Blaze Of Perdition - Upharsin

Blaze Of Perdition is a black metal band from Poland. They formed as Perdition in 2004 but changed their name to their current moniker after the parting of their vocalist Xaos Oblivion. Their new album, "Upharsin," is their sixth full-length album; they have also released numerous demos, splits, EPs, and compilations.

This album lives in a lot of worlds and has a much more dynamic sound than I expected, as this album is my first exposure to their music.  It is a vicious, bleak, and violent record but it's also melodic with catchy hooks and an incredible atmosphere.  The core of their sound is definitely a more raw type of blackened fury but they aren't afraid to color outside the lines when need be.  The result is a cohesive that never sounds forced, no matter what path the songs take. 

Production wise, the sound is pretty much perfect.  It is both gritty and razor sharp without sounding over produced or too raw.  This helps the songs really breathe and give them room to grow in their runtimes, which are somewhat long with the shortest still being over seven minutes in length. The band uses their time well, however, because the songs never get boring and offer wonderful details within every second. 

“W kwiecie rozłamu,” begins the album with a disgusting blackened scream that echoes through the harrowing atmosphere.   The drums are fast and tight, the guitars and bass producing the famous black metal tone but still keeping it just atmospheric enough to elevate the song into an even dimmer, colder world.  The song works so well because the tempo isn’t nonstop speed—the middle portion slows it down to a crawl, letting in an apocalyptic scenario of death and dismay.  

“Przez rany,” brings the hooks I was talking about earlier–this song grabbed me from the get go.  A more methodical side of the band’s sound is represented well here, especially with the drums that accent the riffs at just the right time.  The vocals are terrifying but their cadence and inflection works among the chaos.  I can’t tell if it is lead guitar or synths/keys, but subtle use of their sound hangs in the background at times adding another impressive layer.

“Niezmywalne,” is my favorite song on the album—it’s just epic in all the right ways and sounds exactly how I like my black metal.  The music is a wall of sound, successful by balancing urgent riffs with a more ethereal bleakness.  Around the 2:25 mark, a little groove is injected, the bass boosting up the vocals for a wild moment of pure energy.   After the five minute mark, the band’s brand of dimly lit melody reaches for the stars among the void and grasps upon them with otherworldly tendrils. 

“Architekt,” is ruled by a truly gripping vocal performance.  The double bass is a thick sea of moving death; the two elements combine make for a song that is dense and blacker than black.  The song burns and destroys for nearly five minute–then a wonderful change happens.  The song turns ambient and spacey with quiet but arresting tones permeating through.  The drums soon kick off a slow burn dirge that is worthy of a black metal mantle.

“Młot, miecz i bat,” closes the album strongly.  Like any good ending track, it culminates the band’s vision on this album and represents all the elements well.  It is the longest song on the album with an ebb and flow through various soundscapes and tempos.  The later half of the song is particularly engaging, the lead guitar creating rising action among the groove.  The ending guitar solo is fantastic as well.

All in all, considering I haven’t heard the band’s music before, Blaze Of Perdition’s “Upharsin,” is a nice surprise.  This is a black metal album that is as melancholic and memorable as it is destructive and uncompromising.