We are back in the world of the wyrd wolves from Warsaw and our duo of Louve and Nidhogg show no signs of slowing down. This is their fourth release since 2020 and like its predecessors is no less non-conformist and oblique in interpretation; the fact that everything here is presented in native tongue makes it all the more curious. However, the pair have perhaps put forward a bit more personal identity between the lines here via a very eye-catching photo shoot and the regalia gathered behind it. One dreadlocked and corpse-painted figure (Nidhogg I believe) sits astride a pale horse, the name of which may well be death. The other(Louve) has a strange mask along with headdress, beard and chain mail that looks as if they could have been made out of bicycle components. These are shown on the elaborate slip-cased CD artwork as well as on social media and yes it does appear that the latter heavyweight costume is worn at live shows too.
Their music is even stranger to get a grip on but that came as no real surprise having delved into the past few releases. Although given the black metal tag there is plenty more going on here and the duo along with drummer Krzysztof seem like they are not that keen to be pigeonholed to one particular genre. They enter this album with an instrumental ‘Ingressum’ full of strident guitar melody and slow tempered drum beats. It’s an atmospheric bridge into the ’magic’ within and the title track. Doomy, bass defined grooves seep out and it strikes as ponderous going nowhere particularly fast. Evil sounding vocal rasps gradually come in via the back door and the players seem to have coasted into a natural sounding jam, leaving you expectant of a burst of speed but never delivering one. There’s an underlying vibe of the psychedelic here and as you stumble down the rabbit hole its very much a case of curiouser and curiouser as Alice would no doubt profess. Przyzywam sees them “calling” in a much more blackened respect. The drums canter off and there’s some thick and flailing guitar leads swooping away with the vocals snarling with embittered distaste along with some backing parts giving it all an extra thrust. ‘Święty Ogień’ spreads ‘Holy Fire’ with a much more swaggering instrumental tumult and has a real Eastern European feel as it charges along akin to a headless horseman on a mad dash. Despite alienation lyrically it urgent clamour is engaging until it suddenly strangely drops out with experimental tones prior to sweeping in again once more. It is probably the most focused track here for those wanting a quick glimpse of the band.
After this there is a short number with ambient ghostly and somewhat peaceful chants before the pair rampage over the spiteful, short and sharp, punky, brackish bombardment that is ‘Wij się z bólu Córo Syjonu’ (Daughter Of Zion) complete with a mid-section bass solo. I guess there has been occult leanings here and they come further to the surface with ‘Tetragrammaton’ as the guitars make strange sinister shapes and a mystical and spectral melody entwines and engages as we head back into the black doom domain which after some vocal spellcasting explodes and totally goes for the throat with mischievous intent before reverting to macabre origins. After another mystifying instrumental closer serving as outro the album is done just 35-minutes after it started and I have to confess once more it has slightly stewed my head. There’s a bit of a scattershot approach here and differentiation between the instrumental numbers and the main assaults as well as plenty of changes in pace giving it a bit of an unorthodox and experimental flavour. I doubt anyone is meant to fully understand what these musical magicians have served up here but it is certainly interesting and different.
(7.5/ 10 Pete Woods)
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