Anyone into their metal will tell you immediately that this German black metal act’s band name is from a Possessed song from their debut album ‘Seven Churches’ whether intentional or not, but therein lies the only similarity to the US proto death metallers as the German act deals only in malevolent obsidian potency of the highest order. The bands last piercing opus ‘Fall From Reality’ was reviewed by yours truly here and was a hostile scathing slab of black metal that I particularly enjoyed in 2018 as the four piece sees fit to land an EP on the world that comprises of three normal tunes so to speak and one expansive piece which I’ll go into later making this EP approach the 45 minute mark.
The true mark of a black metal act doesn’t just lie within the causticity of their song writing or the venom of the vocals, it is entrenched within the authenticity of the vibe the band creates when you listen to the music and that is immediately apparent when ‘Fliege’ smacks you in the face with its double snare tap then snaps you in half with its brittling sound. Reinforcing the sound with plenty of bass the song is massively oppressive producing a ghoulish aura that is macabre yet hauntingly effective delivered through the piercing drive of the riffs. The vocals are minimal but utilise a tortured anguish tonal style but riddled with melancholy.
Lengthening the duration is ‘Wahrheit’ where an isolated guitar is straddled aside delicate cymbal work before a sublime bass hook is inserted to create a creepy edge to the opening sequence of the song. As the despondency is palpable so is the abrupt shift in aggression as the virulence of the track sees a cohesive transition with drifting acidity producing a post black ethos that relents in tempo to unveil another isolated guitar piece. A repetitious almost metronomic violence is fashioned that is transfixing and sees the songs intensity start to sequentially increase again producing a discordant inhumanity that I particularly liked and leads into a fine kick drum beat and secluded guitar hook. The addition of a cleaner vocal element was a surprise but welcomed to add a depth of texture before a terror stricken piece is unfurled at the finale with blasted nihilism that curtails this exceptional track.
Flowing virtually into the title track the preceding ‘Wahrheit’ links into it nicely by hooking in distortion and screeching guitar work that reveals an assaulting blast. Here the band brandishes their own off kilter riffing style with detonating speed scornful vocals that possess utter acrimony. There is a war like tendency here without bordering noise as the waves of riffing are balanced by the walls of unreserved ferocity. I love the way this act injects riff breaks when you just don’t expect it, decreasing the tempo into a fine catchy segment threading sinews of lead work distortion that texturize the song offering stark contrast to warp speed battery preceding it. As the song progresses the kick drum inserts its own mechanized battery to the proceedings, creating a sort of machine gun like effect as an undercurrent to the melody of riffing if you listen carefully as the track hurtles to its cataclysmic conclusion.
Now as I mentioned in my first paragraph this is technically classed an EP probably because the release has three main songs but on the end is the near 22 minute untitled piece of what can only be described as an experimental soundscape. For some it will be a step too far and given that this release is getting a vinyl release only, from what I can tell, this will be the B side that you will either last a minute or so and remove the tonearm or not bother with the mp3 file on the Bandcamp site, unless it does get a CD release. However I did stick with the track and what comes across during those near 22 minutes is something very unsettling, an unnerving ambience that shifts through eeriness, where phantom like apparitional noises are counterbalanced by guitar work that isn’t necessarily melodic riffing or hooks but effect laden playing offering repetition or subtle improvisation that channels the listener down paths of morosity, tranquillity, sorrowfulness and occasionally uplifting segmentation. The track’s more dissonant components create a sense of claustrophobia cloying at the listener as the tracks volume increases before decreasing again to become far more soporific and it is this that makes the track easy to listen and of course difficult to listen to listen but I was very surprised at how quickly those minutes flew by.
The Evil Warriors continue their journey for world black metal domination with this fine EP that every discerning fan of the genre could ever desire with wrathful intent served up via sulphuric savagery and abrasive nihilistic despair.
(8.5/10 Martin Harris)
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