Band:	Odraza
Album:	Rzeczom
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	May 2020

01. Schadenfreude
02. Rzeczom
03. W Godzinie Wilka
04. ...Twoja Rzecz Też
05. Długa 24
06. Świt Opowiadaczy
07. Młot Na Małe Miasta
08. Najkrótsza Z Wieczności
09. Bempo
10. Ja Nie Stąd

"Odraza is basically doing what Shining is having problems with nowadays: making a dark urban black metal album with jazz/blues touches."

- another instance of a fellow user and reviewer being clever before I was. I should probably start being clever more often.

Admittedly, that was written around the time Odraza' debut, Esperalem Tkane, came out. During that time, Shining released X - Varg Utan Flock, their best in years, but I digress. With just two albums, this upcoming one included, they've pretty much asserted their dominance over this urban nighttime black metal, this feeling of rotting decay on the streets. The Polish duo, with connections to other bands that I promise I'm gonna get into eventually, like Massemord (POL), Gruzja and Totenmesse, have already turned some heads with their debut, but have also released a live album performed at the Oskar Schindler's Factory Historical Museum in Krakow, something I definitely think you should check out, for a reminder of some disgusting recent history.

So Rzeczom completely delivers on the potential of Esperalem Tkane. What I find absolutely amazing about Odraza is how tightly performed and well composed the music is for a band made out of just two people. Well, three if you count the guest guitars by Azar, who played on Esperalem Tkane as well. Their sparse lineup is something that really isn't reflected in the music, with the instruments being so well layered. A lot of why it works so well has to do with the excellent production that makes the sound feel so full. And it is all of these together that make Rzeczom such a damn blast to listen to. As the band's name implies, but in Polish, the music has a characteristic filth about it, but isn't not showcasing this filth akin to how a doom death metal album would. This feels less like a murderous incomprehensible monster, and more like a mirror in which the ugliness of humanity can stare. And for a band that has performed at a Holocaust museum, they should know a thing or two about the ugliness of humanity.

Rzeczom isn't an ugly album at all. For a band clearly disgusted with humanity, they have clearly put a lot of love and care into the music that they've made. Rzeczom, even more so than its predecessor, showcases a lot of progressive songwriting. Sure, there's a lot of bludgeoning black metal moments with blast beats and all that, but those are far outnumbered by the very dynamic and layered songwriting. It sounds very lush, as previously mentioned, and the band rarely goes into heartless acrobatics or keeps a pace for too long. They are both clearly skilled instrumentalists, and there is no shortage of moments where we get a glimpse of that, but most of all they are musicians who know how to use those skills to make some alluring music. Throughout its 50 minutes runtime, there are harsher moments, more tender ones, some very ardently loatheful ones, and they all create a livid image of urban decay.

Admittedly I feel stronger about the "dark urban black metal" part than about the "jazz/blues touches" part, but I'm not going to deny that Rzeczom really doesn't feel like just a black metal album. No black metal album puts that much work into the guitar play.