EP Review: Khandra – There is No Division Outside Existence (Redefining Darkness Records/Possession Productions)

There is No Division Outside Existence is the follow up to the stunning debut, All is of No Avail by atmospheric black metal band, Khandra. The EP is out on October 12th 2018 via Redefining Darkness Records and Possession Productions.

Khandra (Хандра), is Russian for ‘melancholy’ which is a word that describes this four-track EP perfectly.

The oppression that exudes from Into the Absolute Nothingness is palpable. The uneasy tone builds in pressure, echoing loudly as bells ring out in the background and darkness falls over everything. The entire 3 and a half minutes of Into the Absolute Nothingness is this before the black metal truly steps forward and declares dominance with Decaying into the Ascended.

It’s an absolute beast with raging riffs, high-tempo heaviness in the percussion and gurgling vocals akin to the sound of blood as it pours down a drain. It’s spectacular. A fantastic showcase of just how evil and twisted black metal can sound.

It gets even better with the title track and Progressing in Desolation. The former has mind-numbing levels of bleak rhythm that calls souls forward to the edge of the pit. While the latter is a lengthy drop down into the darkness as it spends the first couple of minutes letting the guitars do all the work before changing direction slightly and upping the frantic-ness of it all.

By time it reaches its crescendo, it’s time to die.

Khandra – There is No Division Outside Existence Full Track Listing:

1. Into the Absolute Nothingness
2. Decaying into the Ascended
3. There is No Division Outside Existence
4. Progressing in Desolation

You can order the EP (physical and digital) here as well as earlier releases here. Find out more by liking Khandra’s Facebook Page.