Band:	Calligram
Album:	Position / Momentum
Style:	Black metal, Hardcore
Release date:	July 2023

01. Sul Dolore
02. Frantumi In Itinere
03. Eschilo
04. Tebe
05. Per Jamie
06. Ostranenie
07. Ex-Sistere
08. Seminario Dieci

Calligram’s debut The Eye Is The First Circle was a strong first statement of intent by the London outfit. Position | Momentum takes their hybrid black metal sound to the next level.

The Eye Is The First Circle was something of a black metal/hardcore fusion; blackened hardcore has been increasingly popular in recent years, but there was something about the execution of it on this album that distinguished it. Perhaps it was an arguably greater black metal presence in their sound and the tremolo-heavy riffs, or the stylistic experimentation with the longer songs at the end of the album, but it nevertheless set a solid benchmark for future releases to stack up against. Position | Momentum arguably up the ante in terms of black metal presence and sharp tremoloing, and it also shows further expansion of the group’s musical range.

One such example is opening song “Sul Dolore”; the frantically paced tremolo-fest arguably resembles a particularly frenetic interpretation of the At The Gates Gothenburg metal template as much as it does meloblack during its more full-pelt passages. Later on, as it slows down and opts for creepier chord choices, it becomes increasingly blackened and harrowing. The most harrowing aspect of the song, and the album as a whole, is the vocal performance of Matteo Rizzardo, whose frenzied shrieks are as demented and passionate on record as you would hope from his stage performances.

Beyond the opening song, there’s further black metal assaults on the ice-cold “Frantumi In Itinere” and “Tebe”; however, outside of some D-beat pounding on the part of the drums, hardcore feels like notably less of an influence this time around. There’s definitely passages within certain tracks, particularly “Ex-Sistere” and “Ostranenie”, that still bear hallmarks, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a primary piece of the puzzle this time around. That’s not particularly a bad thing though; there’s enough things distinctive about how Calligram write metal that move them far away from any kind of generic interpretation of black metal. For example, that song “Ostranenie” moves from hardcore-ish parts into a second half that is dominated by tender trumpet atop a sullen clean instrumental backdrop, and even when Calligram shift back towards something heavier, there’s a real melancholic feel to the slow, subtle tremolo riffs that departs from the pure ballistic fury of so much else of Position | Momentum.

One aspect of this album that I enjoy quite a lot is that tonal range. Yes, a lot of this is musically intense, with persistently full-pelt and pounding percussion in various forms, but Calligram can shift from sinister or belligerent to more emotional-sounding tones; “Ex-Sistere” has a sorrowful edge to some of its frantic riffs. This range comes through more obviously though on the several softer portions of the record. Most notable is arguably the soft interlude “Per Jamie”, but closing song “Seminario Dieci” similarly opens with an extended clean passage that would be right in place on a post-metal record, and even after a brief flurry in the middle of the track, there’s a retreat back to relatively cleaner, more atmospheric soundscapes.

Bringing all of the above together is perhaps my highlight of the record, “Eschilo”. A clean-toned yet eerie introduction is the platform for a sinister, brooding song that, while having the propensity to unleash blasts alongside cacophonic dissonant black metal riffs, also experimented with more atmospheric double-bass driven grooves, as well as some fantastic guitar leads. It’s an outstanding demonstration of what Calligram are capable of, and is the cherry on the top of a very solid sophomore release.