Darvaza‘s second album is already here.
Three years after a debut album acclaimed by the Black Metal scene, Omega (all instruments, Chaos Invocation, Frostmoon Eclipse, Moloch, Nubivagant, ex-Enepsigos, ex-Fides Inversa…) and Wraath (vocals, Behexen, Fides Inversa, Ritual Death, ex-One Tail, One Head, ex-Celestial Bloodshed…) finally offer us its sequel, We Are Him, in partnership with Terratur Possessions.
From its introduction, Holy Blood plunges us into theatrical anguish, but raw Black Metal quickly reasserts itself, replacing keyboards and other strings with uncompromising riffs and hoarse vocals. Airy melodies break up the massive rhythm, allowing us to catch our breath before the dissonant wave resumes, punctuated by occult melodies and striking eruptions of rage before A Last Prayer in Gethsemane takes over. There is a distinct, icy Old School feel to this track, but also an amplified, unifying aggression that quickly fills the atmosphere, even during the slower, martial passages that naturally restart the blasphemous machine until it reaches Chaos.Fire.Devotion. The duo gives us little respite on this track, starting off at full throttle and eventually reaching an oppressive passage that, although more stripped down, remains just as oppressive before the impenetrable riffs resurface, only to fade away on the agonizing finale before the arrival of Lazarus. This new track is also rooted in heavy tones, aided by its slow tempo, while the vocalist chants his name in a ritualistic manner as the harmonics intensify, in contrast to Blood of No-One which immediately offers a sustained rhythm. Even when the riffs seem to slow down, the oppression remains palpable, as if announcing the next wave and its unifying sounds that make the band a single entity that we join thanks to the music before it calms down for Slaying Heaven. The few hazy notes in the background are most effective in supporting the riffs, which are almost a little too soft but fit perfectly with this ritualistic advance towards Darvaza, the eponymous title that marks the end of the album with rare fervor, returning to the raw essence of Black Metal and letting the vocalist roar along with a few choirs while the rhythm section hammers us one last time, allowing a few leads to captivate us.
Darvaza‘s work has always been highly regarded in the Black Metal scene, cultivating a rare but powerful presence. We Are Him confirms that the wait was worth it, and that dark forces are now fully unleashed within their riffs.
90/100
