Review Summary: An arcane genre-bender with a wicked sense of black magic channeled into grandiose metal arrangements and ritualistic vocals.
Darzamat, named after the garden goddess from Latvian mythology, is a Polish metal band formed in 1995. Throughout its career, the band has displayed a sharp sense of playfulness through their demonic keyboard work alongside over-the-top vocals and extreme metal music. Their unique blend of atmospheric, symphonic arrangements and gothic black metal peak with their latest release, a concept album called
Solfernus' Path. The slick production job by Scar Symmetry’s Jonas Kjellgren places focus in creating a haunting and unique atmosphere that pervades the consistent harder metal elements.
The first two tracks, “False Sleepwalker” and “Vote For Heresy” are all out thrash-fests and introduce the listener to the band’s new, evolved sound. The slower, more contemplative side to Darzamat’s sound is largely left in the interlude tracks. Furious guitar riffing and the use of shredding solos have increased overall, marking
Solfernus’ Path as the group’s heaviest and most powerful release yet. When the guitars are not tremolo picking or soloing like crazy, Krzysztof "Chris" Michalak primarily plays heavy, down-tuned riffs, another showcase for the change in sound. The guitar work is not without melody, interplaying with the keyboards nicely. Mariusz "Rogol" Prętkiewicz’s drumming suits the lead instruments well, particularly within the title track, and rarely resorts to blast beats like many of the band’s counterparts. Thundering thrash drumming at breakneck speed will switch to mid-tempo, heavy rock tempos in every other section of almost every song, making each track interesting and varied.
Patryk "Spectre" Kumór’s keyboards and the vocals largely contribute to the aura of mysticism within
Solfernus’ Path. Vocals are integral to atmospheres, and make for welcome exercises in variation throughout the frenetic symphonies and mazes of guitar riffs. Songs like “Chimera” display the vocal interplay fantastically, Agnieszka "Nera" Górecka’s powerfully angelic singing contrasting beautifully with Rafał "Flauros" Góral’s monstrous howls. The trading off style of the two vocalists make for a haunting disparity; the demonic hellspeak of Rafal’s roars will surprisingly trade with Nera’s operatic vocals in a matter of seconds, providing a stark contrast that plays to the band’s strengths.
Surreal lyrics revolving around magic and the occult are staples of the genre, as are overblown album concepts. Darzamat utilize all of these tropes, but find the perfect balance between entertaining and bombastic, suiting the music perfectly. Song lengths are shortened compared to previous releases, another indicator of the increased precision in songwriting. Nothing drags or overstays its welcome, the metal contributions by guitars and drums embodying a delicate balance of aggression and power to accompany the newly evolved gothic textures. Everything moves fluidly and with purpose, making
Solfernus' Path one of the most interesting and unique gothic metal albums in recent years.
