Gorycz are a Polish post-black metal band and this is their second album.
Gorycz feature members of Non Opus Dei, and Kamienie is a 37-minute exploration of non-standard music. Stirring together ingredients from black metal, post-rock, and sludge into a tasty post-black metal cocktail, Gorycz’s music is individual and characterful. The songs have a sort of off-kilter dissonant charm that’s disarming, but effective.
The music is well-written, taking a riff-heavy approach to largely quite brief songs. However, this method of songcraft is carried out in an atypical way, resulting in music that doesn’t sound like something you have heard a thousand times before. In very loose terms, I’d characterise Kamienie as a sort of hybrid of bands such as Non Opus Dei, Mantar, Kowloon Walled City, Satyricon, Chat Pile, and Isis.
Gorycz know their way around a good riff, and the mix of sludge and black metal that underpins the guitars is very moreish. It’s a striking combination upon first listen, and something that only gains potency over time. This is partly down to the catchy grooves, but chiefly down to the fact that there’s an emotional foundation to the music that informs every aspect of the material. The riffs, such an important part of the songs, channel these emotions quite heavily and effectively. Despite how in-your-face much of the guitars can be, this is actually a very inward-looking album. This is not music to share, but to burrow deeply into and explore intimately. The riffs, while prominent, are actually quite subtle and nuanced when you get to know them. This is true of the more introspective post-rock elements as well, (you can also hear folk and jazz influences), but then you would expect that to be the case for these.
Kamienie is a very engaging and enjoyable album. It’s emotionally rich, yet also has an instant appeal that’s very satisfying. If you are interested in music that’s uncommonly idiosyncratic, then make sure that you give this some time.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 