Black Metal is an abrasive genre. It's intentionally hard for people to get into, and to the uninitiated can bring about a very rapid case of the not for me's. That's what was odd for me when first listening to Kostnatění upon the release of their latest album, 2023's Úpal. It was not abrasive, it didn't come with visions of corpse painted Scandinavians in Wizard hats frolicking in the snow, it didn't have questionable arson-related attachments to it. Kostnatění is different in all of the right ways.
Kostnatění is a solo project from Minnesota, USA, formed by D. Lyons as one of their many musical outlets. Úpal is their second Full Length, following up 2019's Hrůza zvítězí. The project blurs a few different influences together, notably noise rock and world music. Almost every note is allowed to let ring or drone out, creating a sense that you are being swallowed into a sea of noise, spiked gauntlets grasping up to pull yourself out, but in a good way. Úpal feels intense throughout, which make its slower, trudgier world music segments really stand out as a chance to breathe. There is a section in the track Opál that really drives all this into one, and is incredibly memorable for it, feeling like a modern black metal masterpiece.
Anyway, earlier on I said how Kostnatění are not abrasive, allow me to elaborate on that. Kostnatění features three things that make it feel very different from the majority of black metal; production, varied vocals, and progressive elements. The production helps hugely to the first-time black metal listener, as whilst we can all agree Transilvianian Hunger is a bop, it's not everyone's bop. The variance of the vocals mostly comes about due to the world music elements such as on Řemen where there is some chant-singing. Don't be perturbed by the word chant, I don't mean metalcore "Whoa Whoas", you're safe! The progressive elements tie everything together quite nicely, with songs never veering into the repetitive lane, constantly evolving and shaping into wondrous entities. Solos are also present at times, slapped across the dissonant rhythms to create some very interesting compositions.
Nevolnost je vše, čím jsem is one of the most intense tracks on the album, and one of my favourites due to its neverending sense of claustrophobia and panic. Really, I could mention great parts of each and every track on this LP, but it merits a listen in its entirety. Úpal is not a "let me put on one song from this" kind of album, it is a full experience that needs to be listened to as such.
Úpal walks a strange line between being the heaviest prog black world noise metal you've ever heard and being the most relaxing thing ever put to wax this side of smooth jazz. I can sleep to Kostnatění, or I can get fucked up to it – is there any better compliment?
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