Band:	Pa Vesh En
Album:	Pyrefication
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	August 23, 2019
A review by:	RaduP

01. ...In The Ghostly Haze
02. Wastelands Of Plague
03. Call Of The Dead
04. A Cacophony Of Spiritual Transition
05. Grotesque Abomination
06. With Splendor Of The Night
07. Fog Of Death
08. Pyre Of The Forgotten

It should be inconceivable for a band to sound like this. That's illegal!

Pa Vesh En is a raw black metal band from Belarus, admittedly a country we don't often hear much from, other than it's capital city being the namesake of a really good post-metal band. I'm not usually one for raw black metal, but hearing that this was released by Iron Bonehead Productions, I had to check it out, and good Lord this is some of the eeriest black metal that I ever heard. What kinda recording equipment do they have in Belarus?

Obviously the production is key here. Raw black metal is known for its production, or rather lack thereof, but I feel like there was actually a lot of effort to make Pyrefication sound the way that it does. Though I have to admit that the production is a bit less eerie than on their previous record, Church Of Bones, both albums feel muffled and like no instrument sounds the way that it is supposed to. There are times when guitars sound like guitars and drums like drums, but most of the times it feels like the riffs are actual waves of sound, but like water waves instead of air vibration. Instead of hearing a riff, you get swept by sound like you would by water.

And don't take it as it sounding brutal or something, but completely haunting and uncanny. The vocals are the only thing closest to sounding similar to something usual, with some shrieks akin to some DSBM and also some almost folk-ish vocals at times, including some throat singing. It feels like the music underneath the wall of impenetrable uneasiness, there is some great songwriting and music that's actually engaging instead of just "sounding weird". Pyrefication sounds less weird than Church Of Bones, but more maturely written, so it's in an odd position where it's not as weird as it can be, but it's weird enough to feel like it detracts from being able to fully enjoy the songwriting.

I'm glad that Pa Vesh En have some actual though beyond just sounding weird and I'm also glad that they managed to sound this weird, since I'm quite sure I haven't heard anything like this.