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Polish black metal trio ‘Suffering’ were founded in 2007 but due to other band commitments and line-up issues, to date, this latest EP ‘Chaosatanas’ and debut demo ‘Frozen Faith’ in 2012 are the sum total of their back catalogue, however it is a case of quality over quantity regarding this six track EP. Much if this can be attributed to the line-up, consisting at the time of recording of, Astaroth on bass and Exturnus on drums (now replaced by Armagog), both from longstanding Polish black metal legends Besatt, along with Armagedon (ex: Deprived) on vocals.
Sound wise its raw, ferocious, traditionally styled, second wave inspired, black metal with a strong occult edge to the lyrical content, heavily influenced by the likes of Austin Osman Spare, Peter J. Caroll, Aleister Crowley and Andrew Chumbley, awash with blasting drums, gargling vitriolic vocals and crushing riffs and is somewhat reminiscent to Sargeist, with a mid to fast pace and all applied with well crafted technique.
All six tracks are an excellent listen, beginning with ‘Suicide for Satan’ heavily garnished with pummelling drums and crashing cymbals which has the interesting use of a spoken passage at the end, in Enochian, “The Twelfth Key”, from a LaVeyan perspective, ritually used “to vent ones displeasure towards man’s need for misery and to bring forth torment and conflict to the harbingers of woe”, it’s addition also giving intrigue to the track.
The tempo elevates for shortest track, ‘Essence of Sin’, a crushingly intense and unrelenting offering to the greater part but which does have a reflective a drop away after the mid-point with the pace picking up, but not all the way, again for the close .
Slower paced ‘I Am the Existence’ is steeped in drama and atmosphere, the hypnotic riffs and vitriolic vocals garnished with well applied drum flourishes, a superbly haunting offering.
Even more dramatically slow to start ‘Leviathan Rises’ rapidly elevates to a manically fast, blackened pace and has that added air of the esoteric with the final two verses of vocals performed in Latin.
‘Frozen Faith’, one of my favourites of the release, has catchy opening riffs that develop a hypnotic air to them as they repeat, changing just enough to keep your interest but not enough to lose the atmosphere and they stick with you long after the track is done.
Final and longest track ‘Ofiara’, opens on hugely dramatic riff patterns and drum flourishes over which a huge vocal roar resonates, this dramatic element is repeated throughout the track, another track that really caught my attention, although I do like the whole album and it is also the only one, lyrically, solely in the bands native Polish, a superb end to an impressive album.
‘Chaosatanas’ should have a strong appeal to anyone who enjoys a more traditional styled black metal and is out now on Mort Productions.
Review By Jools Green
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