BLACK ALTAR / KIRKEBRANN - Split release review

BLACK ALTAR / KIRKEBRANN - Split release

Odium Records




My fan allegiance to Poland's BLACK ALTAR goes back to 2008 when I heard the Death Fanaticism. That was black metal with blasphemy as a religion and their mainman singer/bassist Shadow (aka: Dariusz Sieradzki) as it's anti-priest. It took a few years but I finally got a copy of their self titled debut from 2004. Which by the way is equally as good. Yes I am trying to convert you.


But since then BLACK ALTAR has settled on putting out short form releases, aka: an EP and a couple of splits. Their material from those splits can also be found on the Suicidal Salvation / Emissaries of the Darkened Call compilation which is also on Odium Records. Also the label is run by Shadow.


So here we are in 2020 and BLACK ALTAR starts the decade off with another split release this time with KIRKEBRANN from Norway. On here BLACK ALTAR deliver three cuts although the third one is an atmospheric outro so for argument let's just say there's two. But they are two damm good ones.


"Deus Inversus", which there's a video below of, and "Ancient Warlust" are both contemporary sounding black metal. The production is good. Shadow's vocals, which are like a thunderous rasp, are commanding. The riffs are solid and the rhtyms are of that blitz attack. Maybe that's because Shadow aligned himself with former MARDUK drummer Lars Broddesson and former VADER guitarist Mauser. So of course it sounds great. Am I bias? Yes and fuck you!





Next up on this split are the Norwegians KIRKEBRANN who are new to me. They're a five piece BM act who've been around since the early 2000's. But they never released anything until seven years ago. To their credit their recorded out put prior to this has been a full length and a couple of splits. Musically their four cut contribution on here is decent.


KIRKEBRANN have a black n roll side to em which I like. Their vocalist is a filthy barker. Sound-wise they remind me of MARDUK or FUNERAL MIST, yeah I know go figure. They have the whole assault black metal style down pat on their first two cuts aka: "Begrensa Bevissthet" and "Faux Pas". Third cut, "Et Nederlag" harkens back to the more traditional Norwegian BM style while their final cut, "Ufodte Klarhet" is an instrumental.


As always with split releases I like to pick a winner if possible but for me it's a tie. The BLACK ALTAR side is great and I'm putting my bias aside here. Plus KIRKEBRANN are cool as fuck. Which makes this a perfect split for the BM in you.



http://www.odiumrex.com/

https://blackaltar.bandcamp.com/