Review Summary: Blackened death metal from Poland.
It takes a decent amount of skill to be able to release the same album every two to three years without running out of steam. Blackened death riff after blackened death riff, Azarath have been pumping out the goods on a consistent basis for 17 years now. Sixth LP,
In Extremis doesn't really try to do anything new. Ultimately, it doesn't have to. The formula is tried and tested. These guys know song structuring and they know riffing. Their experience on display isn't exactly enough to make
In Extremis particularly memorable, but it is a welcome addition to a discography oozing from the seams with addictive aggression.
This album is a bit of a double-edged sword in that Azarath are dead clear this is just another day in the office. There is a level of self-confidence on display here that borderlines complacency. For the most part, the riffing is by the numbers by the band's standards. Inferno continues to prove that he is one of the most exciting drummers in the Polish scene through his endless blasts and emphatic fills. If anything, Inferno is the driving force behind
In Extremis. Where
Blasphemers' Maledictions and
Diabolic Impious Evil felt like the results of collective force, this release has a clear conductor. No discredit to the other members; they do very well to make Inferno look good. However, a good amount of the riffs and song progressions fail to differentiate track to track. Paired with the band's tendency to begin every song at the maximum level of violence, tracks can begin to blur together.
40 minutes is a respectable runtime for a death metal album but editing would have been beneficial for the replayability and memorability of
In Extremis. Certain songs here almost feel entirely redundant in light of not only the band's discography but
In Extremis itself. "Parasu Blade" is one of the most uninspired songs the band has released in years. Riff repetition is never an issue if the riff in question is strong enough to hold its own but that is rarely the case on this album. Many motifs are given two or four bars more screen time than they deserve. There is a fantastic 30-minute romp here. Given the fact that the album production is about as dynamic as a friendlies lawn bowls game, part of me was wishing for the end with three tracks still on the horizon. Thankfully, the album ends on a good note; closers "Venomous Tears" and "Death" are standout tracks. A shame then that so many of the songs on
In Extremis are less impactful than they could have been due to unnecessary repetition.
Azarath have written an album for fans of blackened death metal from Poland. Simple as that. It has its fair share of bangers ("The Slain God" and "Death" are top-tier playlist material) and Inferno leads the charge with a perfectly intense performance. There is a lot of fun to be had with
In Extremis. It doesn't deliver in the way a six-year wait should but when the ball is rolling, it is damn unstoppable. A few riffs garnered me some funny looks on the train as I subconsciously brought my hand above my pelvis and rapidly flicked my wrist back and forth with a motion that only other guitarists would try to understand.
In Extremis is catchy. It's rapid. It's angry. It's a new Azarath album. Nothing more, nothing less.
