We dive back into the Polish underground to revisit the latest offering, or ‘vomit’, from a band well known to us at VM. ‘Ignivore’ is the new EP that Teufelsberg has spat out into this damned world this year, and with just a single click, the violence is unleashed!
‘Ignivore I’ attacks with the full force of intense, violent, and chaotic Black Metal; infernally sharp guitars slice through Christian flesh in their devastating wake, accompanied by beastly drum work: whoever is hammering away leaves a violent, cloven-hoofed imprint on the recording. At the four-minute mark, a riff rises up from the infernal throne that reminds me of early Mayhem; the track spans six minutes trapped in a storm of fire and hate, a proper opening that proudly raises the damned devil’s horns!
Next, ‘Płonę’ emerges from the abyss, showing slight variations in structure, recording, and sound compared to the previous track. It leans more toward Raw Black Metal, featuring spaced-out riffs that swim in the cold tides of bands like Graven or Vargsang, yet it retains that special malevolent touch injected by the Poles singing in their native tongue, a choice that works perfectly, as the vocalizations in Polish lend a deeply dark nuance to the music. Midway through, a highly effective bridge splits the track in two with deep shrieks and riffs charged with that signature Slavic evil.
Continuing the torture, ‘In the Glow of Flames’ follows the formula of ‘Płonę’ but features tremolo-picked riffs that seem to burn in the very flames of hell, glorifying the EP’s title and cover art. The vocals here are delivered in English, with a powerful, damned throat roaring out Satanism before the blazing bonfires (though I would have preferred them in their native language). The riffs they’ve crafted here are my favorites on the entire EP; anyone listening to the work in full will realize this, as they are excellent and practically spew forth their curses all on their own throughout those eight damn minutes, minutes that are consumed by fire, as heard at the very end.
Then there is the closer, ‘Ignivore II’. Judging by the name, one might assume it’s a continuation of the opening track, but it isn’t. Instead, it follows the formula of the previous two tracks, featuring rhythmic passages heavy with negative emotion and vocals delivered in English. The intensity and morbid vibe of Raw Black Metal remain powerfully dominant here. I appreciate that they chose this track as the finale; it truly feels like a farewell, carrying a malevolent melancholy as the music seems to fade away amidst the smoke of everything burned during the CD’s twenty-seven-minute runtime.
I believe this release serves as a perfect appetizer for Black Metal fans unfamiliar with the band, likely prompting them to dive into the group’s earlier albums. It was also a great move for the legendary label Under the Sign of Garazel Productions to support Teufelsberg by releasing this work and their previous EP. Black Metal!
