Pagan Terror

Black metal from Slovakia is not something you will find each day so I have been positively surprised by “Pagan Terror”. This album is the first full length following up on a few demo and single releases and what caught my eye in the first place is the great and unique looking artwork. While collecting albums on the shelf in physical format is a great hobby the music is of course what counts the most so let’s have a look what is on offer here.

Like it is the case with more or less each metal genre having its origins way back in the eighties there is little room left for innovation. There is a reason why some bands made big waves back then and have gained a lot of followers over the past decades. Iria are clever enough to pay tribute to some of the big names and chose a quite conservative approach of taking all the well-known single pieces putting them back together and enhancing them with a little bit of their own DNA to create something that sounds familiar but fresh at the same time.

The classic tremolo lines are in full force and there are a lot of the typical epic and often melancholic melodies that we all know from the Scandinavian bands of the second wave of black metal. There are glimpses of the minimalistic and raw approach that used to define black metal in the beginning but also some bits that have a more laid-back and less adventurous feeling. Some of the trademark chords even show nods to several death metal outputs so the overall sound presents and interesting and highly entertaining mixture.

The lead harmonies are always there in the background providing a lot of haunting harmonies and lending the whole music a sinister and moody overall feeling. Iria have put a lot of emphasis on creating an atmosphere that is eerie and dark yet has a certain kind of melancholic beauty. Pitched against the heavy riffs and the pummeling blast attacks those main themes give the record a very special character.

The vocals are spooky and gave me goose bumps during the first spin. It feels like a ghost from the other side is howling through space and time to warn us mortals about some dark and ancient secrets. While this is a bit of an unusual approach it perfectly works in this context and feels like a natural fit.

The production is almost flawless with the right combination of rawness and clarity to give each instrument and sonic detail enough room to breathe. The end result is a very natural and organic sound fitting the music like a glove. Rounded off by the mentioned fantastic looking cover this album should not be missed by any fan of the genre.