For those of you who don’t live in the dark, deep recesses of the Polish underground metal scene, Atropos are a veteran bunch of dedicated, tenacious, black/death metal devotees, who have put their money where their mouths are and self-released two old EPS (this one was originally recorded in 2005). Despite touring with bands like Rotting Christ and Hate, they have remained largely unknown for some bizarre reason.
Now, before you start thinking “it is probably because they are another Behemoth/Vader clone...” – don’t! This band are no mere clone of someone more popular – they have a lot of talent, creativity, and a sound that is uniquely their own.
For a start, they don’t rely on constant aggression, blasting, frenetic three chord riffs, or a lot of the usual things you would expect from underground black/death metal bands. On this release in particular, the band really showcase their creative, epic side, with a whole array of mournful, sweeping melodies, sombre, crushing riffs and the occasional progressive element. There really is a lot to their music; one minute they will be pounding your skull into small pieces, the next you will find yourself drifting slowly on a dark, dream-like section. The writing is very dynamic and never seems to grow boring (in my opinion)
In terms of musical influences, I would say that Atropos are influenced as much by scenes from other countries as their own; there are many sections that have a distinctly Greek feel to them, and at other times they sound rather like old Swedish death metal. They manage to blend their various influences into a melange that is somehow quite unique.
Hvr’s vocals are a good balance between raw and clear; throaty and aggressive snarls, yet very clear annunciation. The guitars and bass perform some wonderful musical gymnastics on this EP, and there are some great, elaborate guitar solos as well, something that you don’t often hear on a black or death metal release these days. The production is a tad raw, and it sounds a bit like a well-produced demo rather than an official release, but this is not to the detriment of the music however. Instead, the rawness adds an extra touch of atmosphere. The drums are truly thunderous throughout the EP, and occasionally dominate over the other instruments, but it all adds to the slightly rough, chaotic feel. Hats off to the band for their lyrics too – even though English is obviously not their first language, they have still managed to write some very interesting, thoughtful lines, which go much further than the usual `I love Satan’ ranting.
For those of you that only like the darkest, grimmest, rawest, er, blackest black metal – this release is probably not for you. Likewise, those brutalists who only like skull-crushing death metal, played with full force, will probably not like this either. However, those of you that like extreme metal with an epic, dramatic feel, and lots of sweeping, melodic, mournful passages should hopefully enjoy what is on offer here. With any luck, the tenacity of this highly talented and creative band will not go unrecognised.
http://www.myspace.com/atropospl
Jon Butlin
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