Kir is a new project by musician Ferment, who is also the driving force behind the band Poroniec. Here he collaborates with Harvest, the former vocalist of Outre. ‘Kir’ translates to ‘pall’ (a black cloth spread over a coffin, or wrapped around a portrait of a deceased).
Kir and their full-length debut ‘L’appel Du Vide’ is again one of those promising albums that unfortunately slipped through our fingers.
Kir’s ‘L’appel Du Vide’ is a stark, modern Black Metal statement from Kraków that channels isolation and disintegration into five long, uncompromising tracks; it’s raw, atmospheric, and recommended for listeners who want Black Metal that feels both contemporary and viscerally bleak. In short, with a mere 31 minutes of playing time ‘L’appel Du Vide’ has a dense, thick atmosphere with dominating heavy menacing tremolo riffs, double bass drums and blastbeats. Harvest’s vocals are powerful and stand strong in the mix. The entire album has this aggressive, suffocating atmosphere that forces you into submission.
Two tracks I single out of the mayhem are ‘Znów’ and the closing epic ‘Apoptosis’. ‘Znów’ is praised for its concentrated fury and memorable riffing, where Harvest’s voice is at its most relentless. ‘Apoptosis’ closes the album with nearly ten minutes of shifting moods: tempo changes, experimental textures and a sense of narrative collapse: that make it the record’s emotional and sonic highlight.
The entire album sits at the intersection of raw aggression and modern clarity. Guitars are sharp and often mechanical, drums push a relentless pace, and Harvest’s vocals alternate between raspy shrieks and a merciless, cutting delivery. The godly production, recorded, mixed and mastered by Ferment, keeps the music cold and unforgiving while avoiding the murk that can make modern Black Metal indistinct; the result is a sound that feels contemporary without losing the genre’s abrasive core.
Lyrically the band leans inward: the title: ‘L’appel Du Vide’ (‘the call of the void’) is apt. The songs explore isolation, mental erosion and the claustrophobia of modern life, with lyrics in Polish (the physical booklet includes English translations) that emphasize personal disintegration rather than traditional anti‑religious tropes.
‘L’appel Du Vide’ is a focused, very mature debut that balances atmosphere and aggression with thoughtful production choices. It won’t convert fans of melodic or symphonic Black Metal, but for listeners who appreciate modern, uncompromising Black Metal that prioritizes mood and psychological weight, Kir deliver something memorable and unsettling. If you want Black Metal that feels like a descent rather than a spectacle, this album is worth seeking out. Fans of Mgla and Deathspell Omega need to check out this album.
