It is described as death-black metal, and it is death-black metal. This is Polish metal and so the atmosphere is dingy and threatening. The music is relentless and uncompromising. The vocals are like subterranean growls. It is harsh. This is the quintet’s first full release following a part on the 2017 split “Total Regression of Humanity”.
Unsurprisingly it’s all about suffering and death and violence. To quote a lyric from “Bones and Teeth”: “you’re rotting in nothingness, when someone digs you out, he will only find bones and teeth”. Quite. The album is deeply threatening from the opening “22” to the closing “Tons of Mud”. “22” is deep and dark. Others are faster-paced but this 33 minute album is like a rolling, military juggernaut. “I Know Your Future” is as sinister it sounds, darkly trudging through death metal war fields. Evil laughter breaks the increasing intensity of “Son of Sam”, another tale of evil and murder. But laughter is the exception as Baalberith drive us into the ground with their penetrative death metal. The pace picks up slightly on “Day’s Covered Eyes” but the net result of intense destruction is the same. A tired-sounding man utters threatening words but it all comes back to deep and growly riffs, and death-heralding drums. “Bones and Teeth” raises the sophistication stakes, musically at least. Finally “Tons of Mud” reflects the harsh soundscapes we have experienced throughout this work.
Relatively short as this is, “Manhunt” is still an endurance test. I can’t truthfully say that anyone who hitherto doesn’t like harsh Polish blackened death metal is suddenly going to have a musical lightbulb moment, but I quite liked it.
(6.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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