Review: “Magna Mater” by Kalt Vindur

Four years have passed since “…and Nothing Is Endless” wandered out of the Polish wilderness and so it is once again time for Kalt Vindur to return to the poison well and drink from the cup of eternal life. They do so with talented percussionist Rafał “Czarnuch” Chruścicki of Epitome, Kryvoda and Salceson X fame added to the ranks having been indoctrinated into their Subcarpathian Progressive Black Metal sound. Adorned by artwork from Maciej Kamuda (Blut Aus Nord, Spaceslug, Sunnata), “Magna Mater” has been described as being the bands most mature burnt offering to date…

Recorded at Regnat Studio (Dargor, Krusher) in Cieklin Poland the album begins in earnest with the title track “Magna Mater” (from the Latin “Great Mother“) and as you might have anticipated it is one on which the animal that is Czarnuch is let loose in a demonstration of sheer power. His pulverising percussive battery is nothing short of sublime, creating the backbone onto which the rest of the abomination is attached. Guitarist Artur Szydlo and Marcin Borula give us a display of classic riffs, the melodic break and subsequent acoustic uprising in the final third something that may put off purists but adds a wonderfully melodic touch to this otherwise smouldering affair. There are also keyboard embellishments from Krzysztof Kokosiński who mixed the album which add to the melancholic atmospheric and help create something that shimmers in the darkness. Menacing and sinster “Żywioły” (or “The Elements“) rattles the bones with blasting after a fleeting introduction, its raw power not to be underestimated as the caustic vocals from Wojciech “Celsus” Kozub rise to prominence once more. It is however at the half way point that things get really interesting, the band pouring water on the intense heat for a mesmerising passage of rich melody before slowly building back to where the track began. That is of course something we have heard elsewhere before but rarely in Black Metal and is done so well here with slick transition that the bands cult status is of no surprise.

As if that wasn’t enough “Agonizing Luminosity” then brings ethnic moments to the bands whirlwind of driving rhythms as they continue to think outside of genre norms in spellbinding fashion. That’s not to say this one isn’t soaked in Black Metal tradition because it very much is, the attention to detail in guitar tone alone testament to that. A choral introduction to “Bless Us” serves as a palate cleaning moment before a death march to self immolation in the furnaces of Valhalla begins. The churning mid tempo guitars and pulsating kit work accompany another vicious tirade, a smouldering solo enriching everything before a sinister final moment makes you wonder what you’ve just heard. “Possessed By Lunacy” finds Kalt Vindur joined by Andrzej Czujko of Technical Death Metal act Karpathian Relict and his display from the drum stool is immense. A clear understanding of the genre in which the band create is vital but what makes this work is that Czujko plays without fear and imposes his own style in flashes of brilliance as the track plays out. A tasteful spoken word moment and another face melting solo on this one are also worthy of note as the band push not only their boundaries but that of the listener to lethal effect.

A skull rattling offering from the very start, “Visions Of Purification” returns to what might be considered the bands core or signature sound with a rampage through the dark Scandinavian forests of the mind. Classic second wave of Black Metal guitar phrasings are put to good use, elevated by moments of majestic synths from Krzysztof Kokosiński to create something of epic proportions. A spellbinding affair this one ends with a beautiful acoustic melodic passage, a sombre note on which to hang before the grand finale that is “Mist Over Cergova“. Joined by drummer Julian Zacharjasz of Thrash Metal outfit Interceptor and keyboard player Cadit Nebula Silvam of Mysthicon this final piece of the puzzle feels like an incantation as the acoustic guitars burn the brain like wire. Building with powerful drum parts and some electric guitars the band maintain that acoustic mood as if they are simply a group of musicians playing in a jam room. The allow themselves artistic freedom and play out the patterns with the confidence that there is no pressure to perform in any genre and that results in a spellbinding instrumental. Overall this album is one that makes perfect sense as Kalt Vindur continue their Progressive Black Metal journey in style with a verve and energy like no other. They’ve created something of real depth and texture having taken a multidimensional approach and the results speak for themselves… [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Magna Mater (ft. Krzysztof Kokosiński)
2. Żywioły
3. Agonizing Luminosity
4. Bless Us
5. Possessed By Lunacy (ft. Andrzej Czujko of Karpathian Relict)
6. Visions Of Purification (ft. Krzysztof Kokosiński)
7. Mist Over Cergova (ft. Julian Zacharjasz of Interceptor, Cadit Nebula Silvam of Mysthicon)

“Magna Mater” by Kalt Vindur is out 26th January 2024 via The Circle Music with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.