There are acts in every Metal genre that the fans can think of that their first albums are considered as classics. BLACK SABBATH, METALLICA, MAYHEM, BATHORY, VENOM, POSSESSED, ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER, and more names share such particularity; or some points for a band that can become great one day. It comes from the fact that the bands are waiting for anything, and they’re just doing what they’re think that’s right for them. Classics aren’t premeditated and no one can say if an album will reach such category, or if it will be laid to rest in anonymity. “Paria”, the first album of the German quartet VERDERBNIS, shows a band with many possibilities. The quartet works on a trend into classic Melodic Black Metal, inheriting influences of the Second Wave of the genre, but as well as using some different elements (as the grunts heard in many moments, and some keyboards’ parts as well).

But one can feel that this old form on their hands gains a new life, because the darkened melodic hooks of the genre can be heard in many parts (as the contrasts between vocals and melodic tempos, and even melodic guitar solos heard on “Walking Through Forgotten Forests”), with some peculiar and interesting influences appearing in many parts of the songs. Obviously they prefer to have a more traditional form of working in their music, but it’s amazing as differences arise in a spontaneous way in their music. The quartet worked on studio with the producer Torsten Sauerbrey, in Metalsound Studio, and the sonority of “Paria” is into a tendency that seems to align the crude appeal of the old days of the Second Wave of Black Metal with a modern definition that allows their songs to gain an aggressive impact. It’s really a very good result, indeed.

Musically, the offerings done in the 9 tracks of “Paria” are enough to affirm that they’re a great band with too much to offer, contrasting faster tempos with some morbid slow parts. But pay attention to what’s expressed on “I Am the Wolf” (a song with traditional fast tempos of the genre, with excellent contrasts between Black/Thrash Metal elements with introspective moments, and that shifts between aggressiveness and melodies are excellent as well, with excellent guitar riffs and keyboards), “Venemous Embrace” (that evokes a more traditional appeal in terms of Black Metal, with shrieks contrasting with grunted screams), “Walking Through Forgotten Forests” (some Pagan/Folk Black Metal influences can be heard on the melodies of this one, with great guitar riffs), “Paria” (with many piledriving rhythms of bass guitar and drums contrasting with the frost blizzard-like riffs, but pay attention to some deeper melodies on this one), “Lebenswinters Wanderschaft” (again some classic German Black/Thrash Metal influences arises, but some hooking melodies are contrasting with the weighty slow parts), “Des Kranichs Flug” (another one who shows some Black/Thrash/Death Metal elements under a melodic embodiment), and… STOP IT! There are no best moments in such homogeneous album, because “Dusk Maiden”, “Ein Wind Flüstert den Tod” and “Satanizer Terrorizer” are precious songs with their own individual value. Try to put the laziness apart and hear to all the songs.

For now, “Paria” can’t be labeled as a classic, but a ‘must have’ album; and it shows that VERDERBNIS is one great name in the German Metal scene (and not only in the Black Metal scene).