Review by Michael on July 26, 2026.

With Robert Kennedy Jr. as US Secretary Of "Health and Human Services" the revival of some already extinct diseases is celebrating a new heyday these days. Measles, rotavirus, typhus, polio – a lot of these viruses that mankind planned to banish from Earth are back on track. And now we have the pox too.

Of course this is more a musical outbreak and I am very pleased about this one but still the impact on some listeners who aren't aware of black metal might be lethal. The guys hailing from Belgium, a nice city in Europe and better known for chocolate, fries and Marc Dutroux than for diseases, offer some rotten, dirty, highly punk-influenced black metal.

I guess if Mayhem had shown more of their punk / hardcore influences on the first albums they might have sounded quite similar to POX. The riffing on the EP ":BKW: (Brass Knuckles Witchcraft)" is highly influenced by some punk bands from the 80s and also the drumming tends to go more into the direction. "To Greifswald!" for example is a very catchy, goddamn fucking mid-tempo groovy banger with no second to complain about. The only question I have is why the guys chose East-German town Greifswald for the song title; this one would be one of the last cities I would ever choose for a song. I'd prefer some more underground town names like Kotzen or Killer (also both located in Germany). Also the title track is a very catchy one you don't need too much time to get into. Again the guitars are more punk-influenced but the drums and vocals are quite blackish.

With "The Flagellant's Howling" we also get a more blackish song with some dissonant riffs and a dramatic intensification in the song. The guitars are getting more and more threatening and the vocals are full of hate. Interrupted by some breaks and the harsh vocals, this song sounds like a dirty bastard between Celtic Frost and Mayhem.

And finally the circle closes with "Blackened (The Circle Complete)". Kicking off with some slower tunes, this one is soon a very epic track, not unsimilar to Bathory during their Viking-era. If you know "A Fine Day To Die" you know what I mean. This one really kicks ass and spreads a lot of cool black metal vibes. A great one to close the album, indeed!

What is left to criticize is the short running time. I was quite disappointed when I noticed that the album just had five tracks (okay, I didn't notice it was an EP to be fair). But what the guys deliver here is really fantastic work which I would have liked to listen a little bit longer to. So there is only hope that the band is spreading a new album as quickly as the pox are spreading.

Oh by the way, did I say town in Belgium? How can a town play at the Soccer World Championship? I am really wondering what DJT and his bald-headed infant can do these days... Well, I better drink some disinfectant liquid to see a little bit clearer.

Rating: 9 out of 10