Furia: Nocel

Although this band has many listeners outside of its native Poland, Furia is often best known as one of the most important and influential black metal bands in its native country. The reasons for their success seem obvious—the band has issued a steady stream of strong recordings since 2004, the music is powerful, a successful blend of black metal with some eclectic elements, and the band members regularly flex their musical muscles through involvement with other projects. The point is that Furia is a band with a sincere commitment to black metal music, its fans, and its larger community. They are therefore gaining the love and respect of fans everywhere. Nihil, the band's singer and lyricist, is also well-known for his work in Massemord and Morowe, bands that also enjoy their fair share of success. Some readers may already know this album. It was originally released last year. This release is a double-gatefold vinyl edition, one that fans of the band will certainly like. I'd also recommend it for listeners that want to know more about one of the most popular Polish black metal bands. Heavy metal, in all its variety, is an international phenomenon. Perhaps this is a good time to branch out.

Over the last few weeks, I've listened to Nocel several times in an effort to understand its complex range of themes and moods. Although I liked the album very much, I was especially fond of the opening track "Opętaniec," largely because of its high-pitched, slightly whiny, guitar melody. The song has passion and drive and moves forward with relentless energy. To my ears, this is the most traditional-sounding black metal track on the album and places the band squarely within the tradition. From that strong opening, the album takes the music in slightly different directions in order to explore different moods. This album does not represent as radical a departure as the latest work by Opeth. Nevertheless, there are moments when the band is clearly experimenting with new ideas and sounds. Still, there's no loss of intensity or compromise on quality.

One of the most ambitious tracks on the album is "Niezwykla Nieludzka Nieprzyzwoitość," a thirteen-minute song that blends quite a few things, including a section that is largely based on spoken word performance. I liked this track because it was not only eclectic, but also because it kept mmy interest up over the entire length. One of the things I like best about this band is its healthy use of atmospheric arpeggios, the kind that lend a mood of mystery to the music. Although I especially liked the opening track, I'd recommend listeners also check out "Zamawianie Drugie," "Beze Mnie," "Orgromna Noc" and "Ptaki Idą." I could probably go on, but the music is now available for you to discover. Give it a shot!

Track Listing:
1. Opętaniec
2. Ptaki Idą
3. Zamawianie Drugie
4. Niezwykla Nieludzka Nieprzyzwoitość
5. Nigdy I Nigdzie
6. My Belkoczą
7. Beze Mnie
8. Ogromna Noc

Added: April 11th 2015
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2697
Language: english

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