#batushka — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #batushka, aggregated by home.social.
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Angry Metal Guy Speaks: 10,000 Posts
By Angry Metal Guy
There’s almost no good way to mark these anniversaries without getting a little self-referential, maybe a little maudlin… or without tooting your own horn until you’re red in the face and everyone’s embarrassed. Still, it has come to my attention that this is the 10,000th post of AngryMetalGuy.com. Actually, as of this writing, the number of posts in the entire system is supremely metal 10,666. Also, we have something like 600 drafts that never saw the light of day and 49 pending posts that have never been published.1 To say that we’ve been productive carries with it a drunk Bilbo Bagginsesque tone of bemusement.
“My, we have been productive.”
During the 16ish years of unbound fecundity that it took for us to reach this dubious landmark, many a writer or would-be writer (over 60, at this point) has spilled internet ink within these unhallowed halls. We have extolled the virtues and excoriated the shortcomings of wonderful records and forgettable platters. We’ve opined, and raged, and littered the page with so many puns and dad jokes that you’d think this website was the patriarch of a family of 10. The total result of this hard work has resulted in been 8,032,385 words that have been written.2 Divide that by 10,000, and that’s an average of about 803 words per post—53 more than our max review length.3 The Year of Our Angry Overlord, 2019, was our most productive year ever. It saw us jam through 983 posts—a mind-numbing number if you think about it for long enough. Our longest average posts to date were last year, in 2024, where our average post had 955 words. I can’t even imagine how that’s possible, but there you go.4
And what are the core bits of writing that really drive readership? Well, here’s where the horn tootin’ comes in. Of our Top 20(ish) posts, 10 are Angry Metal Guy’s Top Ten(ish) Record(s) o’ the Year lists (with 2015 taking the cake for the most read post of all time). Three more of those are other lists: songs 50-41 of my Top 50 Heavy Metal Songs list; 10-1 of that same list; and my Top 15(ish) of the 2000s. The most viewed non-list was Steel Druhm‘s April Fool’s post from last year about Ripper Owens leaving KK’s Priest for BB’s Maiden. And then there’s the reviews. El Cuervo‘s review of Opeth The Last Will and Testament,5 my review of In Flames’ Foregone, Druhm‘s review of Megadeth’s The Sick, the Dying…and the Dead!, both Veil of Imagination and Epigone (landing very close to each other in terms of views and written by El Cuervo and myself), Batushka’s Litourgiya (TYMHM from 2015, penned by our dear [not actually] deceased Roquentin), and my review of Opeth’s Pale Communion round out the Top 20 posts.6
And even after all this time, we are still changing the world and keeping up with the times by spreading disinformation about incorrigible self-Googler Ripper Owens. That Ripper Owens post that was posted on April 1st, 2024, has moved from parody into objective fact, as it has been picked up by Google’s AI as the answer to the question: “Is Ripper Owens still in KK’s Priest?” The answer? “No, Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens is not currently with KK’s Priest. He left the band in early 2024 to pursue a new project with former Iron Maiden vocalist Blaze Bayley.” A round of applause for both Druhm and the superiority and inevitability of AI!7
What do I take away from this list? Well, aside from pride at what I—nay, we—have wrought, it pays to review big bands’ records if you want a lot of views. I know that’s tough to imagine, but there we are. Better, however, than the super obvious thing is that I’m particularly proud of how we helped to spread the word about Wilderun and Batushka. But this list also brings with it some melancholy and nostalgia. Seeing Druhm and me as the only active writers on this list is a bit of a bummer. But as time moves on, we’ll make new memories with new exploited writers who will pen review after review without compensation, only to watch us feast ourselves even fatter on the spoils of our seniority.
And the raft of contributors who have come and gone deserve recognition. In the end, I want to thank everyone who has contributed to making Angry Metal Guy what it has become over the years—from the Potatoes Jim of the world to the Steels Druhm.8 Without you, this would never have happened. I appreciate the blood, sweat, and/or tears that you have put into carrying my boulder up that hill every day. And so even though your names aren’t at the top of this list, know that I tolerate each one of you with the same cold-hearted disinterest that I always have. Your service has been noted.
As for you readers? Without you, it would’ve taken a lot of refreshing my browser and switching between VPNs to get enough daily readers, so as to result in a desire to keep pushing on until we hit 10,000 posts. So, thank you for your loyalty over the years. We love (most) of your comments. We enjoy (most) of your opinions. And we are (entirely) happy that you spend your hard-earned money on the bands we love, and thank you for your trust. You reading, listening, and supporting the scene means we’re all making the world a better place one overwritten review or blog post at a time.
