Watch out, there’s an unspeakable multidimensional being about, as blackened metal occultists Qrixkuor press the ‘downward spiral’ button on the controls and into the gnostic depths of hopeless but glorious terror in this first full length. After a couple of stuttering starts, a North American tour with Blood Incantation which only briefly broke what has become a five year release schedule hiatus, the band’s main member ‘S’ is back with some formidable backing. Including members from Vassafor, Temple Nightside, Scythian, Adorior and recorded and mastered by none other than the mighty Greg Chandler of Esoteric fame, Qrixkuor falls firmly into the category of Kutulu-Crowley inspired wormhole metal as space and time distort into one chaotic blur with rhythmic guitars providing some occasional direction in the miasmic madness and fleeting majestic orchestral sounds hinting at the horrid magnificence just within the fringes of your battered and frantic consciousness… *gasps for breath*.
Grounded in death metal technical proficiency, Qrixkuor absorbs decades of black metal atmospheric subtlety into its pulsing mass as it slides into a journey of blessed insanity and overwhelming realisation. The name of the band, first formed in England in 2011, is a reference to a creature in Crowley-acolyte Kenneth Grant’s semi-autobiographical novel, ‘Against the Light’. The music is therefore suitably complex and unfathomable to the uninitiated adding layers upon layers of dissonant percussion, insane, punishing riffs and finger-tip bleeding fret work. The effect, as you might expect, is darkly entrancing and a journey enjoyed best given your undivided attention. But you know you’re in safe hands when a thundering four minutes-or-so climax can be as enthralling as on the opening 24 minute track Mother’s Abomination – ably helped through to its conclusion by frenzied tremolo, angular riffs, reverberating vocals and nightmarish solos – and of course a stab of spooky pianos at the end.
From there, there is only one path to take, and that’s further onwards into the depths as Qrixkuor doubles down on creating the seventh circle of hell in violent blackened death metal form. From swirling miasma to rhythmic, tremolo-infused groove and beyond its crushingly easy to get sucked in once more even though it’s constantly treacherous deciding which path to follow. Even though you might find yourself idly checking out who Kenneth Grant was (if, like me, it’s all new to you beyond the basics) the intensity rarely lets go as the grip of Poison Palinopsia spirals towards its conclusion – which admittedly feels anything but inevitable until the very last moment.
The brakes grind the terrible juggernaut to a screeching halt as some alarming gothic orchestral music bleeds to the foreground and kettle drums then gradually beat the path into silence. It’s been a hell of a ride. Qrixkuor is at least death metal in its percussive battering and technical engineering but, in reality, this sound will be more familiar to anyone that has dabbled in a bit of occult black metal of the kind that bands like Vassafor or Crimson Moon exemplify. Poison Palinopsia – the latter being a rare visual distortion which means the brain sees an image over and over in quick succession – is not just about disturbing, ugly atmospheres and technical proficiency. It’s dark and designed to open doors, not just in your mind but to realms elsewhere and unseen.
(8/10 Reverend Darkstanley)
Leave a Reply