Panzerchrist arrived @ RMR Central with a thunderclap amid the summer heat of 2023. After 10 years of metal Gehenna, the band reemerged with Last of a Kind, complete with witches on the rack and other atrocities. A true Holy Metal Cow moment that finally made it onto our 2023 Top 10 as well. Given the name of the band, I was initially taken aback by the ferocity of the assault. First-rate Extreme Metal roared out of our loudspeaker, at a level of intensity and proficiency seldom delivered to our hidden doorstep.
And the obsession with witches and past atrocious sins continues unabated. Because – behold – early ’24 we got yet another taste of that vile witches brew. And that didn’t quite nail that coffin shut for the next couple of years. Because next thing we know, Maleficium Part I hits our turntables barely one year after Last of a Kind made a mighty splash over here. Short periods between records don’t usually bode well. Well, the band states they are on a roll. Raise the stakes!
Maleficium‘s predecessor already was harsh metal punishment on steroids. Straight in your face, with blatant calls for Lucifer, and lost souls on the rack. This here record, however, goes full-blown dark prophecies and witches’ curses. A disturbing mix of Death Metal, Blackened Death Metal, full-throated Black Metal in some parts, and some dissonance. And that makes Panzerchrist often sound like Behemoth’s ugly and raving mad cousin.
A dark and foreboding wall of sound mercilessly bores down on you, fueled by Sonja Rosenlund Ahl‘s rasps, snarls, and ferocious screams. And for once, most of the elements of this vile potion work together. The vocals, burly and powerful riffs, acid-laced solos, and drums that will browbeat the dread of darkness into you. And if you feel that the drums became a mad riot, you have a point. It looks like the carousel of ever-changing stick wielders took another turn. Out the door is Danni Lyse Jelsgaard and in comes the freshly minted Ove Lungskov. A performance that amplifies – to quote the band – “…the speed and brutality with fast blast beats and thunderous double kicks.” Couldn’t agree more.
The problem with full-out assaults like Maleficium Part I often is the loss of certain elements. And sure enough, good ol’ Panzergeneral aka Michael Enevoldsen‘s bass musings often lose themselves in translation. You truly need to search for them in the mix to appreciate the man slapping da bass. The other one’s the relentless metal assault of a high-octane and densely written piece which can quickly lead to sensory overload. A fact that’s made worse by the slightly repetitive fare on offer. I reckon, what saves the pooch here is the injection of subtle melodic parts that soften the austere Death and Black Metal purgatory the band prepared here.
Finally, Maleficium Part I takes witch-laden brutality to the next level. An album that distills abject metal abuse, varying tempi, and Rotting Christ-esque blackened shenanigans into a monolithic monster that will devour you. If you don’t get out of the way, that is. A raw, abrasive, and wildly malevolent slab of alloy manufactured in the cursed Forges ov Hell. The band didn’t repeat former works but doubled down by increasing the intensity of this incantation to the devil. Need proof? Try some of the disturbing Sister Death or the excellent and ominous mid-tempo Curse of Desire. That will set you to rights.
And I daresay, this Part I here got us yet another nuclear-fueled chunk of astonishing extremes. But wait a moment, that will mean there will be a Part II. Now, you really got our attention, Panzerchrist.
Ed’s note: And the record made it onto the 2024 Top 10 Records and the Malevolent 2024 Series. Congrats!
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Emanzipation Prod. | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 6 December 2024