Now this is a powerful one. Balkan black metal has gotten a bit of a short shrift in recent years, and yet the genre has flourished and put out all sorts of interesting material. One such offering is Mrtvaja the latest from CMPT, a project obsessed with forbidden death cults of yore. Their pan-Balkan imagery and twisted compositions speak to a lifetime of toil and suffering. The inhuman pain that this band so eagerly leans into is potent and really conjures up a dark well of emotions. CMPT understand the heaviness and will capture the imagination.
Mrtvaja is interesting because of how it fuses ideas. On the one hand, there are moments that feel very Ulver or even Agalloch inspired with neofolk flourishes. These are counterbalanced with moments of pure raw black metal. This balance and willingness to play on both sides of the coin makes for some compelling listening. Mrtvaja inspire listeners with the crush and demonstrate the extent of their despair. This is the sort of one man project that gets intensely personal and flourishes as a result. It's the sort of soul searching abomination that can't help but to leave listeners in awe, begging for more and suffering in the viscera.
CMPT have gone above and beyond here. It is the sort of crushingly twisted black metal that drew me to the genre in the first place. From the under produced drums to the creepy synths that provide a bit of sonic padding, Mrtvaja is a depressive black metal record of the highest degree. It's an album that trades on the darkest elements of the genre. The more time I spend uncovering the myriad layers of blasphemy the more I find CMPT to be a one of a kind force. Immerse yourself in the hate and experience the torment. You'll find it's worth it.
Pre-order the album!
No comments:
Post a Comment