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The more black metal continues to progress, the more it allows bands to experiment with both sound and technique. It allows these bands to break from the standard mold of black metal and let them do what they want while keeping it in the genre. When I heard that Furia had released their newest full-length album, Księżyc milczy luty (“Moon Silent Severe”), I was intrigued but time was not my friend. Now that I have some time and I slowly going through all the albums I missed, I decided to visit this album and see why everyone was in love with it.
Księżyc milczy luty begins with “Za ćmą, w dym”, which is quite a quiet start to a black metal album. It reminds me a bit of Chopin, especially since a lot of the Chopin I know tends to border on the quiet. However, as the track progresses and the guitar riff continues to repeat in order to accentuate the atmosphere, you realize that the song creates a sense of weightlessness. The music sounds airy and catchy, and the vocals here are deep enough to send chills down your spine. The weightlessness, however, drops on “Ciało” and it becomes heavier. It almost feels claustrophobic, as if you are losing air the more you continue to listen onwards. Considering how the album is about the moon, it makes sense to lose some air the higher in space you get. It’s emotional, bleak, and it almost feels like you are about to lose consciousness. However, you are rewarded with the rage of “Tam jest tu”, which reeks of fire and brimstone and makes you scared of what is to come. “Tam” is melodic and beautiful, and it doesn’t shy away from the usage of heavy guitars to make its point for the listener. Apparently, life on the moon is not as simple as Furia makes it out to be.
Things begin to get darker in “Grzej, where the listener gets a blast of black metal, especially in the vocals. There is a restrained rage underneath the surface before the vocals, with their howling, kicks in. This song is incredibly somber and it doesn’t shy away from using all of its pent-up rage to make the listener understand and empathize with some of the strong emotions we hear on the track. “Zabieraj łapska” reminds me a lot of Ved Buens Ende in how the usage of vocals creates a sonic atmosphere that is alien and overwhelming. The listener begins to appreciate the quiet moments the track has, because the vocals can literally scare the shit out of you when you least expect it. The song also has a lot of impact and the vocal assault is almost zealot-like, as it continues to hammer into you until the music stops. Album closer “Zwykłe czary wieją” has a lot of thrash metal tonalities that makes the song enjoyable to listen to. The vocals are between clean and harsh, and they chant throughout the track, as if they are worshipping whatever lives on the moon. There is a high level of distortion to the song that builds in intensity, but allows the melody to continue. When the song ends, the music hits feedback, allowing the listener to breathe once again.
All in all, Księżyc milczy luty is a melodic yet claustrophobic album that impresses you with its beauty and its brand of black metal. It’s as if they took Chopin, wrung it through death and moon worship, and created something foreign that makes the skin crawl. This isn’t Furia’s first rodeo, and they know full well what they are doing. I like it and I want to spend more time with it. Kudos to Furia and I look forward to what they will put out next!
this rules
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