A BAND, A DOCTRINE, A WEAPON
Hailing from Düsseldorf, Germany, black papal metallists Schlüsselchrist are an apocalyptic fusion of death metal, hardcore punk, and esoteric conspiracy. The band conjures a ritualistic heaviness drawn from bleak folklore, their albums a liturgy spanning forbidden history, economic sorcery, and digital messianism.
Formed in 2009 out of the ashes of local acts Vernichten and Kopper, Schlüsselchrist released their debut in 2016. Cathedral of Files is a five-track EP fusing death metal and grindcore with odd time signatures and coarse production. Here, we witness the band’s early incarnation as they churn through cuts about system overreach, serial killers, biblical prophecy, ancient wisdom and the sickness of mankind.
Recorded with original members Vinnie Berlin (vocals) Wolfgang Völker (guitars) Wagner Schulz (bass) and Michael Raum (drums) the EP also features celloist Rose Hamill, a point of difference in a distortion dominated genre.
For their second release, Schlüsselchrist brought in bassist Subdom, with Wagner Schulz moving to second guitar. Key of Christ spent a decade in the making, with the project repeatedly halted. A more cohesive listen than the debut, the eight-track LP is pure death metal with a cleaner production and a roster of tracks lifting the veil on the machinations of evil that governs the planet.