#2025 #AngryMetalGuySpeaks #Batushka #BlogPost #BlogPosts #Disillusion #InFlames #Landmarks #Megadeth #Opeth #Wilderun
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Angry Metal Guy Speaks: 10,000 Posts
By Angry Metal Guy
There’s almost no good way to mark these anniversaries without getting a little self-referential, maybe a little maudlin… or without tooting your own horn until you’re red in the face and everyone’s embarrassed. Still, it has come to my attention that this is the 10,000th post of AngryMetalGuy.com. Actually, as of this writing, the number of posts in the entire system is supremely metal 10,666. Also, we have something like 600 drafts that never saw the light of day and 49 pending posts that have never been published.1 To say that we’ve been productive carries with it a drunk Bilbo Bagginsesque tone of bemusement.
“My, we have been productive.”
During the 16ish years of unbound fecundity that it took for us to reach this dubious landmark, many a writer or would-be writer (over 60, at this point) has spilled internet ink within these unhallowed halls. We have extolled the virtues and excoriated the shortcomings of wonderful records and forgettable platters. We’ve opined, and raged, and littered the page with so many puns and dad jokes that you’d think this website was the patriarch of a family of 10. The total result of this hard work has resulted in been 8,032,385 words that have been written.2 Divide that by 10,000, and that’s an average of about 803 words per post—53 more than our max review length.3 The Year of Our Angry Overlord, 2019, was our most productive year ever. It saw us jam through 983 posts—a mind-numbing number if you think about it for long enough. Our longest average posts to date were last year, in 2024, where our average post had 955 words. I can’t even imagine how that’s possible, but there you go.4
And what are the core bits of writing that really drive readership? Well, here’s where the horn tootin’ comes in. Of our Top 20(ish) posts, 10 are Angry Metal Guy’s Top Ten(ish) Record(s) o’ the Year lists (with 2015 taking the cake for the most read post of all time). Three more of those are other lists: songs 50-41 of my Top 50 Heavy Metal Songs list; 10-1 of that same list; and my Top 15(ish) of the 2000s. The most viewed non-list was Steel Druhm‘s April Fool’s post from last year about Ripper Owens leaving KK’s Priest for BB’s Maiden. And then there’s the reviews. El Cuervo‘s review of Opeth The Last Will and Testament,5 my review of In Flames’ Foregone, Druhm‘s review of Megadeth’s The Sick, the Dying…and the Dead!, both Veil of Imagination and Epigone (landing very close to each other in terms of views and written by El Cuervo and myself), Batushka’s Litourgiya (TYMHM from 2015, penned by our dear [not actually] deceased Roquentin), and my review of Opeth’s Pale Communion round out the Top 20 posts.6
And even after all this time, we are still changing the world and keeping up with the times by spreading disinformation about incorrigible self-Googler Ripper Owens. That Ripper Owens post that was posted on April 1st, 2024, has moved from parody into objective fact, as it has been picked up by Google’s AI as the answer to the question: “Is Ripper Owens still in KK’s Priest?” The answer? “No, Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens is not currently with KK’s Priest. He left the band in early 2024 to pursue a new project with former Iron Maiden vocalist Blaze Bayley.” A round of applause for both Druhm and the superiority and inevitability of AI!7
What do I take away from this list? Well, aside from pride at what I—nay, we—have wrought, it pays to review big bands’ records if you want a lot of views. I know that’s tough to imagine, but there we are. Better, however, than the super obvious thing is that I’m particularly proud of how we helped to spread the word about Wilderun and Batushka. But this list also brings with it some melancholy and nostalgia. Seeing Druhm and me as the only active writers on this list is a bit of a bummer. But as time moves on, we’ll make new memories with new exploited writers who will pen review after review without compensation, only to watch us feast ourselves even fatter on the spoils of our seniority.
And the raft of contributors who have come and gone deserve recognition. In the end, I want to thank everyone who has contributed to making Angry Metal Guy what it has become over the years—from the Potatoes Jim of the world to the Steels Druhm.8 Without you, this would never have happened. I appreciate the blood, sweat, and/or tears that you have put into carrying my boulder up that hill every day. And so even though your names aren’t at the top of this list, know that I tolerate each one of you with the same cold-hearted disinterest that I always have. Your service has been noted.
