Are you in an ever-burning search for total blasphemy and impenetrable darkness to adorn your senses? If so, the upcoming split release from the Bulgarian black metal forces Smyrtonos and Vagabond, “Inhuman Blasphemy” is precisely what your restless soul craves. The album brings together six unholy offerings— three from Smyrtonos, and three from Vagabond—each one a venomous hymn that drags the listener deeper into realms of sonic torment and esoteric wrath.
“Inhuman Blasphemy” erupts with Smyrtonos’ blistering and unrelenting anthem, “Wings of Eternal Hatred.”A barrage of scathing, high-speed riffs and ferocious blast beats tear through the silence, soon shattered further by Todorac’s wild, unchained vocal summons. Firmly rooted in the essence of ’90s black metal, the track channels the raw spirit of that era—primitive, uncompromising, and gloriously untamed. The classic instrumental framework is cloaked in a suffocating haze of deranged vocals, conjuring an atmosphere steeped in ancient malice and otherworldly dread. There’s a haunting beauty in the recording’s stark authenticity—a purity that feels both deliberate and dangerously alive. Todorac’s monstrous growls at times seem to defy the corporeal, clawing through the veil between the earthly and the eternal, leaving behind echoes that linger like a curse in the air.
In “Night of the Ancient,” which stands out as one of my personal favorites on the album, Smyrtonos introduces compelling ideas that instantly evoke the “Panzerfaust” era of Darkthrone. The track also weaves in shades of early Burzum, blending these influences into something raw yet atmospheric. If you’ve ever wondered what the unholy offspring of Darkthrone and Burzum might sound like—this is your answer. There’s a remarkable leap in Smyrtonos’ compositional approach here; the structure feels more refined, deliberate, and immersive. The result is a sound that’s both monumental and spellbinding, drawing the listener deep into its ancient, shadow-drenched world.
As Smyrtonos’s portion of the split draws to a close with the nocturnal lament of “Weeping Souls,” VAGABOND takes the torch with “Sisyphus Weeps and Contemplates the Unknown”— a track that plunges immediately into deep, death-doom driven guitar lines and monstrous vocals, delivering a near-ritualistic trance.
In the spirit of genre titans like Marduk, Panzerfaust, and others who have mastered the craft of raw intensity, VAGABOND tears through the void with an unrelenting authenticity. Their sound is steeped in primal fury, yet balanced by a beautifully layered instrumental depth that exerts a magnetic pull. Each note resonates with emotional weight, making the composition not just powerful—but hauntingly immersive. This is black metal at its most potent form: savage, sorrowful, and transcendent.
Each of VAGABOND’s tracks unfolds like a battle march—unyielding, commanding, and absolutely dominant in presence. Their formula is a volatile blend: searing high and guttural low vocals, razor-sharp, fast-paced guitar riffs laced with brooding, doomy passages, relentless blast beats, and a chilling layer of distortion that cuts like frost. The result is explosive—an aural assault that never sacrifices precision or emotional depth. And then comes the final touch: a stunning synth passage at the end of the closing track, delicate yet powerful, serving as the perfect epilogue to an album brimming with infernal firery energy, leaving you spellbound.
Had I not known the year this split album was created, I would have sworn it belonged to a black metal legends of the ’90s. It loses nothing in comparison to the old classics—on the contrary, it brings to the table a striking sense of originality, pure unfiltered expression, and a burning, unrelenting passion. Black metal in its purest, most untamed form—exactly as it should be. Total Inhuman Blasphemy!
I would like to conclude this chronicle with the following reflection: In Bulgaria, there are two kinds of black metal musicians—those who regard black metal merely as a musical genre, wielding the scene as a stage for their theatrical flair and fleeting popularity; and then, there are those who breathe the very essence of its ideology, who authentically exhale the whispered secrets of their inner sanctums. This split album stands as a sanctuary for two names that embody the true spirit of Bulgaria’s underground black metal scene—raw, sincere, and unyielding. Surrender yourself wholly to their craft, and let their music consume you in its relentless, haunting embrace.
The split album “Inhuman Blasphemy” is set to be released in late June or early July through the label Blasphemous Rumours Promotion on tape (limited edition).
Label contacts:
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https://blasphemousrumours666.blogspot.com
Mother of THE VOID.
Underground music is the ultimate weapon against mediocrity.
