OKRUTNIK is a Polish band formed in 2018. Legion Antychrysta is their debut album, released on November 2, 2020 through Ossuary Records. With a mix of Thrash, Black and a little Doom Metal, OKRUTNIK blend some interesting tones and textures into a fairly well-balanced offering. This is definitely a heavy record that earns its' place in the metal realm.

As the lyrics all are in Polish, I do not understand what is being said, but thanks to the miracle of modern internet, a translation program does provide some insight into what the band has to say. I also get the music and have had a chance to focus on that. The melodies, the tunings, tempos and musicianship are all very good quality, regardless of language barriers.

"Sabat" is just what I thought, a song about the Sabbath. Speaking of witchcraft and pagan rituals, the song is definitely right in the Black Metal pocket. After an ethereal intro, the main section of the song kicks in. With a fantastic riff and some excellent drum work, this is song worth listening to on repeat. The bass is solid and the vocals not full growl, but definitely not clean. The song feels dark and foreboding.

"Legion Antychrysta: is basically what you would expect from a band with heavy Black Metal influences, a song about the legion of Satan. The melody here is more thrash than black metal. The Guitar riff is heavy and fun to listen to. The chugging rhythm in the middle is really cool. The bass and drum patterns are at times pretty tame, but then the complex rhythms come out as the guitars run through the solo. The rapid-fire double bass is killer.

"Lament Księcia Czarnej Magii (The Lament Of The Prince Of Black Magic)" comes in with a slower guitar melody and a few blast beat drum fills before the whole song takes off at warp speed. With the riff going lower and the mini-solo going the high end of the fret board, there is a variety of tones here that combine well. The different layers of sound are blended well.

"Portret Trumienny, A Na Grobach Kwiaty (A Coffin Portrait, And Flowers On The Graves)" is the equivalent of the power ballad for this band. Fading in slowly, the song hangs back and let's the listener just enjoy a nice tune with clean vocals. This is a doom-laden song with a tempo and tone that is pleasant, while also being eerie enough to really fit in with what this band is all about.

The key thing I noticed about this band is they sound tight as musicians. They lay fast and accurate. The production value and mixing of this record is good quality. The composition of the songs themselves are good. I would not think this is a debut album from listening to it. Everything is refined and sounds on point. The instrumental interplay and the vocal tones are well written and played. This is a really good first offering from a band I hope sticks around for a long time to come.