Pandemia has good news for us.
To celebrate their 30th anniversary, the band comprising Jirka Krs (vocals, Cutterred Flesh), Jaroslav “Jarda” Friedrich (bass), Alex Marek (guitar) and Jakub Bayer (drums, Cutterred Flesh) have signed to Hammerheart Records and announced the release of their sixth album, Darkened Devotion.
We start with Depths, an instrumental composition that familiarizes us with the band’s raw sound, while savouring the rhythmic changes with jerky riffs, before moving on to A Sea To Breathe In, where the fearsome vocal parts take hold. The direct approach is immediately very aggressive, and even if the harmonics tend to be slightly slower and Thrash-infused, they fit perfectly with the first lively, then macabre flow, which becomes more groovy on The Wretched Dance, the next track. The Old School touch is quite evident, whether in the imposing riffs or the piercing solo that accompanies the progression, but also on Nightmare Paradox, which literally rolls over us with devastating drums under Jirka‘s howls. The track remains fairly simple but devilishly effective, while Heights Of Your Fear offers a furious speed, nuanced by rather melodious, airy leads as a “quiet moment” before the frantic tones take over again. The sound becomes heady before giving way to Catalepsy, a second instrumental track in which the musicians don’t hold back in creating a calm but disquieting sound, serving as an interlude before joining the dark Sleep Paralysis where the riffs become wild again. There are occasional more complex touches, as The Pallor Of Detest returns to a primitive approach coupled with an energetic blast disturbed by an elegant solo, before reaching Blessed, Blessed Oblivion, which is the longest track, but also one of the most natural to listen to, with a few phases of acceleration but above all an assumed, almost constant ferocity.
After ten years, Pandemia showed that their Death Metal is still relevant today. Although Darkened Devotion is a little short, it’s a solid album that’s sure to satisfy fans.
80/100