...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...



„...zmiana kursu podyktowana strachem przed reakcją odbiorców byłaby najbardziej żałosną porażką, jaką jestem w stanie sobie wyobrazić.”

Qrixkuor


..::OPIS::..

Emerging from the serpentine susurrus left in the wake of last year’s monstrous two-part epic ‘Poison Palinopsia,’ Qrixkuor swiftly rise again to present a new EP entitled ‘Zoetrope’ - a single 24-minute long black arrow of death sent straight to the heart of the world - to be released on CD and cassette tape formats on Friday 18th November, joined in darkness again by Invictus Productions in Europe and Dark Descent Records in the USA, with vinyl format to follow in 2023.

Returning to Priory Recording Studios in Birmingham, England, to record, mix and master the track with the acclaimed Greg Chandler and with cover art this time contributed by the extraordinary Santiago Caruso, the textural approach of ‘Zoetrope’ dilates the divine eye of death metal to unmapped dimensions, dispatching a boot to the face of the idea that it’s marriage with symphonic timbres must be synonymous with floral harmonies backed by sterile production and performed by lifeless sample libraries. ‘Zoetrope’ is majestic, but any beauty has long since withered, and what remains is the discordant dirge of Qrixkuor’s cacophonous duet with the Orchestra of the Eternal Return.

‘Zoetrope’ is an ode to the terror of the cyclic infinite - the endless, silent scream of a mind that has wandered so far that it cannot return. The soul that burns on everlasting, each thousand year journey the mere blink of an eye. There is no escape…



Proof that experimental extreme metal is the new prog of the 21st century, the London based QRIXKUOR has taken the underworld by storm in recent years with a series of innovative monstrous releases that continue to push the bar in terms of both complexity and innovation. Following last year's "Poison Palinopsia," this mere duo of S (vocals, guitars, bass) and D (drums) is back with a larger than life single track experience titled ZOETROPE.
While the EP is titled ZOETROPE, the single track features a lengthier syllabic soup of "Zoetrope (Psychospiritual Sparagmos)" and clocks in at just under 25 minutes. This vicious beast of a musical experience was released by both Invictus Productions and Dark Descent Records. The word ZOETROPE refers to a Victorian mechanical device that produces the illusion of animation by peeking through a hole of a cylindrical version of a phenakistiscope while various images rush by.

While tagged as technical death metal, black metal or progressive metal, QRIXKUOR is what i have come to refer to as astral abyss metal as band lead S seems to have the power to summon sonic demons from parallel dimensions and despite the pummeling military drumming assaults and droning guitar feedback fuzz utilizes symphonic 20th century classical ambience in order to craft a hypnotic effect that allows the listener to simply go along for the ride in a pacified pummeled state if you will.

QRIXKUOR is part of a new metal world where the extremes of worlds of death metal, black metal and doom metal have been alchemized into a new uglier Frankenstein of sonic terror that features an underpinning of divine beauty behind the decibel swarms of dissonant distortion. While only a mere track, ZOETROPE delivers a full album experience with a tone setting opening that slowly morphs droning guitars and swirling ambience into a ferocious assault of blackened death metal orotundity.

The track evolves into a complex array of extreme metal pummeling over 20th century avant-garde classical music compositional fortitude and at times when the symphonic elements are firing on all pistons does remind a bit of symphonic death metal bands such as Fleshgod Apocalypse or even Septicflesh. The difference is that QRIXKUOR doesn't deliver short and catchy melodic compositions but rather glacial movements of ever-changing musical motifs that subtly ratchet up the tortuous tale like the animated device of the release's namesake.

The metal angst completely drops out half way through and the classical elements are allowed to dominate the show for a while. This allows some palette cleansing and offers an insight into the true underpinnings of QRIXKUOR's overarching plan of action which would be to display a classical music score completely decorated with extreme metal clothing. More modern metal bands have adopted this same approach with bands like Ad Nauseam, Abyssal, Coma Cluster Void and Ulcerate upping the complexity and inaccessibility factor of the metal universe with each subsequent release.

All in all ZOETROPE is a masterpiece of modern metal with an organic flow of violent noise channeled into patterns of sound that somehow emulate an episode of astral attacks from the demonic realm. Horror metal in the metaphysical world, the stuff that would give sorcerer's psychological scars with never-ending nightmares for eternity. QRIXKUOR proves with ZOETROPE that his is no flash in the pan sort of musical act. The consistent growth and maturity continues to propel metal into the realms of the most sophisticated world of classical and progressive arenas of the musical world. To my ears, ZOETROPE is sheer perfection on multiple levels. QRIXKUOR has quickly become one of my favorite extreme bands of recent years.

siLLy puPPy


Not much time has passed since Qrixkuor’s masterpiece “Poison Palinopsia”, but already they offer a new single-track EP via Invictus Productions and Dark Descent Records to take us to the abyssal planes of the mind.

Abyssal noises permeate the air with a fog of mystique while we await punishment. The sadistic droning guitars contort into venomous life with militant drumming to conjure nightmarish, claustrophobic and oppressive soundscapes. Bellowing the a menacing production and haunting leads, there is nothing comfortable about this first movement. Daunting rhythms are contrasted by dancing spectres in the form of something vaguely resembling a solo, building a cinematic hell-scape of psychoactive death sentence. There seems to be some level of orchestration to take the already ridiculous intensity to new grounds while S’s one-of-a-king abusive riffing is definitely the vocal point as his bestial snarls howl into the sonic chasm. New drummer D (not to be confused with long-term associate and percussive-destroyer DBH) fills the role excellently with maniacally busy drumming, centred around traditional blast-beats and other more typically metallic fills while giving them some crazed flair which is necessary to stand ground next to the mangled string work. Occasionally a band like Qrixkuor exists that can effectively and genuinely conjure some sort of sleep paralysis while you listen, gradually awakening to its hostile charms. The opening moments of “Zoetrope” do just that.

To call these soundscapes unhinged would be an understatement. Hallucinogenic realms of hope-sodomising despair and cataclysmic violence entwine to concoct a intoxicant that will ensnare every fibre of your psyche whilst defiling any corporeal for you have with the most visceral, untamed and masterfully conjured sonic assaults. Some ambience is used very tastefully to add a tribal element to the music which preys on the deepest fears and curiosities of the human mind, while always purging any sense of pretence away with truly superb, thorough music never being left behind. It is easy to offer superficiality in place of a killer record, but Qrixkuor possess both masterful abilities in songwriting / execution and additionally a sense of genuineness that cannot be overlooked. A singular track lasting near to half an hour will likely turn off the average black / death metal fan, but those who seek something angular, riveting and oh so terrifying will likely be drawn in. Especially those who see the utterly marvellous Santiago Caruso cover art adorning the record. With a striking aesthetic to live up to the sonic torments, as one the prior releases, one is taken into the very world they portray so boldly.

This is another triumph for one of the genres superior acts. Bellowing, beautiful, bewildering and utterly feral. Qrixkuor never look back or rely on former glories. This new offering is another step further into whatever abysses S and his chosen compatriots of the underworld dwell within. The orchestral elements elevate this to transcendental realms while the core of the music plunges you back into the furthest reaches, far away from any line of safety as your pneuma is stripped back to a wisp and rebuilt in a realm of horror. The titled “Zoetrope” acts as fair warning to the dizzying, discombobulating experience that awaits you, a sparagmos of the soul…

Nattskog7



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Zoetrope (Psychospiritual Sparagmos) 24:34



..::OBSADA::..

S - Vocals, all guitars and bass
D - Drums



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK1btFhvYcw


SEED 15:00-22:00.
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