New York black metal mystics Black Hurst have unveiled their debut full length album. Out now via Nuclear War Now Productions, Ixiol Productions and Signal Rex.
A burst of lively guitars and malicious vocals atop devastating drums fires into a contorting mass of blackened magick. The intensity does not build, rather force-feeding you it from the onset. Cleverly intricate bass lines serpentine around venomous riffing and snappy drum work, a classic assault of metallic fury met by these eerily snarled vocals. Synths and leads provide more expansive flares to the already interesting rhythm work, showcasing technicality but also uniqueness with their estranged black metal blend. Honestly, the solos on this record totally rip! There are parts that remind me of Greek and Italian black metal, equally US legends such as Negative Plane and Absu can be felt in the mix too. Having said this, Black Hurst may have common characteristics with other bands but still do something largely their own and do not feel like a direct copy of anything. I adore how wild the guitar work is, often going off-piste in bold and adventurous directions that may feel unorthodox to the easily-herded mainstream but will certainly leave a twinkle in the eye of the underground listener who favours a more obscure sound. There is a dry percussiveness to the mix that slaps you with the raw and untempered onslaught of the bizarre record, allowing all of its charms to bewitch you.
Writing unique black metal without going into pretentious meanderings or straying too far from that all-important metal part of the genre is not easy. Black Hurst manage to keep that riff-laden, pounding and headbang-able glory ever-present and yet with atmospheric and progressive flourishes likenable to more far-reaching bands. Their sense of melody is strong and the songwriting is equally impressive. Of course this is their debut album, with a 2023 demo and 2024 EP under their belts already, not to mention the members’ various other endeavours. As such the musicality of the record feels like that of experienced songwriters but there is also that first album sense where a few things could be refined. Nothing is too haphazard but some of the changes can feel a little too on-the-nose. It definitely feels like a lot of very different ideas were poured into the creative pot and the majority work really well. “Possession Absurd” is a real stand-out with its Mortuary Drape-ish essence dragging the wild beast of a record into the catacombs for a more sombre subterranean quest. For me this is a record with a huge potential to be built upon, while being perfectly enjoyable in its own right. The instrumental work is superb and the vocals are fittingly grim, with the songs taking plenty of interesting twists into their stride and conjuring an archaic and evocative atmosphere.
A hugely varied, dynamic and courageous debut album that dares go beyond what many black metal bands would, especially on their first LP. I think Black Hurst have enormous potential to become a wrecking force of the underground where they stand out from the vast majority. It is no secret that I prefer my black metal with huge doses of heavy metal and this record definitely delivers a lot of those elements I value. As I mentioned earlier, I feel that there is some refinement that could be undergone to concoct something truly timeless and epic, but this is a really impressive first step that holds tons of value and in a world of uniformity among bands trying to be different; here is a rare example of one that actually is. So please take my criticisms with a grain of salt, this is something special and totally worthy of your time.
Rating: 8 out of 10.
