Krakau, Poland based Black Metal foursome JARUN have released their second album, called "Pod Niebem Utkanym Z Popiolu". It's the follow up of their 2012 debut album "Wziemiozstapienie". If you have no idea what that's supposed to mean, like I do, there's no need to worry. You wouldn't have been able to make out the lyrics if they were in English either.

The first song, "Przedswit", functions as kind of a Folky intro song, with cool acoustic guitars which remind me of RIVERSIDE, another Polish band. Near the end some heavy guitars come in as well, which mark the beginning of their reign Black Metal, which starts with "Kamienie". My dad was about to leave the room when this song started, but then he hesitated and started to listen. And with good reason. A lot of great guitar playing and drumming going on here, with a lot of changes in tempo like OPETH might do, and just like the way they switch between heaviness and softness, so does JARUN.

The drummer really goes nuts by the way, and so he does again in "Zawolaj Mnie, A Przyjde". He bangs on those skins like there's no tomorrow, but instead of making it sound mechanical, he changes rhythms like he was born to do it. Normally I don't care very much for growling vocals, but this one is really growing on me. It just fits in.
Then title track "Pod Niebem Utkanym Z Popiolu" comes along with an easy intro which flows over seamlessly into a some great Black Metal playing. And boy, is typing those Polish song titles becoming a nuisance, by the way. Anyway, in this one they once again interchange brilliantly between acoustic playing and some good old Black Metal. It's really becoming quite the album at this point.

"Cisy" functions as a nice acoustic intermezzo, like "Przedswit" did at the start. It flows over into "Noc Niedokonczona", which starts with a great piece of improvised guitar playing, before the vocals come in and they to their thing again. This might just be the best song in this album, and that is saying a lot. "Trzy Smierci" and "Piolun" are more of the great same, with them interchanging between ballsy Black Metal guitars and Folky acoustic ones.

They finish with "Jak Wiatr", the longest most thought out track on the album, with solo's, rhythm changes, acoustic background playing, anything you could want in an awesome song. A great way to conclude a Black Metal piece of art to be reckoned with. I really hope these guys won't go overlooked, and that's being said for your own good.