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Izrod – Sarajevski Odisej

izrod – sarajevski odisej

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Behind a new name lurks a familiar host of people. Izrod is a continuation of what started as Cave Ritual and took further shape as Void Prayer and contains some of the most influential members of the Black Plague Circle that has put Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Black Metal map. The final line-up of Void Prayer carried over into Izrod, with HP (Arjen, Night’s Majesty, Niteris and several more) and EG on guitars, AJ (Niteris, Suša, Vrač) on bass and OR (Deathcircle, Night’s Majesty, Niteris, Obskuritatem, Vrač and many more) on drums and vocals. With ‘Sarajevski Odisej’ the band releases their debut full-length, currently available digitally but with physical editions coming in June or July through Signal Rex.

On the second and last Void Prayer album, ‘The Grandiose Return to the Void’, the band had strongly focused on an oppressive atmosphere in their Black Metal. This atmosphere was retained on the subsequent ‘Relics of the Storm’ EP, an 18-minute long track that added atonality in structure and had a dissonant and shifting nature to it. The material on ‘Sarajevski Odisej’ is even more dynamic, dissonant and shifting, drawing not only comparisons to a band like Misþyrming but also Deathspell Omega. Add in a bit of ‘Ordo Ad Chao’ Mayhem, some impressive solos and the occasional Heavy Metal epic passages and you get an idea of what Izrod has to offer. And that is one of the most complex and thought-provoking records coming from the Black Plague Circle, but one that undoubtedly bears all the qualities of the scene.

The musical prowess is what makes ‘Sarajevski Odisej’ a complex but coherent and ultimately impressive record. Bass player AJ excels through clearly audible and highly adventurous bass play. The guitar tandem gives the record a lot of its color by the alternation of at times atonal and conflicting riffs with almost harmonious play or downright impressive solos. A dynamic drum performance by OR is needed to tie the complex structures to the more blazing traditional elements and he does so skillfully. Vocal-wise, his performance in other bands has grown more diverse over time and with Izrod he furthers that development, bringing a wide array of shrieks with intensity and passion.

The album opener ‘Prokleto Gorje’ immediately shows what the band has to offer, not hesitating to lay down the dissonance early on with contrarian drums and shifting guitar riffs. ‘Crno Srce Grmi Bijesno’ is the shortest track, moving from threatening and dragging sections to furious outbursts. The first riff of ‘Siva Smrt’ almost sounds like later Rotting Christ, but through chugging sections and early Immortal-like chord passages it takes the listener through the oppressive side of Izrod. One of the highlight tracks is ‘Tibet Više Nije Tibet’, with a slight eastern tinge to the riffs and featuring some of the most ferocious outbursts found on the record alternated with bluesy guitar and progressive bass. It leads into the album climax, the title track ‘Sarajevski Odisej’ which not only features a slight epic twist early on but also contains some of the best guitar riffs and solos and ends in beautiful melancholy. ‘Od Zime, Vlage i Muke’ ends the album in an atonal and dissonant sense of eeriness, recapitulating the dark and twisting nature of the album in a single song.

The change from Void Prayer to Izrod comes with a familiar yet more challenging chapter of the Black Plague Circle. Harsh and dark in pace and tone, furious in execution it bears all the redeeming qualities of Void Prayer, but the added dissonance elevates it to a different level. With that comes a caveat, as it may be a bit too much for listeners that prefer their Black Metal more straightforward. Regardless, I would recommend giving ‘Sarajevski Odisej’ some well-deserved attention. In particular those that appreciate acts like Misþyrming and Deathspell Omega and are interested in hearing an infusion with an almost progressive bass sound and high-flying guitar solos may find this album highly enjoyable. I know I did.

Izrod

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