BOLZER - Soma (INVICTUS - LP 2014)
One of the death metal
sensations of past two years, Bölzer, came back in August 2014 with their
newest release. Those, who had hopes for a full length release shall be
disappointed, as “Soma” is another EP in the discography of the Swiss band… but
who really cares what material it is, when the music is again so damn
mesmerizing, so crushing and infectious? I surely don’t. I am just happy that I
managed to get the vinyl so quickly this time and didn’t have to wait for the
third pressing, as I did with “Aura” – what was actually my fault, as in the
beginning I completely ignored Bölzer, but finally decided to check what is all
the fuzz about and is this new band really so damn good like everyone says? My
impressions on “Aura” you’ll find in another review, here it’s time for “Soma”!
The formula for “Soma” is
pretty much the same as for “Aura” and in every aspect this new EP is a
rightful continuation of the predecessor. It follows it in every aspect;
starting with the characteristic artwork, then going through the production and
finishing with the music, which keeps all these characteristic ingredients, all
these details, which made “Aura” sounding so spectacular. Yes, Bölzer did come
up with something quite new, refreshing and unique in the style of extreme
metal, where they blended the death and black metal with very epic, monumental
feeling and that heathen and ritualistic atmosphere which adds a special
flavour to the whole. Bölzer is often compared to bands like Necros Christos,
Mitochondrion, Malthusian and Grave Miasma… but at the same time they are just
different than all of them. Great creativity, awesome ideas and performance and
that incredible feeling which this duo has, when they hypnotize with their
riffs… this is something extraordinary.
This is very atmospheric
music. It is aggressive as well, sure, but mainly I think it is about creating
this special feeling. You can play “Aura” and then “Soma” one after another and
have sort of continuity (I personally can’t even decide which of these two EPs
I like more!). “Soma” contains only two songs and the first one “Steppes” is
very much like the songs from side A of “Aura”. What I don’t like about this
song is that it ends so quickly, so abruptly hehe! But the next one
“Labyrinthian Graves” will make it up for all, as it is a twelve minute long
monolith, a great and massive, powerful motherfucker, epic and thunderous,
monumental and heathen. In both songs I just love the riffs or KzR’s savage vocals,
which are more croaky than on “Aura”… All in all, “Soma” is truly an impressive
recording and damn, Bölzer wins again. Time for a full length album now. “Bow
shall I not!”
Final rate: 90/100
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