Absque Cor - Wędrówkę haniebnie zakończyć

ABSQUE COR - Wędrówkę haniebnie zakończyć (GODZ OV WAR - CD 2017)

Absque Cor is yet another new project on the Polish black metal scene and I honestly don't know anything about its sole member Vos. But I have to say that his debut recording "Wędrówkę haniebnie zakończyć" is quite outstanding and I have been playing it so many times in recent days that I almost got addicted to it. It's one of those albums, which you get into very easily, because you start to like it from the very first riff and there's just nothing about "Wędrówkę haniebnie zakończyć" what would disturb me personally. I am almost amazed how well it all sounds, how great songs this guy has prepared for his very first album. It's his debut, but damn, it already sounds bloody impressive. He's responsible also for the production, and that's another truly great thing about Absque Cor album, because the sound is just prefect - it's clean, yet it remains that harsh and dark feel of black metal. It is also powerful enough to have that strong, aggressive impact on the listener. So even though I am usually far from saying such things, in this case I can admit that "Wędrówkę haniebnie zakończyć" is almost perfect black metal debut. 

But what style of black metal it is, you ask? Well, I suppose I could make my life easy and just say that Vos came up with an album that could easily fit the recent stream of Polish black metal. And without bothering myself with giving you exact names, the music is slightly resembling some bands focused around a certain Cracow based studio. There's the same quality for sure, the same greatness, as well as similar feeling and melodic touch. Listen to Absque Cor and find out yourself about that and to whom you would compare it to. 

"Wędrówkę haniebnie zakończyć" is yet another album, whose diversity is one of its main strengths. Even though the music is completely derived of stuff like keyboards or intros and only occasionally it allows the acoustic guitar passage to break the black metal harshness, Vos managed to perfectly combine more malicious, aggressive and fast parts with melody and melancholy. Yes, the music is definitely very atmospheric, I love the melodic part of it, which sometimes can be even described as sorrowful or even depressive. At the same time, I have to admit that the fastest and most vicious part of "Wędrówkę haniebnie zakończyć" is my favourite, because it sounds just so damn well and powerful. Vos came up with four songs, but each contains fantastic riffage, with a lot of fine arrangements and ideas. Also, his vocals are very well delivered. I am quite glad to hear that Absque Cor is not another primitive and boring black metal project and that maybe the ambitions of its author are a bit bigger. In result, "Wędrówkę haniebnie zakończyć" is definitely far more interesting than majority of black metal released these days.  

I am almost sorry to see just four songs and 30 minutes of music, as I would love to hear more, but at the same time I am certain that this is not the final word from Absque Cor and more stuff will be delivered sooner or later. I am eager to hear them! And what a killer end of the year for Polish black metal it was, with Blaze of Perdition's "Conscious Darkness", Over the Voids s/t, In Twilight's Embrace's "Vanitas" (which is much more black metallish than I expected, and I love it) and now with Absque Cor debut. Yes, beware!!!!!! 

Standout track: "Zdecyduj więc sam, którą wybierzesz drogę" 

Verdict: 85/100