Sørgelig, another Hellenic act whom the casual observer would not presume to be from the warmer stage of the European black metal amphitheatre. Nevertheless, said act has released a new studio album that contains enough influence from the band’s homeland as well as the ever-present Scandinavian acts whose notoriety builds by the decades.
Φθορά which roughly translates from Greek as “wear” is not the kind of album to wear out in terms of quality, as well as burrow into the human psyche with enough speeding horror and anguish to challenge some of the most vicious black metal names around. If you love the blood-soaked depressiveness of Shining mixed with the crunching drills of Varathron at their fastest, accompanied by avalanche style drumming reminiscent of George Kollias at his most primitive, then you’ve got Sørgelig.
I wouldn’t call this record a depressive piece but it’s one whose themes of outright nihilism and thirst for death would put the likes of big depressive names to shame. It’s good to see plenty of this theme from the Greek scene as it symbolises how mental health related topics are universal and have given rise to some of the best black metal ever concocted.
Overall, Sørgelig have got you covered if you enjoy the Hellenic sound mixed with classic Scandinavian vibes and themes of brutal self hatred and loss of sentience which have given many metal communities their dark, alternative identity. A record that will feature highly on many “best of” lists this year.
(8/10 Demitri Levantis)
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