Info
- Band(s): Trijumf
- Label(s): Death Prayer Records
- Release Format(s): 12" vinyl
- Release Year: 2024
- Review Date: March 18, 2024
- Author(s): VincentP
The latest release to emerge from the Black Metal scene in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the debut album of Trijumf. Whether it is in any way related to the members of the Black Plague Circle is purely based on speculation as nothing is known about the members of the band, but one thing is for certain: Trijumf certainly presents their Black Metal on a similar level of quality and conviction.
The translation of the band name (Triumph) and title of the debut album, ‘Triumph or Death – Triumph’, together with the album artwork hints towards a record dealing with the war history of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While the country has been under occupation several times throughout the centuries, the album at least in part refers to the Bosnian War that started in 1992 when Yugoslavia fell apart. The 1425 days that ‘1425 Dana’ refers to relate to the siege of the capital of Sarajevo by the Serbian army that lasted from April 5th 1992 until the 29th of Feburary 1996. And considering the topic of the debut, it may not come as a surprise that pride of the fatherland also comes back in the music of Trijumf.
The Black Metal presented on ‘Trijumf ili Smrt – Trijumf’ finds itself somewhere at an interface of French, German and Finnish Black Metal, although a hint of the Polish Mgła cannot be denied either. When comparing to their compatriots, the sound of Sulphuric Night comes closest, but Trijumf has a distinctly more epic and Pagan vibe in their raw yet melodic Black Metal. The melodies can be quite overt and often come in double layers, often reminding of the likes of Sargeist. With a nearly continuous uptempo approach to the drums, the music isn’t overladen with new riffs but instead focusses on a few memorable sections that alternate throughout the nearly 10 minutes that each of the four songs on the album comprises. While part of the Folk elements come from samples, there is a distint Pagan touch in the riffs as well. While a bit more on the foreground in for instance ‘Sila Bosanska’ (‘Bosnian Force’), the same applies to the ending of the opening track. And in the stellar closing track ‘Pad Okupatora’ (translates to ‘Fall of the Occupier’) this is all combined, as twisting layers of Pagan melodies present the band’s songwriting in its most refined form.
Trijumf’s debut is nothing short of impressive. The combination of memorable earworm melodies, relentless drums and a raw sound combines into an excellent Pagan Black Metal record that shows tremendous promise for the future. Released on marbled green vinyl by the UK label Death Prayer Records, I can only recommend to check out the band and show support to yet another excellent contribution from the thriving Black Metal scene from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Trijumf
- Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Style: Black Metal
- Links: Bandcamp, Spotify
Related Articles
Death Prayer Records
- Country: United Kingdom
- Style: Black Metal , Dungeon Synth
- Links: Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp
