Norway’s Solus Grief is the work of one-man Peregrinus (Vocals, All instruments), and his brand of nihilistic atmospheric Black metal emerged in 2022 with the release of With a Last Exhale. That debut has been followed up quickly with the new offering of despair, ‘’What If This Was Everything’’.
‘’What If This Was Everything’’ takes the elements of the debut and expands on them greatly.
It also has a more rawer immediate effect on the listener. Yet some things remain it is four tracks tied together to create forty-plus minutes of utter anguish that you can feel the vitriol and despair on the title track, Peregrinus’ vocals are ever-present a soundtrack to the tortured soul, dominating the record that you can feel every piercing scream and shriek, the terrors are deep and personal, that capture that DSBM feeling without the self-pity. The raw production personifies the scratch on the soul, deep and unhealing, the lengthy ‘’Within The Fires’’ is a statement of true unbridled black metal fury, fast, but those vocals and tremolo hellfire riffing create a piece of work that is cold and brittle. The slower doom-inspired bridges offer little respite, and the atmosphere is ever-present, malevolent and unwelcoming as Upon the Winds, My Breath Left’’ demonstrates, the guitar a companion to the torment and wretchedness yet also melodic in places, the dynamics a see-sawing ride of emotion that is unrelenting.
Deeply unsettling and intense ‘’What If This Was Everything’’ is an album that teeters on the abyss and could gladly fall into the darkness, such is its contempt for convention.
It is a glimpse into madness and minimalistic punishment that leaves an indelible permanent impression.
Solus Grief: N/A
Release Year: 2023
Label: Purity Through Fire
Category: Album
Country: Norway
Reviewed by Sparky
