The PR muttered something about Danish band Strychnos being bound to no god, master or genre which amusingly is binding itself to a cliché by now. But nowt to do with band or album. So… not having heard their 2022 debut ‘A Mother’s Curse’ it’s all new to me.

‘Wind Warning The Final Storm’ is a ponderous, doomy death metal affair; heavy, slow riffing with guitar melody spiralling over the top. The drumming is nice and heavy, the vocals harsh and nicely arranged both lead and backing and they crank the pace up with fluidity. So musicianship is on point. It’s definitely in that blackened death field though and gives me little reminders of the UK’s excellent Damnation’s Hammer. It has a nice unexpected hook in the refrain too, the vocals rising and almost tugging the melody with them.

‘Armageddon Patronage’ is far speedier but again pretty much spot on blackened death with the guitar lines adding that eerie melody. The tempo changes are smoothly done and the urgent chugging riffing in particular is compelling. There’s some nice energy to it as well, the atmospheric melody and arrangements seemingly winding tension into a higher state. ‘Choking Salvation’ is a mid-paced number to follow but I have to say that unlike the previous two it kind of simply exists. It has a little very old Paradise Lost set to it but really nothing pulls me in I’m afraid.

‘Endless Void Dimension’ as the title might suggests gets a bit cosmic. The quiet intro drips that dark space vibe, the feeling that there may be a true beauty here but there is an ominous emptiness too. It’s not bad, but I kind of get lost midsection as it seems the gravitational pull of the original dissipates in a little treading the void with a sadly forgettable riff. Even more sadly ‘Pale Black Birds’ despite once again a nice line in vocals has the same problem for me with a riff that bogs down the song in a kind of grey area.

Ah you see this is where the album breaks down for me I’m afraid. First listen it genuinely did little for me but on subsequent play-throughs I realised it had a really strong start but by the time I pass through ‘Stanken Af Dyd’ and ‘Sweeping Storm Of Suicide’ and reach ‘Nattevandrerinden’ I’m a little worn away.

Ironically that closing track not only has the strongest black metal infection but is in its desolate, doomy way every bit the equal of those first couple of numbers. It’s a great closing song; bleak, mournful and very memorable.

Again proving that Strychnos are a good band. Just a shame for me too many songs lapse into a kind of holding pattern riff.

When it’s good it’s very good. When it’s not it’s simply a little unengaging for me, sorry.

 6/10 Gizmo

https://www.facebook.com/strychnosterror

https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/armageddon-patronage