The Pitch: Polish black metal band Gorycz ("bitterness") bring us an insidious new album via Pagan Records. FFO: Non Opus Dei, Odraza, Mord’A’Stigmata
What I Like: Piach is the creature lurking around the dark corners of your basement; the inescapable feeling that some unseen horror is watching from just outside of view. It's the hair on your arms standing on end and swearing you just felt warm breath on the back of your neck, but not daring to turn around. Gorycz don't do jump scares; like the great horror directors of the past, they deal in ever-mounting dread. The Shining, Psycho, Suspiria... these are the films I'd compare the listening experrience to. Relying on simple grooves, minimalist song structures, and Tomek Kukliński's deeply disdainful snarls, Piach builds dark atmosphere and teeth-gritting tension better than any blockbuster.
Critiques: If you're a regular reader, you're probably sick of me saying that the second half isn't as good...but it's really my only criticism of the album. But on the whole it's works out at just the right length.
The Verdict: Piach was a breath of fresh air for me this year. I've been inundated with a slew of impressively technical and complex releases, but it was nice to take things back to brass tacks for a change. Skip the haunted house this year...listen to Gorycz instead. Happy Halloween.
Flight's Fav's: Ziemia, Czarna ciecz, Cizba wyje
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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