Review: “Make the World Bleed” by Kybalion

Having risen to prominence with their 2022 demo “Through Violence“, Italian Black Metal quartet Kybalion have spent the past three years musing on themes of existentialism and cosmic possession. 2024 saw the arrival of a live in the studio album and an EP in “A Crippled Power” before a split with Ad Unum Omnes last year, each piece of new material dragging the discerning listener back to the poisoned well with the promise of becoming immune. Their latest burnt offering is a concept record inspired by Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s novel “Der Verdacht” (or “The Suspicion”) and adorned by “The Astral Body” (1903) by Sascha Schneider (Der Astralmensch). An exploration of themes of absolute power and their psychological consequences – anxiety, guilt and moral distortion, wrapped in dissonant textures, frantic riffing and bleak atmospheres influenced by noir and obscure cinema has been promised…

…and it has been a promise kept. Title track “Make the World Bleed” sets the tone with an inherent malevolent evil about it, the dry throated raspy vocals a scalding for the ear canals. A spoken word bridge is a nice touch, the forceful words pushing the vengeful sentiment that little bit harder. Sonically the track is classically second wave Black Metal with Scandinavian roots bleeding through the bandages, the tremolo picked guitar work adding to a sinister atmosphere while allowing the violent nature of the lyrics to inflict their damage.

“Hollow” is a track which originally surfaced on the bands 2024 live session album with this version being twenty three seconds longer; the additional playing time put to good use as quartet recreate the winds of plague in sonic form. Thunderous blast beats accompany a vicious vocal tirade, the driving riffs holding everything together nicely before a couple of tempo shifts to incorporate sinister instrumental patterns make everything sound like pure evil. There is a nice pomp and circumstance to the final third with some classical Black Metal riffs, the enticing, inventive drum patterns elevating everything.

A haunting spoken word prayer set against the crackling of an open fire “Tenebra” (Latin for “darkness” or “shadows“) is a sombre atmospheric moment that you almost expect to burst into something more. That never happens and instead the piece acts as something which allows “Angst” to rise from the black depths of the void to greater effect. Swirling melancholic leads open the floor before the tale of plague and pestilence begins, the vocals sounding like the wrathful rantings of an old man who has suffered enough and should be taken more seriously. The musicianship is impeccable throughout this collection, the final cut arguably being its crowning glory [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1.Make the World Bleed
2. Hollow
3. Tenebra
4. Angst

“Make the World Bleed” by Kybalion is out 5th June 2026 via Non Serviam Records