As for you readers? Without you, it would’ve taken a lot of refreshing my browser and switching between VPNs to get enough daily readers, so as to result in a desire to keep pushing on until we hit 10,000 posts. So, thank you for your loyalty over the years. We love (most) of your comments. We enjoy (most) of your opinions. And we are (entirely) happy that you spend your hard-earned money on the bands we love, and thank you for your trust. You reading, listening, and supporting the scene means we’re all making the world a better place one overwritten review or blog post at a time.
#2025 #AngryMetalGuySpeaks #Batushka #BlogPost #BlogPosts #Disillusion #InFlames #Landmarks #Megadeth #Opeth #Wilderun
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Mal kurz unter der Mönchskapuze nachschauen, wer denn da auf der Bühne steht, geht leider nicht. Lesen Sie hier nach, wie ein überforderter Autor schlecht vorbereitet über ein Konzert berichtet.
#Konzert #Konzertbericht #Concert #LiveMusic #LiveMusik #Konzertfotografie #ConcertPhotography #Mannheim #BlackMetal #Batushka #Vltimas
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#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
LINKIN PARK's Scientology Troubles, DAVE GROHL's Kid & Other Top Stories You Might've Missed This Week#LinkinPark #DaveGrohl #IronMaiden #GregKennelty #Jinjer #Converge #GodForbid #3InchesOfBlood #EmilyArmstrong #BradDelson #MikeSpreitzer #DezFafara #Devildriver #MaxCavalera #Sepultura #Batushka #Patriarkh
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#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
LINKIN PARK's Scientology Troubles, DAVE GROHL's Kid & Other Top Stories You Might've Missed This Week#LinkinPark #DaveGrohl #IronMaiden #GregKennelty #Jinjer #Converge #GodForbid #3InchesOfBlood #EmilyArmstrong #BradDelson #MikeSpreitzer #DezFafara #Devildriver #MaxCavalera #Sepultura #Batushka #Patriarkh
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#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
LINKIN PARK's Scientology Troubles, DAVE GROHL's Kid & Other Top Stories You Might've Missed This Week#LinkinPark #DaveGrohl #IronMaiden #GregKennelty #Jinjer #Converge #GodForbid #3InchesOfBlood #EmilyArmstrong #BradDelson #MikeSpreitzer #DezFafara #Devildriver #MaxCavalera #Sepultura #Batushka #Patriarkh
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#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
LINKIN PARK's Scientology Troubles, DAVE GROHL's Kid & Other Top Stories You Might've Missed This Week#LinkinPark #DaveGrohl #IronMaiden #GregKennelty #Jinjer #Converge #GodForbid #3InchesOfBlood #EmilyArmstrong #BradDelson #MikeSpreitzer #DezFafara #Devildriver #MaxCavalera #Sepultura #Batushka #Patriarkh
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#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
LINKIN PARK's Scientology Troubles, DAVE GROHL's Kid & Other Top Stories You Might've Missed This Week#LinkinPark #DaveGrohl #IronMaiden #GregKennelty #Jinjer #Converge #GodForbid #3InchesOfBlood #EmilyArmstrong #BradDelson #MikeSpreitzer #DezFafara #Devildriver #MaxCavalera #Sepultura #Batushka #Patriarkh
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#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 August 7th, 2024🤘
BRUCE DICKINSON, PETE WAY, BLACK SABBATH, EXTREME, BEHEMOTH#BruceDickinson #PeteWay #BlackSabbath #Extreme #Behemoth #IronMaiden #Samson #Helloween #UFO #Waysted #IanGillan #TonyMacAlpine #AntagonistAD #ReverendBizarre #TheAbsence #DrowningPool #StillRemains #Throwdown #Behemoth #Memorain #CattleDecapitation #FearFactory #Krisiun #MissMayI #Avatar #Batushka #BlackCrownInitiate
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#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 August 7th, 2024🤘
BRUCE DICKINSON, PETE WAY, BLACK SABBATH, EXTREME, BEHEMOTH#BruceDickinson #PeteWay #BlackSabbath #Extreme #Behemoth #IronMaiden #Samson #Helloween #UFO #Waysted #IanGillan #TonyMacAlpine #AntagonistAD #ReverendBizarre #TheAbsence #DrowningPool #StillRemains #Throwdown #Behemoth #Memorain #CattleDecapitation #FearFactory #Krisiun #MissMayI #Avatar #Batushka #BlackCrownInitiate
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#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 August 7th, 2024🤘
BRUCE DICKINSON, PETE WAY, BLACK SABBATH, EXTREME, BEHEMOTH#BruceDickinson #PeteWay #BlackSabbath #Extreme #Behemoth #IronMaiden #Samson #Helloween #UFO #Waysted #IanGillan #TonyMacAlpine #AntagonistAD #ReverendBizarre #TheAbsence #DrowningPool #StillRemains #Throwdown #Behemoth #Memorain #CattleDecapitation #FearFactory #Krisiun #MissMayI #Avatar #Batushka #BlackCrownInitiate
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#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 August 7th, 2024🤘
