‘Zabobony’ is Popiols debut creation, yet instead of it being an unveiling, it is more of a long awaited resurrection as the workings were originally conceived and created some two decades ago and were formulated by polish stalwarts Thy Worshipper. Current and former members of Thy Worshipper are now together again and unleashing their blend of black and folk harmonies onto the world.
‘Zabobony’ exhibits two strands of metal and attempts to intertwine them with menace and conviction. Acoustic guitars dissect the melancholic lead guitars at times and the vocals carve through the music with overbearing uneasiness.
The music is intense in parts and heightens the pace when needed yet injects heavy distorted guitars throughout. The band have utilised the art of spoken word with good effect and this adds to the notoriety and demonic undercurrent which infiltrates your soul.
There is varying levels of atmosphere throughout the album and at times there is speed and intensity sitting side by side with more epic, solid and bleak beasts. ‘Ojcze Nienasz’ is noteworthy with its haunting backbone and melodic visceral core. Vocals are chanted within this track which adds to the mood, along with massive monotonous bass lines, the guitars and drum work is ferocious displaying underlying aggression and emotional moments.
There are moments of brilliance on the release, ‘Chmury’ is a personal highlight of mine and may be down to the assault that is laid upon your eardrums. The vocals are powerful and the riffs are plentiful and monolithic. The song is verging on epic with its near 10 minute life line, and it intertwines beauty and mercilessness in equal measures.
The album is diverse and bears an atmospheric experimental edge to the whole creation. They have interspersed folk elements with a blackened personality to create an ambient and forlorn tinge to the proceedings.
For me, the vocals are don’t sit comfortably in either world that they are trying to champion and master, they seem to be sitting on a plateau all of their own making and don’t combine with the accomplished beats and chords which are exposed throughout. This whole package is reminiscent of a culmination and crossover of Mayhem and Agalloch and definitely needs to be titled as a risky venture to all but the hardened owner of the most robust eclectic palate.
(5/10 Phil Pountney)
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