Poland is home to many musical acts, such as BEHEMOTH, HATE, VADER, and the mighty DECAPITATED. The county also brings us Symbolical, a band that delivers excellent modern death metal. Their newest release, "Igne," has been out since December 1st, 2021, and contains three tracks of punishing death metal that I think many of you will really get into. I found so many things to love as I listened to each song on "Igne," including passages of laid-back music that creates a contrast to the pummeling riffs and vocals; making the heavy seem even heavier as a result.

There also seems to be great songwriting, as making those lush passages fit into a death metal situation isn't easily accomplished. SYMBOLICAL is also hitting elements that seem to be progressive; that aspect is more about the beautiful atmospheric qualities, and not as much about technical overindulgence. Before I chat about the songs, I want to bring up a growing trend that I have noticed in both black and Death Metal. There appears to be a lot more bands using these ambient, atmospheric parts within their music, and I'm not complaining. It's a great element that musicians can use to elevate their sound and create more diverse pieces of music. Anyway, let's talk about "Igne" now.

"The Call of Nazareth" opens with a haunting ambience that is as much about creating a mood, as it is about building the listeners anticipation for heavy riffs. We find that the wait is well worth it once the galloping guitars come in, between them and the drums there is an immense power that devastates whoever hears it. Those drum parts are driving, rhythmic blasts that sound so massive, especially in the car stereo with the bass eq jacked up a bit more than usual for metal. It's easy to see why this is the opening track, it really gives a perfect example of what the rest of the album is, while also standing out from the other songs.

The second track, "Epiphany and Revival," gets down to business right from the start, with its brutal attack, fast riffing, and the best vocal performance on any of these tracks; there's just something about the tone and approach that's overwhelmingly cool. One of the other elements of this track that I like are the drum parts, which I can actually say about each of the three songs. Danny seems to understand that what he does behind the kit can truly fuel the track, creating a sense of impending power, but also knowing just how to lead into the slower sections of each track.

I decided to leave one track for you to discover without any preconceptions, but don't let that make you think that "Disciple of Death" is a weak track: in fact, it's actually my personal favorite on "Igne".I highly suggest that you guys check out SYMBOLICAL's "Igne," it's a three-track blast of incredible modern Death Metal that deserves all the attention it can get!!! Enjoy!!!!!!