Inquisition

Inquisition is a US black metal group with origins in Colombia and an active history dating back to 1988. The band is based in Cali, United States, and its line-up centres on Dagon and Incubus. It is associated with Season of Mist and is described as a black metal and thrash metal act.

History and formation

The band forms around Dagon, who was living in Colombia when the project begins. Inquisition becomes fully realised in 1996, when Dagon leaves Colombia, returns to the United States, and meets Incubus, who joins on drums that same year. The line-up then remains stable for more than fifteen years.

Musical style and themes

Inquisition blends old-school thrash metal with black metal, combining strong guitar progressions with the darker, chaotic qualities associated with black metal. Dagon’s vocals are monotonous and chant-like rather than following a conventional black metal approach, and he describes them as intended to sound non-human, like an unseen demonic entity.

The band’s lyrics cover a wide range of subjects, from medieval Satanism to astrophysics and the universe. Its writing links occult themes with broader cosmic ideas.

Other act of the same name

Another group called Inquisition is a punk rock band from Richmond, Virginia, active in the mid-1990s and associated with the local scene there. That band is separate from the black metal group.