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Review by Jeger

Szary Wilk – Wrath

Record Label: Putrid Cult

Year: 2021

Rating: 9/10


Ostrołęka, Mazowieckie, Poland’s Szary Wilk (Grey Wolf) released their debut album “Wrath” on February 19, 2021 via Putrid Cult. In an album that bridges the chasm between the grit of the old ’90s style and the dynamics of today’s more melodic approach, Szary Wilk has dragged into a grim light the very best elements of both eras in a brilliant yet stripped-down synergy of black and heavy metals. This album is pure, uncut BM that resonates with a very one-dimensional buzz, which takes a few minutes to adjust to. But once you begin to absorb the music’s raw energy, you’ll find yourself with a greater appreciation for this timeless art of minimalism that captures the essence of most forms of Black Metal. You’ll find yourself in that place where the moonlight cuts through the woodland canopy as wolves call out in the night; senses honed for the hunt and forever bound by primitive diabolical energy. The intro to the opening track “Mortal” sets a haunting tone as the waking groans of evils ancient and wise welcome the night in its cold, windswept sullenness before an onslaught of rolling, blackened tremolos carry you deeper into where there is no hiding from what lurks in the darkness…

 

Szary Wilk

 

The masterful compositions in “Mortuous Voco” build upon an already epic foundation laid by the previous two tracks. This riff-oriented, melodic piece of Black Metal excellence is driven by basic rhythmic patterns that give way to steady flurries of feathered blast beats. And Czuly’s vocals, which have been rather stocked up until this point take on a more desperate and urgent tone. The album closes with its titular track. Prepare to be swept away into a vortex of blackened energy that twists your innards into knots with each chugging guitar riff. Szary Wilk sink their drool-soaked incisors into your helpless throat for the kill in these final moments of what has been a truly lethal weapon of an album.

 

I generally gravitate toward modern Black Metal, because I’m of the mind that a genre is an art form deserving of the grandiose compositions, varying influences and all the other bells and whistles that complement contemporary BM so well. But every once in a while, a band like Szary Wilk will slither out from some hellish recess to remind me of how sinister my favorite sub-genre can be when its baser energies are harnessed and unleashed in the old unfiltered style. With “Wrath”, Szary Wilk are trimming the excess and dealing out the old-school wickedness in spades. Behold the beauty of true Polish Black Metal in all of its stripped-down and soulful purity. Meet me here where spirits of primal aggression and diabolical evil play in this orchestra of hate-fueled darkness. True BM is alive and thriving in places not forgotten but rarely visited these days. Remind yourself of why you got into Black Metal in the first place with Szary Wilk and “Wrath”.

Szary Wilk – Wrath (Full Album)


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