Label: AOP Records
Date: September 20th, 2024
I’ll open this one with the question of whether or not I’m biased when it comes to Groza. On the one hand, I’ve reviewed their groundbreaking “The Redemptive End”, praising it above and beyond. I’ve also been privileged to meet the band, share the stage with them and overall enjoy their company. On the other hand though, a counterargument, I am among the very few that believe Mgła is an extremely overrated act. And we all know where Groza comes from.
All the stated above could induce at least a minor head explosion when the opportunity strikes to share thoughts about the new album by the Germans. Thankfully, Poles are slow to react and are leaving a whole lot of room to wander about. Filling the void, and then some, Groza comes with an even further enticing album than the predecessor. As for Mgła, I’ve written it before. They’ve long become creatively stagnant and uninteresting to me. I’ll write it again, just so we’re clear, Groza is the name to follow if you’re in need of darkly melodic, dissonant black metal.
As far as “Nadir” is concerned, the album is a step above “The Redemptive End”. There’s no question of the primary influence for Groza, never has there been, but here they’ve taken from a few different gardens of black metal delight. Namely, they’ve broadened their melodic input, which now encompasses a much more varied emotional ground. Primarily the melancholic melodies and atmospheric passages which come closer to the legacy of Harakiri For The Sky, or even God Is An Astronaut with the sheer density and occasional claustrophobic sensation.
This widening of creative liberties gave the band a whole lot of unexplored room in which to play. Opening up to touches that range from melodic death metal all the way to almost progressive rock gave the songs a plethora of details that enhance the listening experience much higher than black metal of Groza’s yesterday ever could.
Of course, don’t be alarmed, there’s (still) no sign of Opeth-alike shift in direction. “Nadir” is a black metal album through and through, dark and aloof. However, it’s not a cold display of utter void that embraces the listener. Instead, you’re presented with a record that demands absolute involvement and complete focus. Not to mention a number of spins to comprehend it fully.
Expressive to a point where it stabs you with five long knives, “Nadir” is a showcase of the creative talent which surfaces, even if contested as derivative or second hand. Groza has come to surpass the bandwagon tag, both musically and qualitatively. Without a doubt in my mind, this is a force greater than the one which initiated it.
