Info
- Band(s): Karpathia
- Label(s): Mortiphera Records
- Release Format(s): Digital
- Release Year: 2024
- Review Date: March 18, 2025
- Author(s): Huw
In late December of last year a Black Metal release was spawned free from its state of cryogenic hibernation somewhere within the frostbite inducing depths of wintry Sweden. Karpathia is the name of this glacial underground artist that I speak of, and last year’s ‘Carpathian Hunger’ is a release that all lovers of gonad shrinking icy cold Black Metal must take sharp notice of.
The epic presentation of the album is awash with lush spaciousness and deep reverb that will transport you to the album’s namesake mountain range, replete with Black Metal of a quality so elegantly gut wrenching it would make Vlad Dracul himself shiver in awe. The tremolo picked guitar leads that are a fundamental staple of traditional Black Metal are used in such a way here that they almost feel reminiscent of an orchestral string section and this adds an utterly ethereal layer of harmonic character to the music, it literally feels like the kind of themes that would soundtrack you, armour clad and galloping on horseback through a Carpathian vista whilst a kaleidoscopic Aurora Borealis paints the clear winter sky above in a neon hue.
Track 6 ‘Flowers in a Tomb’ fittingly ventures into a near Blackgaze finale before the following instrumental track ‘The Black Flame’ further enshrines the album in atmospheric substance with its usage of a woodwind performance and classical guitar backdrop. The vocals throughout Carpathian Hunger are every bit as epic as the instrumentation with powerful, chilling shrieks that harken back to many a classic Darkthrone record whilst narrating the epic, sorrowful tales of the songs.
Carpathian Hunger has enough traditional Black Metal DNA to appeal to genre purists whilst being carefully balanced with excellent production and emotive vocals that will also make the album appeal to broader fans of the genre. This is one excellent release and I would strongly recommend it to fans of Aara, Paysage d’Hiver and even Spectral Wound.
Mortiphera Records
- Country: Sweden
- Style: Black Metal, Other
- Links: Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp
