Biography

Members

Cultic is a Dark Dungeon Metal band from Yoe, PA. Their music takes influence from early death doom, first-wave black metal, and punk rock and combines it with dungeon synth interludes and dark fantasy themes. The band was formed in 2016 by husband and wife – Brian Magar (guitar/vocals) and Rebecca Magar (drums), whose initial creative vision was to expand on the sounds and aesthetics of Winter, Hellhammer, and Celtic Frost.

Cultic’s frontman, guitarist, and vocalist Brian Magar, experimented with extreme music at a young age, starting his first band, Septic Waste at only 11 years old. He would go on to contribute to a variety of extreme music projects including, Pyroclastix, Guntgrutcher, Layr, Albatwitch, and The Owls Are Not What They Seem.

Cultic co-founder and drummer Rebecca Magar became involved in the underground music scene as an illustrator and artist. Going under the moniker Wailing Wizard, she has produced album covers, t-shirts, and promotional materials for various bands, events, and fringe artistic projects.  She also joined The Owls Are Not What They Seem as a percussionist on the album Feral Blood before becoming a founding member of Cultic.

After the release of their demo, Cultic was joined by bassist Reese Harlacker (of Wrath of Typhon, Bittered, and Poison Wind), bringing his formidable talent and extensive experience to the album High Command. Reese moved away in 2022, making way for Cultic’s current bassist, Andrew Harris who joined shortly thereafter.

Andrew first honed his skills as a founding member of Warhawk in early 2004. He later co-founded Spellbook (formerly Witch Hazel) in 2007 before becoming an integral member of the proto-metal band Alms, whose first full-length album gained acclaim under the banner of Shadow Kingdom Records. His distinctive basslines and musical prowess have seamlessly integrated into Cultic’s dark and immersive soundscapes, contributing to the band’s ongoing exploration of Dungeon Metal.

History

On August 9, 2017, Cultic released their first self-recorded demo titled Prowler, digitally and on CDr. Prowler included two songs, “Cruel Orders” and “The Prowler”, that would reappear on their first full-length album High Command. After the release of their demo, Cultic was joined by bassist Reese Harlacker. Together, they wrote, recorded, and produced High Command, which includes guest vocals by Jason Robison (of Wrath of Typhon). High Command was released on April 5, 2019.

Their second full-length album, Of Fire and Sorcery, was released on April 22, 2022. It introduced dungeon synth interludes and expanded on the conceptual stories from their first release High Command. The album covers from High Command and Of Fire and Sorcery can be positioned side-by-side to form a diptych (the band plans to continue this format for their future full-length releases).

On July 20th, 2023, Cultic released their maxi-single Seducer on digital, streaming, lathe-cut picture disc, and CD. Seducer includes two tracks (“Seducer” and “Seduced”) and features guest vocals by Rachel Robison. Cultic described this max-single as a segway into their new full-length album which will thematically focus on various characters who live in the imaginary fantasy universe created by the band.

In 2024, Cultic partnered with Crucial Blast for the release of an expanded cassette edition of Seducer, which dropped on February 9, 2024. The band is excited to announce that they will also be working with Crucial Blast for the release of their next full-length album, expected in 2025.

Cultic Discography