Band:	Blaze Of Perdition
Album:	Upharsin
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	April 2024

01. W Kwiecie Rozłamu
02. Przez Rany
03. Niezmywalne
04. Architekt
05. Młot, Miecz I Bat

Upharsin is certainly a tricky word to interpret; thankfully the same can't be said about the rest of the album, as what we have is quite simply some of the finest black metal you'll hear this year.

Polish black metal has often been regarded as one of the best scenes in modern times and for damn good reason, as this very scene spawned the likes of Behemoth, Batushka, and Mgła, among many others, all of whom, to some degree, have helped redefine and shape the sound of modern black metal. Here's another top quality band from this nation worth boasting about, Blaze Of Perdition; forming 20 years ago back in 2004, the group are certainly no strangers to the scene, with 6 full-length releases under their belt to show for it, from debut Towards The Blaze Of Perdition (2010) up to this latest effort.

Over the past 2 decades, Blaze Of Perdition have at large remained an underground act on the grand scale of black metal; despite this, they've certainly proven to be a band of real quality, and shown great promise for those who've paid close enough attention. From humble beginnings, the band have been steadily making their way along a blackened ferocious path, springing forth a few surprising experimental elements along the way, which has ultimately led them to this fine latest addition. Featuring Sonneillon (vocals), XCIII (guitars), M.R. (guitars), and Krzysztof Saran (drums), with help from session musician Wyrd (guitars, bass) of Mānbryne, Upharsin is the band's heaviest, and arguably best, release to date. Containing only 5 tracks that total 40 minutes, each of the 5 lengthy tracks is almost equally memorable. But what is it that makes this release so impressive?

Listeners are introduced immediately to "W Kwiecie Rozłamu", which serves as a prime example as to why the Polish black metal scene is held in such high regards. There's no other way to put this than the opening track being peak standard for modern black metal; the style might not be anything out of the ordinary, featuring heavy cutting bass, thunderously powerful blast-beats, dissonant and semi-melodic tremolos with a crushing apocalyptic tone, and demonically evil blackened shrieks, but the structure of this track is so well crafted. Another thing worth taking note of here is the outstanding production; from the opening track and throughout, the structure of the music is massively multi-layered, but despite the overwhelmingly suffocating density, every element still manages to shine, maintaining a strong presence in the mix.

What's striking other than the fantastic production and tremendous sound quality is the variety of styles presented within the black metal spectrum. Whereas the opener, which offers a blend of dissonant to semi-melodic black, "Przez Rany" goes down a more blackened death route, reminding me very much of Behemoth's Satanist on several occasions. This is due to the hellish soundscapes created by the ground-shattering, hammering drum beats, furious ripping guitar leads, mid-tempo heavy slogging riffs, and shouting background chants behind the harsh growls and shrieks. The rhythm tends to be mostly repetitive, but this is what gives the track that strong ritualistic sinisterly vibe. "Niezmywalne" then intensifies the ritualistic effects, with vocals varying from terrifying torturous shrieks and shouts of insanity, through to evil chants.

However, the album isn't as intensely full-on as it initially seems, which becomes particularly apparent when you reach the song "Architekt". Here, listeners will find that the general ferocity eases off, taking a slightly more melodic approach to begin with. There are several elements strikingly different on this song that don't really feature anywhere else in the album, such as the thundering tribal-like toms and slow atmospheric midsection. So far, the first 4 tracks are impressive, but the highlight without a shadow of a doubt for me is the closing song "Młot, Miecz I Bat". It's relatively simple, perhaps even unoriginal, but a fantastic solo is featured in the closing minutes, and all is being driven by a mighty powerful rhythm section, along with a highly passionate and exceptionally performed blackened vocal performance.

It's evident when looking back through Blaze Of Perdition's discography that this is a band of great calibre; while they've never quite rubbed shoulders with Poland's big names, they've certainly made an impact on the scene, introducing some surprising elements along the way. However, Upharsin instead goes back to the band's groundbreaking roots, and although this latest release doesn't add any new eyebrow-raising features, it has all the ingredients in place that made the Polish black metal scene so renowned in the first place. Add a tremendous sound quality to the equation, and what you have here is one of this year's finest black metal records.