Poland has such a wide range of metal talent that one could easily spend weeks listening to artists from the country and always hear something a bit different. Sometimes this comes in more experimental forms, while other times you’ll hear bands that are reframing classic sounds and finding their own voice within them. Torpor is a great example of the latter, as they fuse elements of first wave black metal and heavy/speed metal in ways that feel nostalgic and fresh at the same time. The group’s debut full length Dungeon Descent takes the foundation laid on 2021’s The Ancient Tales EP and pushes it to new heights, resulting in material that finds that sweet spot between headbanging worthy riffs/rhythms and colder blasts.
What drew me to Dungeon Descent is how effectively it blurs the lines between the realms of black metal and heavy metal. Considering how the first wave of black metal branched off from heavy metal this may not be too surprising, but Torpor really seems to understand what made these styles so appealing in their early days. Early tracks like “Trespassing the Sanctuary” have riffs and blasting that are a bit closer to the black metal side of the house, but there are still flourishes of heavy metal and beyond. That particular song injects some melodies over top of the denser foundation towards the end, giving off a sound that’s almost a bit more progressive or folk in tone. Later numbers like “Polybolos” and “Return to the Surface” continue this balance of the aggressive and melodic, letting things flow seamlessly from denser blasting and thick bass lines into airier acoustic guitar and melodies that have more of a fantastical flair. Torpor sometimes reminds me of a Polish take on Malokarpatan, pulling everything from early Venom and fellow countrymen Kat into their mixture, but they transform it into something that is less derivative and that offers unexpected transitions and leads from beginning to end. The production values are also perfectly matched to the band’s songwriting, giving this murky and colder tone when needed while also allowing the melodies space to grab your attention. It’s definitely one of those cases where the sound of the music matches the title of the album, and whether you’re a fan of early black metal, NWOBHM, or something mellower like Ashbury, Torpor has something that will catch your interest.
Franciszek Archont has changed his approach to vocals pretty significantly since The Arrival, as where that EP had sung/growled pitches that felt like it came in somewhere between early black metal and Death SS, this time around things are fully sung. This immediately gives Dungeon Descent a distinctive sound from some of the other black/heavy metal out there, as the singing tone has this commanding presence but retains that air of mystery to it. You can definitely hear the proto metal and NWOBHM influence at work here, with the pitch reminding me the most of Satan’s Brian Ross crossed with the warmness and power of classic doom. Songs like “Polybolos” feel like they have a little bit of Lemmy in there too, even if the pitch doesn’t reach the same gruffness. Archont’s performance really helps to elevate this album into something that sticks with you over time, and it’s exciting to hear how much things have evolved over the last five years.
Torpor has grown in leaps and bounds since their formation, and their first full length showcases a band that’s found their own niche within a classic style. While there are a lot of familiar elements at work to their black/heavy metal hybrid, the writing brings in an almost progressive and folky flair at some points and when you combine that with the singing things sound a bit different from the norm. The songs are also very strong and will have you either headbanging or tapping your foot along, and with production values that give an appropriately mysterious and ancient vibe there’s a lot to like about what the band has done here. Dungeon Descent is available from Dying Victims Productions.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg