Band:	Rorcal
Album:	Világvége
Style:	Black metal, Doom metal, Hardcore, Sludge metal
Release date:	February 2013

01. I
02. D
03. II
04. V
05. IV
06. VII
07. VI
08. VIII

With their newest album, Rorcal decided to switch things up a bit. Rather than recording a single lengthy, atmospheric odyssey as they had done on their previous three releases, Rorcal introduced some new ideas both cosmetically and stylistically.

Világvége's most meritorious asset is far and away the atmosphere. Adding elements of black metal to their favored mélange of doomy, sludgy, sludgy doom, Rorcal have managed to double the level of sheer, anguished wretchedness in their music. In fact, a lot of this album is basically black metal or, alternately, slowed-down black metal. The sense of utter despair is well-crafted. One moment, they are slowly droning away into an artfully austere wasteland, and the next they are exploding into a wall of jarring riffs and hardcore-like galvanic fury. "D" is one of the album's standouts; it features a nine-and-a-half-minute voyage of plodding, discordant guitars and is probably the doomiest song on the album.

The stylistic changes are a welcome addition. With the blackened, up-tempo crushers like "II" and "IV," Rorcal becomes much more dynamic and engaging. Heliogabalus is a good album and all, but I am not the sort of person who can regularly sit down to listen to 70-minute songs. Világvége makes the experience much easier on the listener, and is overall a better piece of music. "VI" sounds like a star collapsing upon itself, and you cannot ask for much more from a doom/post-hardcore/black metal band.

It took several listens before I was able to latch onto some memorable songs, and I do sometimes get the feeling that they bleed into each other from time to time. While there are some noteworthy tracks, no song on this album is singularly good, per se, just outstanding within the context of the album overall. Nonetheless, the atmosphere of crushing destruction and despondency is wonderfully executed, and it is a strong release nonetheless. Certainly Világvége is a step up from the last few Rorcal releases, and a very enjoyable one at that.