Although you won’t be hearing any elements from bands like Lock Up, Pantera, Misery Index or Agoraphobic Nosebleed, instead the quintet shows their skills in composing some of the most extreme and blasphemous songs that will instantly grab you.

Scour presents a demonic presentation; the album starts without any intros with the punishing attack of tremolo picking and blast beats that keep the listener at the edge in the opening track “Cross”. The evil mixture of black and death metal provides an atmosphere of extreme, blistering fury. I was surprised by the tight performance, and the shift between the jarring riffs and pounding drums had me all possessed.

The guitars sound raw yet reminiscent of classic Norwegian black metal, although I would say that the composition of riffs is top-tier, Scour delivers a brutal execution on the next track “Blades”. Most of the songs are short and straightforward; while the vocals have a mix of snarling black metal vocals, grunts, and deep growls fired by three backing vocals, you know you are dealing with some pure blackened death metal music.

Shrieks and high-pitched tremolos are delivered with bestiality in the song “Infusorium”. The outset of hell-fire tremolos is packed with provoking aggression. The songs remain catchy, effective, and blasphemous. These elements make the album appealing on many levels, from the chain-saw riffing to the ear-catching mixture of melodies and aggression fiercely striking, adding a unique touch to the songs.

After the short ambient interlude cut “Ornaments”, Scour bares a bleak and furious manner on the album’s highlight track, “Coin”, which continues its relentless and hellish rhythm section. Respectively, the demonic atmosphere flows well like a pestilential disease through the deep cavernous growls, thick tremolos, and a sinister binding rhythm guitar section; everything sounds brutal and visceral.

“Gold” is one hell of an album that will surely fascinate fans of extreme metal, the most vicious tracks like “Evil” and “Devil” containing unbelievable fury and precision. The aggressive riffs move through fast paces and will also have you hooked to the demonic aura of the music and the blistering drums adding fuel to the tempo.

The guitar tone evokes the classic Scandinavian black metal bands like Dark Funeral, Mayhem, and Gorgoroth. There is no doubt that the music sounds morbid and uncompromising with its cold, evil rawness. There aren’t any weaker tracks in the album, on the contrary, Scour fuses memorable riffs and extreme guitar barrages. Even when songs like “Hell” tend to sound mid-tempo through the distinctive drumming, the guitar work outshines Emperor’s styled riffs.

Then comes another killer track: “Invoke”. It is a majestic homage to the Gods of black metal. The riffs impose a sinister yet catchy tone, while the pummeling drums and the chorus possess you with a demonic message. ALL Hail Satan.

Nonetheless, the effect of the tremolos and the growls showcases a fine variety achieved by the individual skills. The eponymous track “Gold” is the longest song in the album, clocking at four minutes; the guitar provides a cold blend of aggression and intense black metal atmosphere. The straight-up Norwegian black metal onslaught defines the composition, as we get plenty of razor-sharp tremolos without compromising the vicious feel of demonic aggression.

The final song “Serve” is a solid and no-frills piece of black and death metal full of bestial and perverted atmosphere, the atmospheric effect of the tremolos makes it catchy and memorable. There is some variation in the tracks from the triple backing vocal effects spewing hellish anthems, and the slow mid-tempo drumming truly captures the spirit of Scandinavian black metal.

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