BLAZE OF PERDITION : “Upharsin”

Black metal and Poland go perfectly well together like strong black coffee and a dark chocolate cookie, with some of the bands at the crown of the local underground over the years particularly distinguished themselves with their extraordinary charge.
One such band is Blaze of Perdition, who for a number of reasons rank among the most outspoken and genuine artistic endeavors out there in my opinion. I don’t want to sound exaggerated, but black metal fans who follow the scene closely know that when Sonneillon’s vocals enter the room, even  the walls listen and absorb the sound of the agonizing devastating tones.

The album “Upharsin” is the sixth full-length album of the band, and unlike the previous title “The Harrowing of Hearts”, in this work the musicians share with us all a much darker, philosophical and burdensome atmosphere. The more romantic and spiritual references of the previous title are decidedly out of the game, with a bare view of humanity’s doom in the foreground – the red thread runs through the entire album, delivering an opus burning with rage and other explicit emotions.

The songs are written entirely in Polish, and the title itself immediately catches the eye.
It comes from the phrase “mene, tekel, upharsin” from the old biblical texts. These, according to the sources in question, are Aramaic words written on the wall by the “hand of God” during a feast organized by King Belshazzar. The words are interpreted as “counted, weighed, divided” and are a sign of a condemnatory message against the king and his kingdom. Belshazzar’s feast is seen as an act of arrogance and defiance against “god”. The Babylonians drank from the sacred temple vessels, which was considered a grave sacrilege. This caused “god” to dramatically intervene and condemn Belshazzar’s rule with the writing on the wall heralding his will.
The artwork by Kontamination Design perfectly captures the album’s haunting theme and the downtrodden atmosphere it conveys.

And you might think you know what to expect from the album, but as  the opening tunes of “W kwiecie rozłamu” appear  and the following crispy distorted vocals start chasing you, you’ll be surprised and drawn into a fertile habitat of mesmerizing riffs, smooth rhythmic drums, harsh and more subdued than usual bestial vocal calls that climax with breathtaking intensity and emotional charge. True, pure art. One that engulfs you completely, draws you into its world – every note serves as a gravitational force pulling you back to the rawness of ‘Upharsin’.
At this point , the cruel reality of the fate of the world and humans is revealed before us. The singnificant message written on the wall unfolds in front of the listener, revealing itself step by step, shedding some light on the lower manifestations of  the human nature and the neverending cycle of pointless violence. The contempt and disgust for them is brilliantly executed.

In the next four tracks of the album, we are chased by deeper messages, confidently tightening the noose around our fragile necks. At once weighty and oozing with beautiful melancholy, each one sounds like a ghostly, furious call from a forgotten crypt, coming to share its prophecies from the dark beyond. Explosive moments will hook you here and there, such as Sonneillon’s long cryptic sighs and moans  in “Przez rany” or the brutal guitar solo in “Młot, miecz i bat” that sets the album’s finale.

Extremely raw, furious and powerful, the sound of ‘Upharsin’ puts you in the crossfire with its fierce energy, direct philosophical messages and captivating melodies. It  is one of those albums that will envelop you in emotion and probably make you reflect on things. For some of us this album will seem to come from the depths of our own minds and feel like a needed liberating synchronicity, while for others it will just be some damn well played Polish black metal. Either way, the time will have been worth it.

“Kto stanął na szali i zbyt lekki jest,
za grzechy odpowie nim nastanie dzień.
Słońce w zenicie, korona na dnie
i wyschnięta krew. To tutaj blaknie cień.
Spacer po linie. Ze skraju na skraj.“

Listen to the album below:

Band: BLAZE OF PERDITION
Album: “Upharsin”
Release date: April 19th
Label: Metal Blade Records
Order Link: https://www.metalblade.com/blazeofperdition