Bölzer - Aura

By Steven Leslie. Bölzer are an obscure black/death band out of Switzerland who have just released their debut EP through the mighty Iron Bonehead Productions. Honestly if you consider yourself a fan of black/death metal you will love pretty much anything Iron Bonehead has released. But getting back to Bölzer, this is an all around excellent EP

By Steven Leslie

Artwork by Alexander L. Brown

Bölzer are an obscure black/death band out of Switzerland who have just released their debut EP through the mighty Iron Bonehead Productions. Honestly if you consider yourself a fan of black/death metal you will love pretty much anything Iron Bonehead has released. But getting back to Bölzer, this is an all around excellent EP that has me anxiously awaiting a debut full length. These three tracks offer up an enthralling listen. Overall this is a death metal record, with the black metal influence seeping in more through the atmosphere of the music and some of the lyrical themes explored.

Musically Bölzer generally avoid the all out brutal onslaught favored by so many of today’s death metal bands, in favor of a more dynamic musical attack. What makes this EP so interesting is the variation between chaotic noise and catchy guitar melodies. There is a constant ebb and flow as the riffs go from distinctly memorable and hummable to atmospheric chaos. The drumming likewise varies from all out blasting into a more rocking groove. The vocals are also quite dynamic, ranging from sinister howls to a more standard death growl you might hear on something from the Ross Bay Cult. In the hands of lesser musicians this could easily turn into disjointed chaos, but Bölzer manage to blend everything in a way that it comes off as perfectly natural. This all combines to create an enthralling and hypnotic listen. Highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of catchy as hell atmospheric death metal.