Raw Black Metal is not as commonly known as other subgenres of Black Metal, such as symphonic and melodic.  However, it is essential, as it seeks to return to the roots of Norwegian Black Metal.  Raw Black Metal is harsher, more primal, and has more lo-fi than other Black Metal acts.  One artist creating music from such a genre is PA VESH EN, a one-man project from Belarus.  Active since 2017, PA VESH EN has established his place in raw Black Metal with three previous full-length albums: "Church of Bones" in 2018, "Pyrefication" in 2019, and "Maniac Manifest" in 2021.  As of today, he now has four albums, releasing "Martyrs" just a few weeks ago on May 19th.  It is a well-made raw black metal album, with haunting melodies from beginning to end.  "Martyrs" may not be suitable for newcomers to the subgenre, but longtime fans of raw black metal-and especially PA VESH EN-will find things to love about the new album.

The first track of the album is titled "A Vigilant Impending Murk." It's very short-only about one and a half minutes long-but also a very suitable way to open "Martyrs," preparing us for an incredibly doom-laden record.  PA VESH EN starts off strong with the next two tracks "The House of Pain" and "In the Torment Cell." The tremolo picking of the guitars resulted in Doom Metal style riffs, while the percussion was muffled yet profoundly thunderous.  One thing that caught my attention on "In the Torment Cell" was the shrill shrieks and wails amongst the blended, muffled instrumentals.  Hearing them made me feel as if I was actually inside of a real torture chamber, which made me appreciate the track even more.  Despite the muffled effect of the lo-fi recording, I was able to make out PA VESH EN's occasional blast beats to add to the album's Black Metal atmosphere.  However, I did have a few complaints about "Martyrs." I definitely felt that the album could have benefited from some lyrics, as the only vocals that PA VESH EN contributed were a series of high-pitched shrieks.  A few of the other tracks on the record, such as "Among a Stir of Echoes" and "The Carnival of Eerie Souls," were a bit too similar to "In the Torment Cell."  The final song-and the album's longest as well-is called "Le Fantôme de Cette Madame," which means "the ghost of this lady" or "this lady's ghost" in French.  While it shares some similarities with the record's phenomenonal third track, there's enough to set it apart from the other songs, making "Le Fantôme de Cette Madame" a solid way to bring "Martyrs" to a haunting end.

While some may find the lack of certain elements-like lyrics-disappointing, it would be a mistake to overlook the upsides to "Martyrs" by PA VESH EN.  The consistent shrieks and wails were well-placed throughout the album, successfully adding to the morbidity of the tracks.  PA VESH EN definitely used the lo-fi recording to his advantage, as he was able to make his guitars, bass, drums, and vocals sound muffled yet beautifully cohesive at the same time.  You can hear the imperfections in his recording, which speak to his album's authenticity.  As I stated, raw Black Mmetal is an acquired taste, so newcomers may not appreciate "Martyrs" and what it accomplishes.  However, for you fans of PA VESH EN or raw black metal in general, here's another record for you.  Enjoy it, flaws and all.