Oh, it’s going to be one of those ones, is it? Thank Satan for the Metal Archives which enables me to copy and paste the song titles, otherwise I’d be here all day! Typical of the Poles, the song titles are unpronounceable and this album has more Z’s than a board in the scrabble championships. This may be their second album but you’d be forgiven for not having heard of Furia before now, as neither had I, but if this album is anything to go by their name will soon be on the lips of the chattering black metal elite as it certainly deserves to be. The album eases you in gently with a mellow intro to ‘Jeszcze I Jeszcze’ (just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?) but it doesn’t stay gentle for long as it is burnt into by angry, callous riffs and rasping vocals filled with desperation.
There is a kind of Absuvian drum march here, and as ‘Zgnilem’ picks up the drums clatter away vehemently behind the pine-scented veneer. Perhaps this isn’t so obvious on the first few listens, but certainly as the album progresses that element of nature becomes a little clearer. With little warning, ‘Przechrzczony’ comes in with a hell of a mean swagger. Distant screams soar above, mingling with the hypnotic guitars that give off shades of Negura Bunget and that kind of dark fogginess setting over the forest as the wind whistles through the trees. It soon kicks up a deadly Darkthronian furore before descending back into a state of calm acousticness which amplifies the level of threat suggested by the intruding drum march.
Generally this is an album that shifts shape and evolves; warps and yet maintains a thread of consistency. There’s even a certain level of suaveness to it all with the jazz interludes and avant-garde moments of sophistication; you can kind of imagine a dingy wine bar cabin hidden in the woods, yuppies sipping cocktails and discussing the FTSE over the music. That fearsome swagger lingers on with ‘Zmierzch Za Zmierzchem’ as the ferocity really picks up around this mark. This one really throws you; just as I settle into the rhythm which is in full swing, it alarmingly comes to a halt; imagine running and then suddenly reaching a cliff-edge, one foot hanging off and you’re left balancing for your life and that’s a bit like what happens here. The bass is really prominent here and really fattens out the strong guitars, backing it up nicely as it leads a fierce and hateful march.
‘U Krza Stoi Olsza’ changes the pace of things somewhat. This hits you with an oppressive guitar tone that draws you in, hypnotising you and taking you round in a circle. There’s a hint of Gothic era Paradise Lost in this mid-paced introduction before the buzzsaw riffage takes over. There is some stunning guitar work on this album that manages to be both callous and hateful, yet natural and organic at the same time. There’s a kind of spark to this album and it didn’t take long before it really grew on me, although listening on my MP3 player really did it no justice and it’s one that has to be played in its entirety to fully appreciate. As much as I have cooled off with my fuddy-duddy anti-technology approach, it will never be my favourite format and certain albums just aren’t meant for that kind of pick-n-mix consumption. I guess on the plus side, for the label at least, is that they are very likely to get a sale out of me after hearing this.
http://www.let-the-world-burn.org/
http://www.paganrecords.com.pl/files_uk/furia.htm
