I recently got a promo in my mailbox which instantly caught my attention, due to its bold and “arrogant” description:” “Poisonous Metal” is a homage to the black metal renaissance of the 2000s, the so-called orthodox current – resonating with the spirit of notable acts like Malign, Watain, and Ofermod. But this is more than a mere tribute; it’s a continuation of a lineage from which younger artists might draw inspiration.“
But who is Blestemat, you might ask? The truth is I have no idea, the more a band is mysterious the better. All I know is they come from Sweden and on the 22nd of March they will release their debut material called “Poisonous Metal“. The EP will come out via Silent Future Recordings as a tape limited to 150 pieces.
Blestemat means “Cursed” in Romanian and let me tell you the name suits them perfectly. The music on this EP is indeed cursed and infected with the same old black metal virus that ravaged Sweden around the turn of the century and spawned releases like “Rabid Death’s Curse“, “Divine Facing” or “Devilry“. The EP has an “ancient” feeling flowing through it, which only some bands and their debut releases have, when their work is still unknown and their music is honest, lawless and savage. Had it been released in the early 2000’s, I am convinced this EP would have been considered today as a sought after material in the black metal underground.
There are 5 full tracks and one brief interlude (“Scorching Remedy“) on this EP, so in the end we deal with a short -22 minutes- but very intense release, which is more than enough to make up our mind about this debut material. What I like the most about it is how the band has managed to capture and invoke, voluntarily or not, that primeval and dangerous spirit that black metal once had. The songs, devoid of any kind of light or hope, are full of a spiritual energy which you can feel instantly the moment you start to play the EP.
These 5 killer tracks are mostly played in a very high and aggressive tempo, with incredible riffs and crushing blast beats which pierce your ears (“Curse’s Salvation“, “Glowing Earth“). Sporadically the rhythm breaks a bit and the mid paced tempos add a crushing heaviness to the mix (“Blestemata“, “Rebellious Webbed Wings” or the fabulous “I Am His Light“).
I really like the viciousness that comes out off the riffs as they shred continuously in a cold and uncompromised way. Even though the use of keyboards is kept to a minimum (they add a sinister touch towards the end of “Curse’s Salvation“), the malevolent atmosphere is created by the merciless combination between the rest of the instruments and the raspy vocals. The latter are just flawless, with a truly menacing and evil tone, incessantly spewing forth their venom and hatred towards everything holy and pure. Absolutely remarkable!!
The song selection is great, from start to finish. There are no fillers here and each of these tracks falls right in its place and enhances even more the poison in Blestemat‘s music. “Poisonous Metal” is a very good name for this EP and the more you listen to it the more infected you become with the dark melodies and the hellish fumes which emanate from these compositions.
According to the band, this “EP stands as a reverent acknowledgement of the genre’s brightest lodestars, what comes after is for the world to discover. A full-length album has already been written and will be recorded during the spring of 2024“. This is indeed good news and this debut material has already convinced me and given me hope that real black metal will always be able to invent itself. If treading on the same path, I am sure that Blestemat will become a force to be reckoned with in this cursed yet fascinating underground I love so much.
Blestemat – “Poisonous Metal” Track List
1.Curse’s Salvation
2.Blestemata
3.Rebellious Webbed Wings
4.Scorching Remedy
5.Glowing Earth
6.I Am His Light
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