“Przez Rany” is the harrowing new single from long-running outfit Blaze of Perdition. Having existed at the forefront of the Polish black metal movement, the band returns in 2024 with their sixth full-length, “Upharsin”, set for release on April 19th via Metal Blade Records.
A step back from the somewhat unusual direction the band followed on their previous offering – 2020’s “The Harrowing Of Hearts” – “Upharsin” takes on a dark and pessimistic tone reflected by its appropriately oppressive music. Haunting and melancholic melodies rooted in traditional black metal meet unforgiving blastbeats and solemn marches, while emotional yet feral vocals aim to bring a proper sense of rage and disgust.
“With Upharsin, we aimed to open the wounds of humanity as a collective,” the band notes. “The album reflects on how humans tend to gravitate towards conflict and strife. How religions and politics as well as other aspects of our everyday life are tainted and driven by our lower instincts as we willingly refuse to learn from our own history, as we choose to ignore and neglect the shadow aspect of our psychic reality, which in turn takes us further and further in the everlasting cycle of violence. It’s probably the most realistic concept we’ve taken on, with noticeably less spiritual leanings and a much more grounded approach.”
Following lead single and album-opener, “W Kwiecie Rozłamu”, Blaze of Perdition delivers “Przez Rany” – English translation: Through The Wounds – for which vocalist S. comments, “… It’s not common for us to keep the songs in a similar mood for their entire duration, but this one is a rare exception. We aimed to create a march-like anthem with a certain ceremonial tone to it. We also included something rather uncommon here, namely a rhythmic, chanted chorus to underline some sort of a twisted sense of elation and rapture.
“Lyrically, the song is about how religions and ideologies nurture our complexes and prejudices and ultimately drive us into the depths of lesser instincts and self-importance; how by repressing the minds they also inspire repressed demons to take over by giving us a sense of self-righteousness and how it eventually becomes the final straw before the eruption.”
Photo by Justyna Kaminska