BRUCE DICKINSON, PETE WAY, BLACK SABBATH, EXTREME, BEHEMOTH#BruceDickinson #PeteWay #BlackSabbath #Extreme #Behemoth #IronMaiden #Samson #Helloween #UFO #Waysted #IanGillan #TonyMacAlpine #AntagonistAD #ReverendBizarre #TheAbsence #DrowningPool #StillRemains #Throwdown #Behemoth #Memorain #CattleDecapitation #FearFactory #Krisiun #MissMayI #Avatar #Batushka #BlackCrownInitiate
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#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 August 7th, 2024🤘
BRUCE DICKINSON, PETE WAY, BLACK SABBATH, EXTREME, BEHEMOTH#BruceDickinson #PeteWay #BlackSabbath #Extreme #Behemoth #IronMaiden #Samson #Helloween #UFO #Waysted #IanGillan #TonyMacAlpine #AntagonistAD #ReverendBizarre #TheAbsence #DrowningPool #StillRemains #Throwdown #Behemoth #Memorain #CattleDecapitation #FearFactory #Krisiun #MissMayI #Avatar #Batushka #BlackCrownInitiate
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Festival review: Hellfest 2024 – Day 4 (Eduinaluca’s View)
Sunday was the day I least found what I was looking for so I apologise for covering less bands than the previous days. It was a day when I followed friends to concerts I wouldn't have been on my own, gave a try to bands I thought would speak to me but
#GigReviews #Batushka #DOOL #Hellfest #TheOffspring #YothIria
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Batushka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwoRrDkvOj8
#youtube_arteconcert #Batushka #batushka_hellfest #batushka_live #batushka_arte #batushka_hellfest_arte #arte #concert #arte_concert #hellfest_arte #hellfest_open_air #metal_music #batushka_concert #hellfest_2024 #hellfest_arte_concert #live #music #metal #batushka_hammersonic #pagan_metal -
Festival Review: Tons of Rock 2024 – Day 4
I always have mixed emotions on the final day of a festival - sad that it is coming to an end, but also a little relieved not to have further days of carrying around heavy photography gear! I honestly can highly recommend a litt
https://www.moshville.co.uk/reviews/gig-review/2024/07/festival-review-tons-of-rock-2024-day-4/
#GigReviews #Asinhell #Avantasia #Batushka #Bokassa #CavaleraConspiracy #Kreator #Seigmen #Thundermother #TonsOfRock
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Festival Review: Tons of Rock 2024 – Day 4
I always have mixed emotions on the final day of a festival - sad that it is coming to an end, but also a little relieved not to have further days of carrying around heavy photography gear! I honestly can highly recommend a litt
https://www.moshville.co.uk/reviews/gig-review/2024/07/festival-review-tons-of-rock-2024-day-4/
#GigReviews #Asinhell #Avantasia #Batushka #Bokassa #CavaleraConspiracy #Kreator #Seigmen #Thundermother #TonsOfRock
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Festival Review: Tons of Rock 2024 – Day 4
I always have mixed emotions on the final day of a festival - sad that it is coming to an end, but also a little relieved not to have further days of carrying around heavy photography gear! I honestly can highly recommend a litt
https://www.moshville.co.uk/reviews/gig-review/2024/07/festival-review-tons-of-rock-2024-day-4/
#GigReviews #Asinhell #Avantasia #Batushka #Bokassa #CavaleraConspiracy #Kreator #Seigmen #Thundermother #TonsOfRock
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#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
The Best Swedish Metal Albums, More SEPULTURA Farewell Dates & Other Top Stories You Might've Missed This Week
Plus an almost-resolution to the Batushka drama.#Sepultura #Batushka #MetalInjection #SwedishMetal #DeathMetal #BlackMetal #Babymetal #NunoBettencourt #OzzyOsbourne #SystemOfADown #TheBlackDahliaMurder #ProtestTheHero #MayhemFestival
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Blaze of Perdition – Upharsin Review
By Dear Hollow
“Upharsin” is part of an Aramaic phrase seen in the Hebrew Bible, in which the words “mene, mene, tekel, upharsin” appear mysteriously upon the wall of the palace of King Belshazzar, which are interpreted by the prophet Daniel as foretelling the fall of Babylon and its dispersion to the Persians and the Medes. The rich religious undertone pervades the Polish Blaze of Perdition, not as a point of blasphemy but of portent. Catholicism is a specter that haunts Poland, one whose national identity has historically been intertwined with religion – and the inevitable trail of pain wrought from the iron fist in the shadow of the cross. A consistently vicious output of black metal often sees this as a backdrop, as acts like Blaze of Perdition, Batushka, and of course, Behemoth have all cried mightily against the heavens, acknowledging the burning shrine from the pews.
