Strigoi – Viscera
Release Date: 30th September 2022
Label: Season of Mist
Bandcamp
Genre: Blackened Death Doom
FFO: Cult of Luna, Vallenfyre, Entrails, Panzerfaust.
Review By: Andy Spoon
Strigoi is set to release their second full length album on September 30th, 2022 on Season of Mist records, a label known for releasing music outside of the fold of many music scenes. I generally like to think that anything they are releasing is going to shake up some of the genre, at least a little bit. I think they are one of the few labels who are likely to bring you something special with each release. In my personal opinion, they seem to love bands who add blackened elements to their releases. That doesn’t always mean it’s great, or even good, so we ought to be cautious with these releases at every turn. Nevertheless, Strigoi is set to try and bring some attention-deficit blackened death/doom with a signature style that fits right in with other releases from Season of Mist, and it does so with decent performative cohesion and dynamic effect.
I feel like there is quite a bit of Cult of Luna sound in this mix, especially on the first track, United in Viscera. I can also hear some of the musicality that really brings out some of the better tones from bands like Dvne, as well. There is a very real and present musical awareness that shows Strigoi has thoughtfully-arranged each track with dynamic flow in mind. I think that it is evident Strigoi has really tried to make the listener get engaged in each track, as there are well-placed musical or temporal crescendos and lulls (at times) that remain engaging, rather than droning and repetitive, something not easily done when the “doom” genre is part of a listening experience. King of All Terror is blended between fast and slow, but there is a very-present sense that the doom metal tempo is 100% the core of Viscera.
There are several moments where there are sounds reminiscent of early grindcore, early death metal, and other genres from which the band has drawn influences. They have stated in a press release that they have an affinity for doom, funeral doom, crust punk, early death metal, and more. Strigoi hopes that each of those influences helped to create that varied amalgam of sounds which made up Viscera, something the band believes is a mixtape of misery, so-to-speak, as sound and lyrical themes explore hopeless and depressive states of mind and matter. Referencing musical boredom, Guitarist/Vocalist Greg Mackintosh has expressed that the foray into the album has largely come from a shorter attention span insofar as the music goes. I could see how this might be useful in creating thematic atmosphere through the lyrics, while the music moves in and out of stylistic choices.
I don’t personally believe that it changes genres at any point. It’s all dark metal, whatever that ought to be. There are absolutely moments, Napalm Frost is a track almost entirely-devoted to that hardcore/proto-death style. It doesn’t really deviate from the rest of the album for some reason. I am surprised that they have managed to make it “fit” with the doom-ier segments of the album like Hollow, or An Ocean of Blood. Nothing really sounds out of sync, even though it most definitely is. It’s almost like they are a doom band who occasionally does death metal covers, but that would absolutely not be giving Strigoi enough credit for what they’ve managed to do with the overall depth of the sound variation. Even though much of the music is different, it carries the exact same tone across the board, thanks much to the production and sound engineering.
I really enjoyed track 6, A Begotten Son, which features some of the heaviest death/blackened death moments on the album. The lyrics are devastating and well-executed. I find that having some of the lyrics are helpful to me in doing these reviews, as sometimes the poetry brings out a second or third wave of meaning to each song. It’s safe to say it’s not much other than despairing prose, but much of the writing is structured so that the most powerful lyrics are featured in outros or crescendos, something that makes the listen more enjoyable. It helps the listener feel like the nature of the album is so much more intentional, rather than happenstance, as too-much blackened or death metal lyrics are not remotely-incorporated into the song structure at all. Viscera has managed to show a good deal of forethought in that regard.
Its individual boring moments are victims of the nature of doom music, in that its down-tempo segments can often just frustrate as much as they can entertain. One might have to be in the right mind space to appreciate blackened funeral doom as much as the most hardcore fans of the genre. However, there is enough to break up the repetitive moments of the funeral music with occasional blast beat meltdowns and screeching death metal guitar leads. Thankfully, Viscera is not just “one thing”. It remains a coherent and persuasive album that effectively communicates its themes well.
Best Track(s): Hollow, A Begotten son
Verdict: Strigoi has a remarkably-coherent offering in Viscera, which is both moody and engaging, allowing listeners to have blackened death and doom brought together in a style that reminds me of what Cult of Luna might sound like if someone turned the evil switch up to 11. I did really enjoy this album, and I’d say Season of Mist is still cranking out some of the best blackened music out there right now. 
(3 / 5)
