Review Summary: A thoroughly enjoyable debut in the tradition of NYC heavy metal-infused black metal
Is there something in New York City’s water that pushes so many fantastic bands to churn out album after album filled with exceptionally groovy black metal? Because if there is, I’d like a bit of whatever Black Hurst is having. This Big Apple pagan metal trio (with a fourth member seemingly coming onboard after the album was recorded) penned a fantastically catchy debut with “Purgatory of Flesh Bizarre."
Black Hurst wastes no time by kicking off this album with a furious slab of black/death on ‘Sentinels to Pagan Fire’ which isn’t unlike the aggressive assaults of bands like Spirit Possession. But the heavy metal influences are sprinkled in from the jump, with an audible and restless bass guitar noodling through the track coupled with hints of synth.
This album is defined by melody and the band seems to relish pumping out flourishes and catchy tidbits. At times it channels the sounds of the Italian and even Greek scenes with occasional splashes of Scandinavian influences.
What really strikes me about this record is its almost bifurcated nature. The first half, while strong, seems more interested in pummeling straight ahead with an occult-sprinkled black/death sound, with the exception of the excellent and hugely melodic ‘Skyclad Return.’ It certainly works well, but serves up fewer memorable moments than the latter portion. This first half ends with the largely forgettable track ‘Delusions Emblazon Upon the Sanctuary’ and is easily the weakest offering on the album.
But oh brother, buckle in and bust out the ouija boards after that because the rest of the album is a white-knuckle dive into the ether.
The second half of Black Hurst’s debut conjures a run of four outstanding tracks like ‘Possession Absurd’ which feature Maiden-esque dual guitar leads coupled with thundering drums and crafty guitarwork. That’s followed by otherworldly synths on ‘Outlier Domination’ that weave in and out of the track like lingering ghouls. The relatively straightforward rocker ‘The Master’s Call’ slows to a folk-inspired midsection that lets itself find a laidback groove and revel in atmosphere and spoken word before building back up to a triumphant, galloping finale. The album ends on a high note with the wildly infectious ‘Moon Madness and the Telluric Pulse,’ fit for ecstatic dancing under a full moon.
“Purgatory of Flesh Bizarre” marks another outstanding riff factory of an album from an up and coming New York City band. The disparate influences are woven together here into a tidy and compelling tapestry, with only a few weaker strands that are easily forgiven based on the overwhelming strength of the whole. I’ll be waiting for another serving whenever Black Hurst dishes out another freaky offering.