Contrary to the gaudy goth-rock influences of 2020 predecessor The Harrowing of Hearts, Blaze of Perdition opts to embrace the blackened fury once more in a density and viciousness that portrays the divisions of humanity, abetted by religion, and man’s affinity for violence. Upharsin is dispersion to the Persians and Medes, a singular division whose existential despair is only outmatched by its intensity. While certainly avoiding the tempo-dismissing blastbeat-loving style of Dark Funeral, its simmering and slow-building midtempo attack feels just as devastating, movements steeped in melancholy and melody. Balance defines every movement, as anger and lamentation collide with seamless fluidity – the result is a pure return to form, a dangerous and untainted foray that dwells in misery.
Blaze of Perdition’s greatest asset is to present its anti-religious themes as not the devil-worshiping and novelty-driven attack of its blackened kin, but with an existential weight. The lyrics, entirely in their native Polish, present alienation of God, a divinity given life through cold and suffering,1 and the self-flagellation that the aloof father requires. This theme is animated by their distinctly Polish black metal attack, thick and ferocious while maintaining the trademark second-wave frigidity, with vocals commanding the attack with sermonic charisma. Guitars spread a tapestry of blasphemous intensity, morphing seamlessly into passages of wrenching melody, while drums burst with climactic and sporadic blastbeats and intense ritualistic buildups. Blaze of Perdition injects liturgical weight into their sound, making their ebb and flow feel more like a crisis of faith rather than a burning church.
The natural progressions of the sound make Upharsin feel like a tapestry of color, rich and vibrant with each passage, but the passages of subtle melodic undercurrents and memorable brutality add to Blaze of Perdition’s story as it plays out across the threads. The melodies of “Niezmywalne” and “W kwiecie rozlamu” inject passages of sustained and intertwined guitar work, alongside their heart-pounding elements, while the former deals in depressive wails and adrenaline-pumping barks. Meanwhile, the chants of “Przez rany” and “Architekt” inject a necessary pummeling that stand in neat contrast to the more placid moments. While these standout moments are notable, Blaze of Perdition’s songwriting ensures a tangible consistency across the forty-one-minute runtime. What makes Upharsin a notable progression from its immovable catalog is its weariness: while previous blasphemy emerged from violence, tracks contained herein explode from a weathered and wounded spirit.
The only obvious detractor of Upharsin occurs in closer “Mlot, miecz i bat,” in which a rip-roaring guitar solo cuts through the carefully calculated melancholy with novel recklessness, which only barely leaves a bitter taste to an otherwise stellar album. Blaze of Perdition rights the ship after the experimental and divisive The Harrowing of Hearts with a sound that returns it to the trademark viciousness while maintaining subtlety and melancholy through each movement. While blasphemy and defiance dominate the blackened arts and Upharsin’s tapestry reflects this tradition, Blaze of Perdition’s story plays out as distinctly wounded, as if the novelty has worn off to reveal the beating heart beneath – one that tried to believe and fell to ashes.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: blazeofperdition.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blazeofperdition
Releases Worldwide: April 19th, 2024#2024 #40 #Apr24 #Batushka #Behemoth #BlackMetal #BlazeOfPerdition #DarkFuneral #MetalBladeRecords #PolishMetal #Review #Reviews #Upharsin
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Blaze of Perdition – Upharsin Review
By Dear Hollow
“Upharsin” is part of an Aramaic phrase seen in the Hebrew Bible, in which the words “mene, mene, tekel, upharsin” appear mysteriously upon the wall of the palace of King Belshazzar, which are interpreted by the prophet Daniel as foretelling the fall of Babylon and its dispersion to the Persians and the Medes. The rich religious undertone pervades the Polish Blaze of Perdition, not as a point of blasphemy but of portent. Catholicism is a specter that haunts Poland, one whose national identity has historically been intertwined with religion – and the inevitable trail of pain wrought from the iron fist in the shadow of the cross. A consistently vicious output of black metal often sees this as a backdrop, as acts like Blaze of Perdition, Batushka, and of course, Behemoth have all cried mightily against the heavens, acknowledging the burning shrine from the pews.
