Album Review: Urzah – The Scorching Gaze (APF Records)

Post/progressive sludge metal newcomers Urzah present their debut album, ‘The Scorching Gaze’. It will be released on May 3rd on CD, cassette tape and digital formats by APF Records.

Hold on your ass because it’s about to be well and truly kicked. Your new favourite heavy band has arrived, and they’re bringing a cacophony of broad, complex, and absorbing music with them.

Setting the bar extremely high from the start with I, Empyrean. Urzah arrive with a denseness that holds so much enticing detail. It’s a great showcase of how intricate they can be, all while having robust heaviness, and layering in melody that takes the experience up an extra notch. It’s a revolutionary opening that is satisfying, but also leaves you hungry for the rest of the album.

A hunger that is well and truly sated by the end, but before that, there’s the filthy sound of Lacrimare (Misery’s Shadow) to enjoy. Urzah getting a bit ‘noisier’ with this one, but also beginning to twist expectations with some intriguing elements. Something that continues into the ballsy progressive and post showcase that is Immateria Noir. If you want riffs, this track has plenty, and it’s f**king delightful.

There’s nothing to surprising about (Interlude) as it does what it says on the tin. A 51-second piece that is dripping in sinister atmosphere. It does lead nicely into the energised intensity of A Storm Is Ever Approaching though. This is Urzah at their most chaotic sounding, with the guitars and drums combining forces for one hell of an assault, and the vocals sounding so fiery. The ending of this track is pure stompy goodness.

How about The Aesthetic though? Few will be prepared for this next track, but not for the reason you’d expect. So, what do Urzah offer up for your listening pleasure? A soft, melody-led piece that features haunting guest vocals from Eleanor Tinlin. It’s a very pretty piece of music and balanced by the gurning meatiness that comes with Of Decay. Play someone these two tracks back-to-back, and watch their face contort with confusion and admiration.

A band this new shouldn’t sound this advanced. It’s a genuine surprise that this is their debut album. It’s not just because of the creative level they’re at either, but how well showcased it is. You shouldn’t need anymore proof, but if you do, the last two tracks will do the job. A two-parter called Thera I: Sea of Flames and Thera II: Embers of Descent. Combined they come in at around 15-minutes in length, and they both deliver the distinct sound of Urzah in all its sludgy and progressive glory.

A sensational album.

Urzah – The Scorching Gaze Track Listing:

1. I, Empyrean
2. Lacrimare (Misery’s Shadow)
3. Immateria Noir
4. (Interlude)
5. A Storm Is Ever Approaching
6. The Aesthetic
7. Of Decay
8. Thera I: Sea Of Flames
9. Thera II: Embers Of Descent

Links

Bandcamp | LinkTree | APF Records