Czort - Czarna ewangelia

CZORT - Czarna ewangelia (UNDER THE SIGN OF GARAZEL - CD 2018)

Polish black metal scene keeps surprising me, with so many great bands popping up every year and so many interesting albums, which come from here. It seems like 2018 won't be any worse than the excellent 2017 and one of the first newly released 2018 albums, which I've heard, was Czort's debut full length "Czarna ewangelia", unleashed by Under the Sign of Garazel Productions. Well, my knowledge about this project is none, it hasn't been unveiled, who's behind it nor even how many people are responsible for this devilish work. But damn, this debut album is just fantastic and listening to it was a real sadistic pleasure. 

These 47 minutes of music bring one of the most impressive and well composed black metal from the Polish scene I've heard in a long time. And it's interesting to say that it isn't so easy to describe Czort's style and put it straight into box or two with comparisons to other bands. Definitely we have here band, which seeks for something original, yet the whole skeleton of their music is as traditional as it only can. But that diversity of playing and riffage, even the characteristic vocals with Polish lyrics create an absolutely worthy album, which stands out from the black metal mediocrity, in my opinion.  

The best thing about "Czarna ewangelia" is that every song on it sounds a bit different, so this album really keeps you interested and impressed for the whole time. Yet, despite this diversity, we cannot say that it's complex and difficult music. No, it actually is quite easy to get into it and with many memorable parts and riffage, which so often catches attention it is just a pure black gold. There's fantastic balance between the harshness, sometimes also simplicity of black metal and melodic, sometimes memorable parts. This music sounds aggressive and has really cold, grim atmosphere, but the production is surprisingly good and powerful. Even the fact that majority of these songs have been played at that mid/slow pace, doesn't ruin the effect, but rather deepens the aura and let you memorize it better. 

I would love to give you one band, which could give you a quick idea how "Czarna ewangelia" sounds, but it's just impossible. On one hand this album reminds me what Non Opus Dei used to do, but there are also similarities to Blaze of Perdition and Christ Agony, for instance... So, it really sounds like nowadays Polish black metal, especially with these croaky and vicious vocals, with spit forth some blasphemous texts to praise Devil. But I can also bring comparison to the old Greek black metal scene, even to Mayhem, whose influence you can definitely hear not only in many riffs, but also in the vocals. And as I mentioned, there's great songwriting on "Czarna ewangelia". Songs like "Wszystko w pył", "Czort" (FANTASTIC final riff here!!!) or mesmerizing "O stwórcy..." are what you really need to hear. Get this album then, do not hesitate. 

Standout tracks: "Wszystko w pył", "Czort", "O stwórcy..." 

Verdict: 80/100