Miasmes are a French black metal band and this is their debut EP.
Miasmes play classic second wave black metal with an underlying punk energy. It’s old-school and raw, and pretty damn nasty.
Across 23 minutes Miasmes tear the world a new hole through five tracks of seething rage and harsh blackened anger. Brutal blast beats are used to pummel and punish, while mid-paced riffs and rolling groove trample over what’s left. The singer’s screams blaze like crackling lightning across the darkly aggressive music, spitting out venomous diatribes with contempt.
The songs are enjoyable examples of the style. They essentially sound like they have been dragged out of the 90s, only with a heavier, meatier drum presence that lends the music a thick backbone of force. The drums, along with a few other aspects here and there, (the occasional riff, some of the bass presence), show that Miasmes aren’t completely ignorant of what’s happened to black metal over the last few decades. It adds an extra layer of interest to the band’s old-school assault, and the end result is a very satisfying collection of tracks.
If you’re accustomed to this sort of music then Vermines is easy to get on board with. It’s a good start to Miasmes’ dark existence, and I look forward to what they get up to next.
A recommended listen.
Wonderbox Metal 