Contrary to the gaudy goth-rock influences of 2020 predecessor The Harrowing of Hearts, Blaze of Perdition opts to embrace the blackened fury once more in a density and viciousness that portrays the divisions of humanity, abetted by religion, and man’s affinity for violence. Upharsin is dispersion to the Persians and Medes, a singular division whose existential despair is only outmatched by its intensity. While certainly avoiding the tempo-dismissing blastbeat-loving style of Dark Funeral, its simmering and slow-building midtempo attack feels just as devastating, movements steeped in melancholy and melody. Balance defines every movement, as anger and lamentation collide with seamless fluidity – the result is a pure return to form, a dangerous and untainted foray that dwells in misery.
Blaze of Perdition’s greatest asset is to present its anti-religious themes as not the devil-worshiping and novelty-driven attack of its blackened kin, but with an existential weight. The lyrics, entirely in their native Polish, present alienation of God, a divinity given life through cold and suffering,1 and the self-flagellation that the aloof father requires. This theme is animated by their distinctly Polish black metal attack, thick and ferocious while maintaining the trademark second-wave frigidity, with vocals commanding the attack with sermonic charisma. Guitars spread a tapestry of blasphemous intensity, morphing seamlessly into passages of wrenching melody, while drums burst with climactic and sporadic blastbeats and intense ritualistic buildups. Blaze of Perdition injects liturgical weight into their sound, making their ebb and flow feel more like a crisis of faith rather than a burning church.
The natural progressions of the sound make Upharsin feel like a tapestry of color, rich and vibrant with each passage, but the passages of subtle melodic undercurrents and memorable brutality add to Blaze of Perdition’s story as it plays out across the threads. The melodies of “Niezmywalne” and “W kwiecie rozlamu” inject passages of sustained and intertwined guitar work, alongside their heart-pounding elements, while the former deals in depressive wails and adrenaline-pumping barks. Meanwhile, the chants of “Przez rany” and “Architekt” inject a necessary pummeling that stand in neat contrast to the more placid moments. While these standout moments are notable, Blaze of Perdition’s songwriting ensures a tangible consistency across the forty-one-minute runtime. What makes Upharsin a notable progression from its immovable catalog is its weariness: while previous blasphemy emerged from violence, tracks contained herein explode from a weathered and wounded spirit.
The only obvious detractor of Upharsin occurs in closer “Mlot, miecz i bat,” in which a rip-roaring guitar solo cuts through the carefully calculated melancholy with novel recklessness, which only barely leaves a bitter taste to an otherwise stellar album. Blaze of Perdition rights the ship after the experimental and divisive The Harrowing of Hearts with a sound that returns it to the trademark viciousness while maintaining subtlety and melancholy through each movement. While blasphemy and defiance dominate the blackened arts and Upharsin’s tapestry reflects this tradition, Blaze of Perdition’s story plays out as distinctly wounded, as if the novelty has worn off to reveal the beating heart beneath – one that tried to believe and fell to ashes.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: blazeofperdition.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blazeofperdition
Releases Worldwide: April 19th, 2024#2024 #40 #Apr24 #Batushka #Behemoth #BlackMetal #BlazeOfPerdition #DarkFuneral #MetalBladeRecords #PolishMetal #Review #Reviews #Upharsin
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Blaze of Perdition – Upharsin Review
By Dear Hollow
“Upharsin” is part of an Aramaic phrase seen in the Hebrew Bible, in which the words “mene, mene, tekel, upharsin” appear mysteriously upon the wall of the palace of King Belshazzar, which are interpreted by the prophet Daniel as foretelling the fall of Babylon and its dispersion to the Persians and the Medes. The rich religious undertone pervades the Polish Blaze of Perdition, not as a point of blasphemy but of portent. Catholicism is a specter that haunts Poland, one whose national identity has historically been intertwined with religion – and the inevitable trail of pain wrought from the iron fist in the shadow of the cross. A consistently vicious output of black metal often sees this as a backdrop, as acts like Blaze of Perdition, Batushka, and of course, Behemoth have all cried mightily against the heavens, acknowledging the burning shrine from the pews.
