Album Review: Okrütnik - Legion Antychrysta (2020)
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| Picture Credit: Okrütnik |
Okrütnik - Legion Antychrysta
Release Date: November 02, 2020
Label: Ossuary Records
Format: Cassette / CD / Digital
Length: 45:51
Genre: Black Metal / Blackened Thrash Metal
Origin: Kotlin, Poland
There is something special about Black or Blackened Metal from Eastern European and Slavic nations that I cannot put into words. It is this fascinating mix of melancholy, dark harmony and pure cold. The album on hand is another great example for this. The quartet from Kotlin in Poland was formed in 2018 and released their first long-player "Legion Antychrysta" via Ossuary Records in late autumn of 2020.
First thing that catches my attention are the song titles and lyrics. Okrütnik spread their nihilistic and blasphemic messages in their mother tongue only. I really love the sound of the Polish language and thus far, I have encountered its great fit to Folk, Rap and Punk Rock. Even though, I do not understand the lyrics, I appreciate the beauty of the Polish language and its effect on the harsh, rapid and ice-cold music on Okrütnik's album.
And speaking of Folk, Okrütnik add some Polish Folk tunes to their music, too. The harmonies are entangled in almost all of their songs. 'Portret trumienny, a na grobach kwiaty' ('A coffin portrait and flowers on the graves') especially proves that point. In this song, the Black Metal influence is almost invisible and instead, the band plays a gloomy combination of Slavic Folk and a Heavy Metal ballad.
Okrütnik themselves call their music Heavy Black Metal which sort of makes sense to me. Nevertheless, I would rather speak of Blackened Thrash Metal. They merge the high-pace brutality of Destruction with the freezing sound of Immortal and decorate it with this very special Polish ingredient that I cannot name - I guess it is a secret that shall never be revealed.
Summing up, this is a very refreshing Black and Thrash Metal release. Okrütnik are a band you should keep in mind. They manage to give a new coat of whitewash to the two genres. Also, if you like this, you might also enjoy Evilcult.
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