Amplified is a weekly column focusing on new and emerging artists. Got a band that fits the bill? Email amplified@metalinsider.net.
Lay down your souls to the gods rock and roll! BLACK METAL! Really, sometimes all you need is some black metal. Poland’s Kurhan are a very interesting example of this. Their latest record, Głód, or “Hunger” in their native Polish, is a surprisingly dynamic and dense listen for the typically primitive genre. Black metal very easily stagnates, with bands unable to shake the idea that their record needs to sound like Transylvanian Hunger (ie, recorded in a barn) It’s still raw and lo-fi in a way that’s endearing, but there’s musical prowess lurking below all that grimness as well, particularly in the drumming; which owes more to the heavy-handed tightness of death metal and guides the band through stylistic shifts beyond the typical black metal tropes. As if the stark, terrible implications of the album cover weren’t enough, Głód is a kick in the teeth, and then some.
Stream the entire record below- it’s available for purchase via Arachnaphobia Records!
