Review by Jeger on July 15, 2024.

From the bitterest strife springs the splendor of one’s greatest accomplishment. Steadfastly from within his war-torn homeland of Ukraine, Myrd'raal Bergrizen has, over the course of the past two years, faced seemingly insurmountable adversity in regard to the realization of Bergrizen’s latest LP, Die Falle. 

Bergrizen: "Believe me, it's very difficult to write music when the missiles are flying over your head and smashing buildings on the streets. It's very difficult when you are sitting without electricity 12 hours per day or sometimes even more than 24 hours. Also, Myrd'raal was in a hospital - he had some problems with his lungs - and the way to record the vocal was uncertain. Other band members were spending all their money, energy and time for the volunteering; trying every day to help soldiers and their friends who were on the frontline. We weren't sure that we would be able to finish Die Falle, but we wanted to say something about the situation in our country through music." 

In what was intended to be a bleak record to begin with, only compounded by the reality of war. Presently, as the hazy summer dew glistens the panzers and as the boots of brave Ukrainians trudge onward into the scourge, Bergrizen have brought to fruition their magnum opus... Die Falle was released on December 21, 2023 via Purity Through Fire. 

They do get released but not too often: an album of this magnificence, of this level of genuineness and of such heart & soul. Poetry in every sense of the word and a sonic feast of all things blackened/sorrowful is Die Falle. This grande-in-stature yet modestly produced specimen of what true black metal should sound like unfolds into five epic album cuts that soar the most majestic heights and dive the most somber depths. And as the future hangs in the balance of uncertainty during these arduous days, there’s comfort to be found here within these poems; a silver lining that edges the grey of each desperate passage. 'Ich Vergesse Nicht', like the soundtrack to a lucid dream, a concerto for the broken, unfolds to the majesty of divine tremolo melodies that contrast the mourning of better days, all the while as impassioned cries echo off into an atmosphere overcast by despair. Everything that makes for unforgettable black metal right here and the experience has only just begun. 

Die Falle is an album to be taken in by candlelight or the warmth of hearth; in solitary and in reflection of precious memories. Black metal for the nostalgic soul who longs for the sanctuary of ways now admonished and forlorn under the misery of today. True black metal comes from the heart! It’s the product of passion, heritage, pride, courage and hardship. Die Falle encapsulates all these things and with much beauty to behold. Even the lengthiest tracks on the LP: the aforementioned opener, the following cut, 'Ich Vergebe Nicht' and the titular track demand your undivided attention throughout their duration. To miss a second of this meaningful experience would be a sin, and not like it matters because the drama and the epic of it all will no doubt keep you ensnared: helpless, vulnerable… weightless. 

Lend the entirety of yourself over now and prepare to experience black metal in its most meaningful form. The heartache of today has got nothing on this I can assure you. The uncertainty of the future? Forgotten if only for the time allotted as you slip into what I can only describe as a warm spring for the soul. I fell in love with black metal because of records like this one. Chills, goosebumps and perhaps even a tear or two to be shed. On a purely musical level, Die Falle is a work of wisdom and the product of one who is not only in tune with the spirit of black metal but also possessing of the ability to really feel the music and capture all those emotions that we keep mostly hidden. A truly cathartic experience and a perfect black metal album from top to bottom. 

As you read this, a bitter war rages and it’s the courageous sacrifices that are being made by great men of valor and of country who are keeping hope alive. The world we once knew lost so quickly once again to the power-hungry aspirations of evil men and the cowardice of weak leaders who’ve either forgotten or have simply never known the meaning of what it is to fight the good fight. And so it’s through the voice of true black metal - the voice of the adversary - that Bergrizen have chosen to carry their message of despair and hope for a better tomorrow. I for one, would dare not have it any other way. 

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Vladimir on July 2, 2023.

"Legend has it that it was written by the Dark Ones, Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, Roughly Translated Book of the Dead, the book served as a passageway, to the evil worlds beyond, it was written long ago when the seas ran red with blood, it was this blood that was used to ink the book". This quote, which is taken from the movie Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, always had that touch of Lovecraftian horror and mystery to it, and in some way, it also connects with the subject of this review. The subject that I am referring to is a one-man black metal project from Montenegro called Algol, which was founded by Bratislav Algol. There aren't many people who are familiar with him, but he has a YouTube channel titled "Bratislav" where he used to make interesting riff journey videos about black metal from different eras and different countries as well. Through that channel, I managed to come across his band Algol, which recently released its second full-length album The Foreshadows Of Unholy Anger on June 28th as a digital independent album. So, what is exactly so interesting about Algol and should you care to take a peek? Stay tuned to find out…

Algol's style is mostly comprised of traditional black metal with tremolo picking riffs with mid-tempo or double-bass drumming, backed up by harsh shrieking vocals, but with some slight twists here and there. There are frequent instances of riffs, be it tremolo or mid-tempo down picking, which are played in lower register notes on the 7th guitar string, giving the music a bit more depth and strangeness to it. I was personally never sure what to think about black metal songs which are played on 7 string guitars where you can hear the lower register notes that could easily be placed in the death metal category if it had growls instead of harsh vocals, but there are still times when this is a welcome feature. Sometimes the riffs and the drum beats stray in a different direction which has some sort of metalcore style, such examples being 'Oblivion', 'Diabolical Aura' and 'Ars Obscura', which in particular has those traditional metalcore shouting vocals. This is yet another unusual factor on this album worthy of mention, which I think adds another level of strangeness to what was previously mentioned about 7 string black metal riffing. Interestingly enough, there is also a very catchy blackened heavy metal riff on the sixth track 'A Man Of One Book' that really caught my attention. One major shift from Algol's previous works, including the debut album Hidden In Eternity, all of which were consisted only of instrumental tracks, is that on this album we have the inclusion of vocals which were done by Mateusz Sibila, except on the last track 'Breaking The Spell' which is an instrumental. I personally think that this is a welcome change for Algol, because despite Bratislav's great effort at instrumental work, I always felt that his music needed that extra touch with black metal vocals to spice up both the music and the atmosphere. As for the themes of The Foreshadows Of Unholy Anger, Algol continues the occult Lovecraftian theme which was previously established on the debut album Hidden In Eternity, only this time it's much more interesting and engaging with the addition of lyrics and vocals. The sound production is very clean yet just heavy enough for a black metal album, though my only small issue that I have is the digital sounding drums which are a bit weaker in comparison to the guitars. Although if you manage to look through this issue, I don't think you will be bothered by it that much.

I think that Algol did a really good job here, the dynamic songwriting worked pretty well with each song, incorporating different ideas in order to have tracks stand out from one another. If you ask me, I'd say that The Foreshadows Of Unholy Anger isn't just a step in the right direction, but also a huge leap forward in comparison to its predecessor Hidden In Eternity which built the foundation and this album could probably be considered its proper continuation. People who have been following Bratislav Algol's YouTube channel should definitely check out this album and experience what it has to offer.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10