“Unrestrained experimentation” is promised from this essentially black doom metal project from Poland. “Drifting” is the band’s first full album, following a self-titled EP release in 2020.
My initial impression was of listening to early Omnium Gatherum. It’s fiery, relentless, progressive in its way and death-metal orientated. Cursebinder know how to create a potent powerful atmosphere and do this particularly well on the title song, entering a world of dark mystery towards the end of this heavy piece. The ante is upped on “Shred by Shred” as the drums set out a quicker pace with the guitar ringing ominously. It is exciting as well as deathly dark from beginning to end. “Becoming” is another epic fiery affair. Its dogged relentlessness is energising. The tone falls somewhere between fiery anger and a cosmic scene. After a short interlude, the harshness resumes. The scene is powerful and epic. Throughout the album, Cursebinder subtly inject mystical sounds in the background, and here there’s a haunting chant. A ghostly sound then accompanies the heavy, chunking “Every Tree A Sanctuary”. The roaring death metal melody stands at the centre in common with the rest of the album. Aggression dominates the album too, and this is again apparent on the heavy and sirening “Permeating the Undergrowth”. Drums hammer. It’s a world of noise but with dramatic touches and tinges of sadness even.
I got no sense of unrestrained experimentation, but what I did get a sense of while listening to “Drifting” was a harsh and epic soundscape. It has nice touches, and the musicianship is tight and confident but most of all the word that comes to my mind to describe this album is “solid”.
(7.5 /10 Andrew Doherty)
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