Review Summary: The endless nightmare
Forged in England at the beginning of the last decade, Qrixkuor has had a relatively obscure and troubled path, with drastic line-up changes that caused a great deal of instability surrounding the release of its 2016 mini-LP,
Three Devils Dance. In this sense, what was originally intended as a starting point became a one-off event that led to a five-year hiatus, forcing S (now the only remaining member of the original quartet) to rebuild the project practically from scratch. This hibernation period, however, provided S the necessary maturation time to draw thoroughly the foundations of what would become Qrixkuor's full-length debut release,
Poison Palinopsia. Now with a revamped line-up, which includes Grave Miasma's drummer Dani Ben-Haim and New Zealand's V. Kusabs on bass, the band enters a new cycle without breaking with past aesthetics, thus ensuring a sense of continuity while building a bridge between past and present.
However, despite this bridging, there are some immediately noticeable mutations in
Poison Palinopsia, namely its more polished sound design and greater creative ambition, which take Qrixkuor to another new level. The sonic blur of previous releases is still present to some extent, but now fully controlled, enhancing the ambiance without overpowering it.
Poison Palinopsia's multi-layered approach, which constantly clusters multiple instrumental tiers, is also a key element in the album's aesthetic. We are constantly exposed to various sound textures operating simultaneously, creating a chaotic miasma of tremolo picking, guitar leads, and dense growling. Everything interacting in a peculiar contrasting symbiosis, as siamese twins struggling to control the surrounding space. S's musical evolution is notable not only in terms of songwriting but also in the technical aspect, from which I would highlight the hypnotic final solo in 'Recrudescent Malevolence - Mother's Illumination' that takes the listener to another parallel dimension, and the ominous riff that spawns about halfway through the first song. The orchestral interludes, written by S, which instead of being samples were recorded by nine musicians separately, are another prime example of the artistic ambition surrounding
Poison Palinopsia.
This ambitious angle does not exhaust itself in its musical formula, it is also apparent in the very structure of the album, which is divided into two chapters of over twenty minutes each. The lengthy nature of both tracks lends greater drama and flow between its many musical segments, additionally conveying a sense of journey throughout the listening experience.
Poison Palinopsia thus explores various tempos and stylistic nuances throughout its descent towards a dimension that dwells between the land of the living and the realm of the dead. An ethereal ride materialized through a blackened death metal signature whose main purpose is to create an enveloping atmosphere suitable to the unsettling narrative. Leaving a feeling of penitence and despair behind; an echo; an image that lasts after the stimulus has been removed, thus embodying the album's title and concept.
With
Poison Palinopsia, S and his fellow travelers have succeeded in fashioning a sensory vehicle that draws the listener into a two-chapter nightmare. A multi-layered journey which echoes not only remarkable creative ambition but also an unshakable spirit of perseverance.
I'd say it was certainly worth the wait, Mr. S, yet I kindly ask you to ensure that your next surrealist chapter doesn't take so long in the making ;)
