Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Kosmogyr is another new band that came my way that I was wholly unfamiliar with. After taking some serious time with this Shanghai-Prague duo's debut album, 'Eviternity', I am just totally blown away by what the band has created with this release. The opening track, "Sui Generis", is a very beautiful, inspired instrumental that belies the atrocity and violence that is about to be unleashed. "The Wane" immediately kicks in with that all too familiar swirling, buzzing guitar and double bass drumming that we black metal fans come to love. A shock to the system for sure after the start of the album, this track sets the tone for the rest of the album. The music is this really intriguing mix of sheer bleakness that still somehow manages to work its way into your being, giving slight little pulls on your heart strings. I haven't heard black metal like this in a good while and was hopeful that the rest of the album would follow suit.

"Quiescent" begins with this serene guitar piece accompanied by some dreamy synth work before the bottom drops out and the band kicks your teeth in as the drumming bludgeons you into submission and the screams of Ivan Belcic's vocal work begins to peel the skin from your body. The guitar comes in like a surgeon's scalpel to deftly remove the skin from your battered body. "Eviternity", the title track, starts out with this wicked little melodic guitar intro and some bombastic, well-paced drumming. As the track continues on, the guitar becomes a touch more melodic yet no less menacing. After several times through this album, this track stands out as my favorite as it's just a perfect example of what the band is striving for. The remainder of the album is just as impressive as the first three tracks were so there's not any need for me to dissect them. The production on the album is excellent, the levels are well maintained and the sound is superb whether you're playing it through headphones or through your sound system.

What has impressed me most about Kosmogyr, though, is the way they are able to inspire heartfelt emotion in a genre that is typically focused on the bleak and cold. There were times when the music really spoke to me in a way that only a handful of black metal releases have up to this point. The other thing that I really enjoyed is the fact that the album is a concept that is up to the listener to divulge for themselves. You really have to take your time with this one to fully appreciate what the band has done. I'm still finding little nuances and portions that I've missed before and I know this album is one that will stay around for a good while. Kosmogyr have delivered an incredible debut album and one that is sure to make some waves and garner some deserved notice from the metal world. 'Eviternity' will take you to a place of surprise, aggression, and fright and you'll enjoy every moment along your journey.