Groza moves forward in silence.
Led by P.G. (guitar/bass/vocals, live for Harakiri for the Sky, ex-Atropos Wrath) since 2016, it is surrounded by U.A. (guitar/vocals), T.H.Z. (drums, live for Ellende, Anheim, Death Chamber) and recently S.R. (guitar, Inumbrate) that the band unveils in 2024 Nadir, their third album.
Soul: Inert allows us to slowly acclimatize to the melancholy, while creating a natural progression towards Asbest, where the instruments join the guitar to finally let the rhythm set the song ablaze. The visceral vocal parts are also part of the striking mix, which is as aggressive as it is haunting or mysterious, thanks to its dissonance and a few sampled vocal parts, before the ocean of darkness opens up again, leading us to the majestic Dysthymian Dreams. The composition is perfectly punctuated by the vocalist’s interventions, who doesn’t hesitate to offer us heart-rending screams, but also a moment of quietude during the break where we can peacefully breathe before setting off again in this heady dance that ignites all at once. The sound never dies down on Equal. Silent. Cold. where the band becomes resolutely more menacing, letting its oppressive harmonics complete a furious base that only stops midway through the track, but the surge soon resumes to reach an intense, unifying finale before giving way to Deluge, which offers us a short and more soothing introduction before asserting its suffocating roots. The sound explodes again and sweeps us away in this melodious hurricane, with the only refuge being the break, which finally yields once more to the darkness and abandons itself to it completely, calming down in its final moments before welcoming V. Wahntraum (Karg) and Matthias Sollak from Harakiri for the Sky on Daffodils, the latest creation, with which they pay tribute to their friend Mike thanks to transcendent riffs and an incredibly expressive vocal duet. If you thought the first part of the track was impressive, the rest of the composition will literally grab you by the throat before finally releasing us from its embrace and leaving us stunned.
Three years ago, Groza asserted their style by developing chilling melodies, but today the band confirms that they have perfected their art. Nadir is a gripping album with a perfect rhythm, allowing brief lulls before plunging us back into its surge.
95/100