ALBUM REVIEW: The Heretic – Existentialist

They say a rising tide lifts all boats and currently the world of blackened extreme metal has proven to be a testament to that very fact. In recent times we have seen bands such as LORNA SHORE and OV SULFUR reap the rewards of years of hard work, grit, and determination and as a result the door has been blown wide open for other such acts. Enter EXISTENTIALIST – a band from the southeast of England who are looking to announce themselves as major players within the scene with their debut full-length album The Heretic via US label Seek & Strike.

Immediately the boys lay their intentions out for all to see with the track Shrouded In Darkness. The orchestral arrangements create a cinematic atmosphere, only to be scythed in two by a maelstrom of blast beat drumming and frantic riffs. This isn’t just heavy for heavy’s sake. In fact, the vocals in the background, twinned with the intricate lead guitar runs of Samuel Berrimen, help to break up the ferocity of the attack.

The following tracks The Zealot’s Demise and Churchburner are further examples of contemporary extreme music. The constantly shifting rhythmic patterns, lashings of orchestral moments and tremolo guitars all give the perfect platform for the vocal acrobatics of Patryk Kolasa and therein lies the secret formula for an album that is truly special. There is a desire to push the boundaries of heaviness without ever straying into the needless flex that so many bands of a similar ilk manage to. Quite the contrary in fact; everything has its place and flows in a way that is as seamless as it is manic.

Embers Upon Cavalry is one of the real highlights of the album. There is no mystery as to why the song was not only chosen to be the flagship single for the release with its crushing breakdowns and lightening fast instrumentals. However, the surprise inclusion of one of the pillars of UK death metal in INGESTED’s own Jason Evans is a testament to the pull that this young British outfit boast. Another track that is well worth a mention is Carrion For Crows. The first section of the song sees the band embracing the more deathcore elements of the sound with a perfectly executed display of slamming riffs and percussive vocal lines that hit with the power of a tactical nuke. Then the second half of the song switches up the styles significantly and the listener is thrown headfirst back into the vortex of symphonic black/death metal that has served them so well up until this point.

Throughout the latter stages of the album there is no sign of respite for the audience as tracks such as The Sundering and Usurper prove that there is no shortage of fresh and exciting ideas from these young up and comers. The former has the kind of hypnotic melodies that wouldn’t have been out of place on one of the early DIMMU BORGIR albums, whilst counteracting that perfectly with their contemporary melee of ferocious songwriting. The latter has one of the most savagely beautiful guitar tones you are likely to hear this year. Throw that in with arguably the finest vocal performance of the entire album from Kolasa and you are onto something truly special. This is the sound of a band at the height of their power and the terrifying thing about it all is that this is their debut release, with the world at their feet and an entire career that is still in its infancy.

One thing that sets EXISTENTIALIST above many other bands is the sheer confidence that the five members share in the abilities and with that comes a healthy amount of ambition. Culminating in the finale of this album The Abyssal Embrace – a near eight-and-a-half-minute long epic that has a bit of everything that has made this album the triumph it has been up until this point. A hauntingly beautiful piano/strings introduction gives way to a symphonic black metal masterpiece with Kolasa pouring every fibre of his emotive soul into the vocal performance as the complex instrumental track swells beneath.

It is clear as day that EXISTENTIALIST had a goal here as a band to set the scene alight and to raise their collective heads above the crowd with something truly special. And it goes without saying that they have not only reached that goal but blown it well and truly out of the water. If The Heretic is the starting point for the band going forward, then the rest of the scene best start to take notice and dial in their future efforts because there is a new golden standard.

Rating: 9/10

The Heretic is out now via Seek & Strike.

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