It's easy to get lost exploring the subgenres, finding one particular spark and following the fire it creates. With the right mind, music can be a bright star within, a guide on the path as much as the path itself. Without care, following fires can leave you burnt out, stranded in the ashes of personal growth.

A few swift steps back to square one, where fewer adjectives and qualifiers are required, can be just the thing to cleanse your metal palate. The best bet is a band with a more simplistic approach to the music, and one can do just fine with the likes of BLACK COMMUNION.

Far from the dance pop of other Barranquilleras, instead a blistering barrage of bog standard Black Metal is what the listener is treated to on the band's second full-length album, "Miasmic Monstrosity". Around and releasing music for most of the past decade, this follow-up to 2018's "Vomit Of Azathoth" represents a change in the band's previous sound. The change isn't elementary; they remain thoroughly Black Metal. But whatever it is they did, whether by talent, charisma, or magic, the band has made a tremendous personal leap.

An intro of backmasking and screaming guitars prevents any mistakes being made over what is about to happen. "...Of Doom And Necromancy" opens the musical tracks, a hard and fast bit of pure Black Metal that does a lot in less than two minutes. Long follows short, as the next track, "Sinister Evocation Of The Black Lord", is the album's heavyweight and makes a good showing of it. Rounding out the first half is "Funeral Vomit" whose headbanging intensity could lead to one or both of those things.

The second half of the album mostly follows along with the Black Metal formula. "Evil Nocturnal March" is a proper midtempo sendoff before a repeat of the backmasked intro. "Infinitely Rotten" has a great consistency to it, even as it takes the listener on a few turns. The crown jewel of the album, however, has to be the title track, "Miasmic Monstrosity", which should have a place in the 2020 all-metal playlist.

Though not groundbreaking by any means, "Miasmic Monstrosity" is nevertheless a major step forward for the band. The title track itself can stand as their new litmus, the standard they need to exceed for the always difficult third album. There was a lot to like about the band's back catalog, but the evolution experienced here is stark. Again, that isn't to say anything drastic has been done; they do a stripped down and bare-assed Black Metal that could find a home at any metal radio or tradio station, but something about this new release stands above their previous ones.

South American metal has a storied history and a thoroughbred's pedigree. With "Miasmic Monstrosity", BLACK COMMUNION have put themselves into the running to bear the continent's battle standard previously carried by the likes of Brazil's SARCOFAGO, Peru's BLACK ANGEL, or fellow Colombians ENTER HELL. A big leap in the right direction will certainly do wonders, though it will set a daunting target for their future. Based on "Miasmic Monstrosity", if BLACK COMMUNION can keep it together, they've got the talent to make a deep run.