Now THIS is a nifty one. At Dusk are one of those black metal bands who seem tailor made for the underground and whose basement dwelling charm is hard to ignore for those of us truly dedicated to this music. Their latest effort, Condemned is a blast of high intensity suffering with synth elements counterbalancing vicious and abrasive black metal. A record that is fully aware of its own twisted mystique, At Dusk are unafraid to punish the listener with volume and drag you with them to the depths of hell.
As much as this record seems to touch on grandiose themes with song titles like 'Consigned' and 'Martyred' this is also an album that can feel intensely personal. It speaks to dark unrealities and the wellspring of human suffering. It's a record that seems to continually tear you down and point towards a dark sense of sonic punishment that is going to keep you awake at night. Condemned is a terrifying sonic journey full of demonic whisperings and cries to a god who failed. Fully aware of its own inherent bombast, it's hard not to be mesmerized by what has been put together with this particular offering.
Claustrophobic and unrelenting, Condemned speaks to a sense of loss and punishment. This is a record that for some may be best appreciated in chunks, but which for others the complete fifty minutes plus of aural blasphemy is necessary to paint the picture. Condemned isn't always an easy listen, it's frequently harsh and unrelenting, but constantly hinting at the beauty the band has touched on in the past. Unique, iconoclastic and dedicated to a maddening sense of underground depravity, this is a truly potent release.
Stream the record on bandcamp!
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