Strigoi – Bathed In A Black Sun
Reviewed By: Dennis van ‘t Hoofd
Review Score: 8.0
Here we have a new five-track EP from England’s grave risen troubled spirits Strigoi, the side project
of Paradise Lost’s lead guitarist Greg Mackintosh. Together with former Extreme Noise Terror
guitarist Chris Casket he formed Strigoi in 2018, shortly after putting to rest his other side project
Vallenfyre. In the beginning former Paradise Lost drummer Waltteri Väyrynen helped both
gentlemen out on drums, but nowadays Strigoi has transformed into a full band including former
Implore and current Paradise Lost drummer Guido Zima and former Carcass guitarist Ben Ash.
Their debut album Abandon All Faith from 2019, on which the two mixed old school death metal
with crust and doom influences, left quite an impression on the death metal scene. The depressive
atmosphere and eerie sounds from Abandon All Faith were perfected on last years’ follow up album
Viscera where Strigoi dug deeper and deeper in desolated doom soundscapes drowning further in
despair.
With their new EP Bathed In A Black Sun, Strigoi release four unreleased and exclusive tracks from
the recording sessions for their second album Viscera. Tracks that did not make it on the album
because they somehow didn’t fit with the rest on the material. The opening track ‘Bathed In A Black
Sun’ is taken directly from the album. It is a mid-paced ultra heavy doom influenced track with
ominous riffing backed up with mesmerizing female chants. On ‘The Grotesque’ Strigoi take a more
punk-approach with blast beats and D-beats and the forty-one seconds punk song ‘Beautiful
Stigmata’ contains even more blast beats.
Strigoi are much heavier, darker and crustier than Mackintoshes’ main band Paradise Lost, but the guitarwork in Strigoi is still unmistakably Greg Mackintosh. His deep guttural and articulated vocals are as demonic as hell. With ‘A Spear Of Perfect Grief’ and the final track ‘The Construct Of Misery’ the band closes the 14-minute EP with two pounding death metal compositions.
The four unreleased tracks on this EP differ stylistically from the material presented on Viscera and
it is therefore clear to see why Strigoi have chosen not to use these tracks for their second album.
They are too good to be left on the shelf however and combined they form a solid EP that is a real
treat for fans of crusty death and sludgy doom metal.
Bathed In A Black Sun drops on November 3rd via Season Of Mist.