This magazine has already written about Blaze of Perdition on the occasion of the sad car accident during a short tour in Austria in November 2013 in which bassist 23 lost his life. This Polish band, formed in 2007 in Lublin, has released the third full-length album after this accident: Near Death Revelations. The title of this album is not random; singer Sonnellion explained that the album revolves around a concept, which is the experience of death and the band's perception of death during and after the accident of 2013. In fact Sonnellion himself risked his life and went into a coma in the aftermath of the accident.
It seems that the experience of death has left a mark on Near Death Revelations not only thematically but also musically. This can be immediately noticed in the first track “Królestwo niczyje”: compared to the previous album The Hierophant, the band has reduced the speed and has moved away from their more classical black metal sound. The band has worked on the songwriting and the rhythm section, and the result is a generally slower and less aggressive album, but with obscure and morbid tones. Many riffs in the aforementioned “Królestwo niczyje” and the rest of the album show that the band has embarked on an experimental path that reminds me sometimes of French Deathspell Omega because of a certain, albeit moderate, use of dissonances. The second track “Into the Void Again” is melodic, but it also contains ferocious blast beats; “When Mirrors Shatter” is perhaps the album's highlight. You can even find a song like “Cold Morning Fears” with an arpeggiated and obsessed riff.
The central theme of the album is death that in “Into the Void Again” is described as something distant and near at the same time:
“Always distant. Forever near
Seductive void
Never to be known.”
In short, Near Death Revelations is a profound and heartfelt album, but also very valuable with a lot of engaging riffs.
Notes:
Release date: June 26 2015 on Agonia Records. The digital album can be purchased through the Bandcamp player below. The article about the car accident is here.
Tracklist:
1. Królestwo niczyje
2. Into the Void Again
3. When Mirrors Shatter
4. Dreams Shall Flesh
5. Cold Morning Fears
6. The Tunnel
7. Of No Light
Personnel:
Revenger: Bass, Guitars
XCIII: Guitars, Lyrics
S.: Vocals, Lyrics
Vizun: Drums
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
It seems that the experience of death has left a mark on Near Death Revelations not only thematically but also musically. This can be immediately noticed in the first track “Królestwo niczyje”: compared to the previous album The Hierophant, the band has reduced the speed and has moved away from their more classical black metal sound. The band has worked on the songwriting and the rhythm section, and the result is a generally slower and less aggressive album, but with obscure and morbid tones. Many riffs in the aforementioned “Królestwo niczyje” and the rest of the album show that the band has embarked on an experimental path that reminds me sometimes of French Deathspell Omega because of a certain, albeit moderate, use of dissonances. The second track “Into the Void Again” is melodic, but it also contains ferocious blast beats; “When Mirrors Shatter” is perhaps the album's highlight. You can even find a song like “Cold Morning Fears” with an arpeggiated and obsessed riff.
The central theme of the album is death that in “Into the Void Again” is described as something distant and near at the same time:
“Always distant. Forever near
Seductive void
Never to be known.”
In short, Near Death Revelations is a profound and heartfelt album, but also very valuable with a lot of engaging riffs.
Notes:
Release date: June 26 2015 on Agonia Records. The digital album can be purchased through the Bandcamp player below. The article about the car accident is here.
Tracklist:
1. Królestwo niczyje
2. Into the Void Again
3. When Mirrors Shatter
4. Dreams Shall Flesh
5. Cold Morning Fears
6. The Tunnel
7. Of No Light
Personnel:
Revenger: Bass, Guitars
XCIII: Guitars, Lyrics
S.: Vocals, Lyrics
Vizun: Drums
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com