Saturday, July 4, 2015

MŁOT NA CZAROWNICE - Popioły wiar (2015)

Of Burning Stakes and Freedom


The hammer felt steeply on my cranium. Totally unexpectedly, in spite of I’m not a witch at all. By a miracle I guess, I found the band’s profile and fired “Za złamany krzyż” song. And something has moved forward: a fast payment, not a fucking download, and modestly yet neatly done digipak with convincing cover art landed before my eyes. Released in an independent way (yes, sad and standard thing here in Poland…), this debut album isn’t a work of the rookies as the musicians have been torturing the instruments in the band called Fantasmagoria since 1999. Now with Polish name Młot na Czarownice (in English: ‘Hammer for the Witches’), they hope for a better future, even if the general concept isn’t anything new on the metal scene. The band’s name comes from Malleus Maleficarum written by Dominican Heinrich Kramer and published in 1487 for the first time. Maybe not every song is connected with this subject, although the verminous presence of the Holy Inquisition is perceptible almost all the time. Hence it is impossible to find any names of the local Pionki parish-priests that support the band on the back cover I guess…   

Anyway, the vocalist Dawid spits the venom in Polish on the whole. Indeed, the bold step. But for sure it is added value to the overall mark. Dawid sings in the middle range, he doesn’t irritate, and with success doses tension and intensity of the own lyrics, no matter if the softer sounds are concerned (“Horyzonty niespełnienia” or “Przedwiosenny świt”) or the harder stuff hits ears. Musically the band tries to explore the heavy metal area beyond the shadow of a doubt, however I can be burnt at the Kramer’s stake if there are not heard hard-rock and thrash influences, especially in “Młot na czarownice”, “Za złamany krzyż” or “Psy ogrodnika” with Polish Kat’s mark here and there. Howsoever the opening track may you mislead. It is not a fast and the shortest one in a family, but the main riff is a… pure melodic Sweden played a slower way. Fat chance? Not really, just take a listen to a fragment at 1:28 too. The thing good for “Slaughter of the Souls” album! Then the next one is a proof the musicians are pretty gifted to show some variety in the heavy structures: thrashing-like licks and acoustic calmness in the middle. Good that the band doesn’t let me yawn when they throw some sand into my face in oriental-like “Czas zastygłych istnień”, fast killers like “Fantasmagoria” or the title song are mixed with aforementioned quasi-ballads decorated by beautiful and as calm as a millpond beginnings…

Exactly, the “Przedwiosenny świt” track. It’s perfect, believe me, with its overall atmosphere, mind crushing bass lines and phenomenal ending. But! This track is the beginning of the most exciting part of the album. Next-to-last is “Psy ogrodnika” with a really good portion of Dawid’s lyrics, maintained mostly in not so fast pace, bursts out with killing riffs and catchy chorus parts. And the last one, called “Nija”. After all these fruitful meetings with “Popioły wiar” I must admit: this is the best song here. It contains of all the elements the band should be proud of. Spectacular, dreamy introduction blossomy (yes, this is the adequate word) by splendid melodies, like a ballad from the best well-known crews, it possess my senses and keep them tightly. Then it turns into fast heavy metal avalanche giving paralyzing guitar lead that splits the air after mysterious Dawid’s declamation. Yep, really fine closing shot that left me speechless.

And if this shapely conglomerate is served in a good and interesting way, lyrics are the salt of the main course. They are neither stupid nor about proud dragon warriors. And… it’s enough. All right, maybe the general band’s concept has been predetermined earlier, although the author isn’t going to take a short cut. To put it briefly, one searches in vain for such words like ‘inquisition’, ‘church’ or even Heinrich Kramer, yet it is very clear that Dawid doesn’t want to put a copy of Malleus Maleficarum on the bookshelf as essential reading for young seminarists. Mostly the lyrics are for individual insight, yet I have impression that for Dawid the human stainless freedom, both spiritual and carnal, is the most important.  

The releasing date isn’t random. The first of June couldn’t be better. My dear caring parents, leave the plastic shitty world you only know and buy your offsprings a real music, the age here is of no avail. Why can’t you start with this album? The Pionki district should be proud of this quintet that inculcates the only right musical form. Yes, it has been rooted deeply in the ancient times, yet the guys used vivacious nowaday colors to paint it all. Their foot-bridge between the epochs is very comfortable, without any holdbacks, making the final result nothing less than good. The future looks pretty promising for them, I hope they find finally a good label to promote MNC’s name and infect the minds of heavy metal worshippers. Ah, and one more thing on the end. I saw one review (probably the first one…) of this album and read about not so good and too raw production wise. What a nonsense! Raw? These sounds are complete contrary: they breathe organically, strongly with no any artificial moments, showing slashing Dominik’s bass parts as well. Demontażownia headquarters did a really good job!

And if the football team from Pionki has ‘powder’ in its name, then MNC is Schwerer Gustav. Maybe not with a nuclear flurry yet, but musicians made my mouth waters. As of now, I look forward to the hammer strike number two.


90/100
-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in July, 2015)

No comments:

Post a Comment