EP REVIEW: Qrixkuor – Zoetrope

Not much time has passed since QRIXKUOR’s masterpiece “Poison Palinopsia” (read my review here), 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. To be unveiled on December 2nd.

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…

For further reading; my interview with Qrixkuor can be found here.