I have been keeping my beady eyes on Belgian band Panchrysia ever since I reviewed their 2002 debut album ‘In Obscure Depths’. I thought they were a band illustrating great promise and as they released further stuff on home grown labels such as the LSP Company and Shiver Records, wondered if they would possibly take a step up. Live at the Infernal Damnation festival last year we were all pretty much left open mouthed at their feral and enthusiastic performance that as far as I was concerned proved to be the best of the day.
So now we see the group signed to Norway’s Dark Essence label and releasing ‘Deathcult Salvation’ a title of Mardukian excesses if ever I have heard one. The good news is that this does in my opinion see the band taking a step up to the next level as it is an absolutely fantastic album, one which deserves the band getting a hell of a lot more attention and one that combined with their on stage persona should see them being grabbed and taken as main support with the big hitters of the black metal community.
Speaking of Marduk additional vocals are provided by Mortuus, it is not clear exactly where they are song wise backing up Zahrim but they seem like they are nastily gurgling away at every twist and turn. ‘Cult Driven (and the herd ran violently)’ sees this hellish brew galloping off and opening the throttle right up. Drums batter away and guitars are thorny and persistent, bristling like they want to cut and slice skin from the flesh. Some neat melodic soloing is thrown into the fore as this blazes along in an unrelenting and compelling fashion.
The other thing that I love about this is the really subtle use of a wide range of samples. They are obscure as hell at times and sound like they could be dropped in from an old b-movie or film noir and they really add to the whole atmosphere. One I did get was a nice bit of blasphemy courtesy of Damien Thorn. These are not overbearing in the slightest and sometimes are used as a bridge when one song flows into another.
Musically apart from Marduk this does remind a bit of Satyricon circa ‘Rebel Extravaganza’ as it rollocks away with a real rotten edge about it, knocking everything in its path flat. The driving melody here makes this a real winner and along with the grinding, winding guitar assault of numbers such as ‘Fogbound (singing words I cannot bear)’ this really strikes as a jubilant march of the ever conquering dead.
The albums biggest surprise comes in the form of ‘Moriuri Te Salutant (baptizing the rats)’ a wilting ballad sung by Leen De Haes of Bint. Apparently she has been described as a Belgian cross between the likes of Emmylou Harris and PJ Harvey and this is absolutely gorgeous and also sinister when she is accompanied by Zahrim’s wretched growls. Apart from this brief respite from the savagery, this is an album that is storming from start to finish and if you like your metal black you should definitely check it out.
www.panchrysia.be
www.myspace.com/panchrysia
