After causing a bit of a stir with 2020 release Sternenberster, this “extermination sect” from Germany are back. Essentially the work of Kerem Yilmaz who works alongside a session drummer and expands things for live performances this is a work of brute blackened force and majesty that’s as uncompromising in musical stance as it is against the world we exist in. By the title of the album one may get the feeling the artist is looking for some peace and love but he is not projecting much of it in this the third album, in fact it is described as “the spark to ignite it all. Before all emotions become ash and cinder, let them burn!” Time to get scorched as play is pressed.

After rumbling intro piece, ‘Radical Righteousness’ hammers in, drums thumping with merciless precision over a hoary yell of indignation. It’s the vocal stance that one needs to confront here first as its pretty distinct. Our distempered narrator simply hollers his parts with gruff elongated roars and the occasional death-grunt over a bedrock of scything and frenzied guitars and blasts. It’s kind of similar in that respect to Bolzer and although an acquired taste it works really well and makes things all the more formidable. Things occasionally loosen up as far as the musicianship is concerned and melody seeps out from the otherwise obliterating destructive blur but overall the “raw-anger” we have been promised is there in spades. There are roughshod grooves as we journey through the ten tracks, there are plenty of moments you can “rock out” during and there are also some underlying parts where the leash is loosened as suggested on ‘Touch of Mercy’ where some Middle Eastern twists and turns add a touch of mystical finesse to proceedings. It seems most if not all the lyrics are spat out in English and at times phrases break through, utter disgust being the main focus as far as I can interpret.

Thankfully the skill of the players lift this from being all one-dimensional and there are a myriad of shapes thrown by the guitar work on ‘Brute Majesty’, sometimes shimmering and stretching for the sky like judgemental lightning bolts hurled alongside the embittered vocal wrath. In fact, there’s times the music simply spirals in an incessant clamour like an out-of-control fractal leaving you holding your breath in near awe. The midway point allows us to catch some air via a break of baroque organ work, for what purpose I’m uncertain but am sure this ‘Birth Of Grandeur’ all part of the grand scheme of things. It sounds like a mad violinist suddenly weaves magic through ‘Dominator Proselytism Tactics’ and it adds to the craziness whether it’s simply in my head or not. I also noted and really like the subtle synth work on ‘Streams of Power – Canavar’ adding an arcane and spellbinding mid-era Killing Joke tribalism to things. There’s certainly lots going on here.

Mania and frenzy are never far away, you can’t help sitting up as the words “fucking disgusts me” are suddenly hurled out the ether and you wonder if by the end of this exercise in vitriolic vehemence the world outside is going to be consumed by ashes? Somehow, we survive even if it does feel like we have been given a stern tongue-lashing. Will we change our ideals, will the world ever be full of passion and without fear? Doubtful, but rest assured Imha Tarikat have left their mark on it.

(8.5/10 Pete Woods)

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https://imhatarikat.bandcamp.com/album/hearts-unchained-at-war-with-a-passionless-world