I am about to introduce you to a new name in the occult underground Black Metal scene. It is a band from the Balkan Peninsula, where I also reside. The band's vocalist sent me the promo for the album before anyone else, and I really appreciate that.

The band is called ZVIJER - which means "beast". They were formed in 2013 and back then the lineup consisted of two currently present members - Knjaz Aleks on the vocal duties and Vožd Jovan Pogani on one guitar; the past two members were Havohej (from the band VIOLENT AGGRESSOR) on second guitar and bassist Goat from the band GOAT RITUAL. This lineup recorded an almost five minute one-song demo track called "Svi putevi ka smrti vode" ("All paths lead towards death"). The band however, were unsatisfied with the song - although it was pretty decent for debut material - and so they split up for a short period of time. After three years, the band started the search for new members and they slowly started writing new material. Later on, the bass duties were taken over by Infernal K, who is known from the Slovenian Black Metal act BLEEDING FIST, and the drums were taken over by the Croatian Insanus, who is well-known from bands such as BLACK CULT, UNHOLY INQUISITION, and one of the first Balkan Black Metal acts, CASTRUM.

In late August last year, the band released a highly awaited and critically acclaimed single called "Heretical Balkanian Sabbathism". The track impressed the local masses and gave them a taste of the upcoming record, which was already in the writing process. The band signed with Hass Weg Productions from France in late 2016 to release their first full-length in the first half of 2017 on CD and vinyl formats. The album is right around the corner, and I will try to describe it to you as best as I can. So far, you should know that the album will have eight really raw and massive tracks, and that the following guests will appear on the record: Morbid (GORTHAUR'S WRATH and BLACK CULT), Urok (ex-THE STONE, MAY RESULT, UROK) and finally Atterigner from TRIUMFALL and GORGOROTH.

The album opens up with a creepy intro called "U Gnjilo Postojanje Čovjeka" ("In the frenzy of the existence of man"). This is an intro track; so don't expect anything but harsh noise and someone constantly whispering: "There is no god". I like the intro, because it quietly represents what the album will bring musically. Now, something that you can enjoy before the album's initial release is the very same single from last year that got a bit spiced up and put on the record, and that's "Heretical Balkanian Sabbathism". The song gives you instant nightmares and cools your blood with hauntingly high screams of the best Black Metal kind, hellish drumming, incredibly raging guitar riffs, and pretty sharp bass lines. In the meantime, before it's too late, I'd like to highlight that ZVIJER are based out of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Banja Luka, Republika Srpska).

On to the third song of the album and it's "U Crnom Grobu...Svijet!" ("In black coffin...world!"). (Remember that these are free translations so they might not be the best, but it's enough to give you an idea of what the band had in mind.) This track starts off with a talking intro before coming in with a scream once again, followed by some really brutal growls. It's a bit of a slower song than the previous one, and the vocals range and shift into various styles here. Again the riffs don't sound dull, the vocals manage to entertain you throughout the entire thing and the production isn't muddy as one would expect, but quite clear; all instruments (but especially the vocals) sound absolutely sharp and on point.

I am in love with this release, and you should be too - if you're a fan of the rawest Black Metal possible to find. The fourth song is "Rural Wastelands" and the riff should sound familiar to everyone here because it's pretty much what the one the genre itself was built on. Once again this song starts off slow and then it just gets unleashed without any mercy, just like most of the songs; this one has a decent length too. The vocals sound brilliant and the riffs are once again original and pretty energetic. "Divljina" ("Wilderness") shows no sign of the band intending to stop or slow down at all and it is once again a song that just simply kicks right off without warning. "...from Black Womb of Earth" is so far my favorite, the vocals are just out of this world on this one, merging some old styles into newer ones; plus the screams are record-lengthy here. I struggle to find the words to describe the performance of each instrument, especially the drums. Every member here has some experience behind their backs that not a lot of people know or appreciate. Still, this band got them all of it together to bring out the best from the genre. Every member here really knows their shit.

"Proždiranje Života" ("Devouring life") is the penultimate track...and no, it definitely shows no sign of slowing down. The energy is still hitting hard, everything sounds perfect to a point where you want the album to be just a bit longer...or a lot more. The album officially ends with the seventh track; for it is the last to include actual music, being that the officially listed last track is an outro called "Gallows Awaits". It is a short outro - just like the intro - but I am still out of words in regard to the album's performance.

Definitely give ZVIJER them a go if you enjoyed my review. Support the occult underground, support the hard working musicians that deserve more recognition!