Band:	Downfall Of Gods
Album:	Ziemia Obiecana
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	July 2023

01. Lęk
02. Klątwa
03. Golgota
04. Droga Zbawienia
05. Ziemia Obiecana
06. Wędrowiec [bonus]

Gods may fall, but Polish black metal is here to stay!

It's no secret that Poland has become the new hub of black metal. (And, recently, I've found Poland to be home to promising bands of other genres, too, such as Species's melodic thrash, 71TONMAN's oppressive sludge, and Eternal Rot's savage doom death.) Downfall Of Gods reliably follow the musical path established by fellow Polish black metal acts like Mgła and Batushka. The combination of impassioned wails, despairing rasps, and mesmerizing tremolo-picking isn't anything innovative anymore. But, that doesn't stop Ziemia Obiecana from being a real pleasure to listen to.

Downfall Of Gods have only sporadically produced music since their inception in 2010. After an extensive 50-minute-long demo, the band took a break before returning with a streaming-only EP in 2015. After being "replenished with new blood" (as the Google translation of their Bandcamp page puts it), the band released a short demo in 2020. This brings us finally to their debut full-length album, Ziemia Obiecana, which means "Promised Land" in Polish. Showing off one of the coolest cover arts of the year, Downfall Of Gods blend the grim darkness of black metal with the groovy headbanging nature of early '90s death metal. With themes of fear, violence, and fanatic faith, the lyrics set an oppressive mood to match the devastating music.

The first track starts with ominous vocals that are spoken in a deep yet clean style. (These spoken vocals feature also briefly on the title track.) It's an interesting choice to set the mood of the album, but I don't find the performance all too convincing. I'm glad when the song (and, for that matter, the rest of the album) shifts gears at the 1:30-minute mark. From now on, the album focuses on a mixture of imposing, soaring tremolo-picking and catchy, groovy riffing, supported by more aggressive vocals. The rasps and tight rhythm guitar tone sometimes remind me of early Rotting Christ, while the vile growling and melodic lead guitar-work is reminiscent of early Dismember. The drumming does have moments of intricacy, but stays for the most part at a mid-tempo pace that makes it easy to bob one's head to the numerous, entertaining riffs.

With my love for the 2022 W Czeluść split release by Polish bands Angrrsth and Czort, it's satisfying for me to realize that Downfall Of Gods deliver the perfect mixture of those two bands. On the one hand, Ziemia Obiecana presents the agonizing intensity of Angrrsth's tortured vocals and heavy musicianship, while, on the other hand, the groovy energy of the riffs reflects the catchy attitude of Czort's music.

In conclusion, Downfall Of Gods successfully provide a half hour of very enjoyable black metal with their debut record. Blending wicked riffs, groovy melodies, and awe-inspiring soundscapes, they manage to express aggressive intensity while remaining extremely pleasing for the ears.