
Once the opening track –The Beginning of the End – kicks in, it barely lets up for the entire runtime. Blast beats hit like hammers, the guitars are constantly on the attack, and the vocals rip through everything with genuine venom. There are no polite pauses, no moments where you’re given space to collect yourself. Cacotopia clearly decided the best way forward was to drag you through Hell from start to finish, and that decision pays off.
The production deserves a nod here too, because it’s exactly what this kind of record needs. It’s not lo-fi or deliberately “kvlt,” but it isn’t polished to sterility either. Instead, it’s sharp, heavy, and in-your-face.
You can hear every riff carve its way out, every drum hit snap against the mix, and the vocals sit just right — not buried, not overpowering, but snarling in the centre where they belong. It’s the kind of production that amplifies the aggression rather than dulling it.
What impressed me most, though, is how well Cacotopia manage to keep the melodic aspect intact without losing brutality. Too often, melodic black metal bands end up softening the blow — pretty riffs, but no teeth. That’s not the case here. The riffs are memorable, but they’re still razor-edged. The melodies lift the songs without sanding down the rawness, which is exactly how this style should be handled.
Some records are designed to crush you under their weight from beginning to end, and Cacotopia is one of them.
All in all, this self-titled album is an absolute statement. It’s aggressive, it’s sharp, and it’s packed with riffs that prove Cacotopia aren’t just another underground name scrabbling for attention. They’ve got the chops, the fire, and the sound to stand out. If you like your black metal melodic but still vicious, this is exactly the kind of record you should be digging into.
Cacotopia by Cacotopia is available from their Bandcamp page. You can also.listen to it via Spotify:
CHOICE CUT: Societal Miscarriage
BLACK METAL ARCHIVES VERDICT: Black Flame Burns Bright — a damn fine, guitar-driven assault that never lets up and absolutely deserves your attention.
(NEW) RATING SYSTEM:
- Ashes Worth Sifting Through: Not a world-beater, but absolutely worth a listen.
- Torches in the Fog: strong, engaging, and worth your time. It might not set the world on fire, but it burns with real heart and craft.
- Black Flame Burns Bright: damn fine record that deserves attention. Maybe not rewriting the rulebook, but it delivers the goods in spades.
- Unholy & Unmissable: outstanding work, just a hair shy of perfection, but still a must-hear for anyone who claims to love metal.
- Skull-Crushingly Essential: the absolute pinnacle, a record that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. This is the stuff legends are made of.
