#22 Flork! Reviews: Sekeromlat - Drápy a Tesáky (2022)

Sekeromlat - Drápy a Tesáky (2022)

by Flork (contact)

 

One of the first things I noticed when I listened to Sekeromlat was that their style of black metal was a bit different than the genre. I would describe it as something like black metal with a punk attitude, where the songs still remain purely black metal, but with a touch of post-punk thrown in. So blackened punk describes it best, but I still think the music leans towards black metal, at least in its soul. 

Take for example, Trůn Bolesti (Throne of Pain), the 2nd track off of Drápy and Tesáky (Claws and Fangs). This track doesn't go into heavy detail with speed drumming or atmospheric keyboards, but rather stays simple with few changes in keys and no dramatic pauses. The sound is punkish, but the vocals are definitely black metal at its core. And yet, Sekeromlat is a group that shuns costumes and makeup and takes and plays their music seriously. They play what they like and have no problems whatsoever breaking and bending the rules. In fact, the compositions are all very short, I don't think any of them are longer than 3 minutes (except for the last trach), and so Sekeromlat can rightly call themselves a blackened punk metal group.

But let's focus on the music. The songs have both simple and complicated riffs, and power chords can be heard throughout the entire album.  Žalobce (The Accused) and Hadí Noc (Night of the Serpent) are amazing tracks that evoke imagery of pandemonium and anarchy, darkness that allows in just enough light to keep things hopeful. Many of the tracks focus on animals and their pain, as the album's title makes the reference. Take Vymřelý Druh (Dying Species), the final track that sends chills down my spine, a composition that combines all the elements of black metal and more, such as beauty and bleakness, hope and despair, love and hate, everything and anything where one needs the other to exist.

All of the tracks are written and sung in Czech, not because they don't want to sing in English, but rather because English wouldn't translate the mood of the album properly. I also have to add that the mixing and production are top notch. The album was recorded in late 2021 and released last month in March of 2022. Definitely worth giving a listen to.