Contrary to the gaudy goth-rock influences of 2020 predecessor The Harrowing of Hearts, Blaze of Perdition opts to embrace the blackened fury once more in a density and viciousness that portrays the divisions of humanity, abetted by religion, and man’s affinity for violence. Upharsin is dispersion to the Persians and Medes, a singular division whose existential despair is only outmatched by its intensity. While certainly avoiding the tempo-dismissing blastbeat-loving style of Dark Funeral, its simmering and slow-building midtempo attack feels just as devastating, movements steeped in melancholy and melody. Balance defines every movement, as anger and lamentation collide with seamless fluidity – the result is a pure return to form, a dangerous and untainted foray that dwells in misery.
Blaze of Perdition’s greatest asset is to present its anti-religious themes as not the devil-worshiping and novelty-driven attack of its blackened kin, but with an existential weight. The lyrics, entirely in their native Polish, present alienation of God, a divinity given life through cold and suffering,1 and the self-flagellation that the aloof father requires. This theme is animated by their distinctly Polish black metal attack, thick and ferocious while maintaining the trademark second-wave frigidity, with vocals commanding the attack with sermonic charisma. Guitars spread a tapestry of blasphemous intensity, morphing seamlessly into passages of wrenching melody, while drums burst with climactic and sporadic blastbeats and intense ritualistic buildups. Blaze of Perdition injects liturgical weight into their sound, making their ebb and flow feel more like a crisis of faith rather than a burning church.
The natural progressions of the sound make Upharsin feel like a tapestry of color, rich and vibrant with each passage, but the passages of subtle melodic undercurrents and memorable brutality add to Blaze of Perdition’s story as it plays out across the threads. The melodies of “Niezmywalne” and “W kwiecie rozlamu” inject passages of sustained and intertwined guitar work, alongside their heart-pounding elements, while the former deals in depressive wails and adrenaline-pumping barks. Meanwhile, the chants of “Przez rany” and “Architekt” inject a necessary pummeling that stand in neat contrast to the more placid moments. While these standout moments are notable, Blaze of Perdition’s songwriting ensures a tangible consistency across the forty-one-minute runtime. What makes Upharsin a notable progression from its immovable catalog is its weariness: while previous blasphemy emerged from violence, tracks contained herein explode from a weathered and wounded spirit.
The only obvious detractor of Upharsin occurs in closer “Mlot, miecz i bat,” in which a rip-roaring guitar solo cuts through the carefully calculated melancholy with novel recklessness, which only barely leaves a bitter taste to an otherwise stellar album. Blaze of Perdition rights the ship after the experimental and divisive The Harrowing of Hearts with a sound that returns it to the trademark viciousness while maintaining subtlety and melancholy through each movement. While blasphemy and defiance dominate the blackened arts and Upharsin’s tapestry reflects this tradition, Blaze of Perdition’s story plays out as distinctly wounded, as if the novelty has worn off to reveal the beating heart beneath – one that tried to believe and fell to ashes.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: blazeofperdition.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blazeofperdition
Releases Worldwide: April 19th, 2024#2024 #40 #Apr24 #Batushka #Behemoth #BlackMetal #BlazeOfPerdition #DarkFuneral #MetalBladeRecords #PolishMetal #Review #Reviews #Upharsin
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Dopiero dzisiaj odkryłem, że ktoś zmiksował Zbigniewa Stonogę z Batushką, tworząc z tego EP-kę.
Prawie tak dobry pomysł, jak ten z blackmetalową wersją utworu "Szklanki" Dark Leosi.
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I cyk, kolejny #winyl do kolekcji.
#muzyka #Batushka #metalmusic -
Current music buy list once spare cash is found:
1. #Batushka - Panihida
2. #Adaestuo - Krew Za Krew
3. #CultOfFire - मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान
4. #Unreqvited - Stars Wept to the Sea
5. #Muka - Sveta Stoka