I’ve taken a deep dive into Depressive Suicidal Black Metal (hereafter referred to as DSBM) this year with Happy Days and Shining both reviewed in these hallowed pages and coming extremely recommended by yours truly. I sit here on a gloomy Sunday composing this review and ruminating on the French Black Metal scene; the core bands like Mütiilation, Anorexia Nervosa, Deathspell Omega and Vlad Tepes… to name just a few.

Suicide Circle is the suicide side project of Meyhna’ch from Mütiilation, and stop the presses, it’s a grand  fucking opus of the DSBM sub-genre and as I listen to Bukkake of Souls for the fifth time this week and as I read the press blurb I decided I’m going back to their first album Shotgun Prayers to see what was different about that as opposed to Bukkake of Souls. Besides the obvious vocal delivery the music didn’t change in the wrong direction, although I guess it’s hard to fuck up music this brutal and desolate.

So the music part, that’s why we’re here correct? Things start off in furious Black Metal style with “the Star Spawn”, rising from a lava field of feedback and raw screaming for 6 minutes and 27 seconds, slow and methodical with riffs so sharp they’ll cut your flesh off, the beating here is so lulling that it makes your skinless head bob like one of those ridiculous kitchen chickens.

“The Highest Spheres” has a more traditional Black Metal heart, starting with an lone, agonizing riff that permeates the track and propels it forward to punishing effect, taking a bit mid-song to let you breathe. I cannot love this album enough, after being sick for the past week, coming back to finish my review; it’s like a pitch-black blanket for healing. “the Advent” soars on the wings of a skeletal dove, while the title track “Bukkake of Souls” is an eight minute skull fuck… have you seen a Serbian Film? The revenge skull fucking that the protagonist gives his tormentor is invigorating and Suicide Circle capture that feeling perfectly. Suffering, isolation and the depth of despair are the fuel for this album.

“For Nothing”, “the Prince of Darkness” and “Any of You” provide the razors for you, the latter being a slow-burning effigy, militant drums, combined with Meyhna’ch and Kham’s crushing delivery have gone into this cauldron and created a fantastic DSBM album that oozes bile and general hatred for humanity overall.

2023 is just about done with. You still have time to pre-order Bukkake of Souls since it comes out the 29^th. So you should do that, constant reader, 2024 probably won’t be any better than this year, but it’s always a great year for Metal and throughout the world, the healing power of music is what we need more than ever.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments