Woe – Legacies of Frailty (Review)

This is the fifth album from US black metal one-man band Woe.

Legacies of Frailty is the eagerly awaited follow up to 2017’s Hope Attrition. The Woe of 2023 is aggressive and dark, offering blistering speed and textured power. Across 48 minutes the now-solo act delivers a record that scars the cosmos with its scorching brand of emotive black metal.

These new songs are furious expressions of bleak horror and savage hopelessness. The anger on these songs is palpable. Funnelled into songs of potent brutality and nightmare devastation, each track on this record is a fully formed assault of blackened punishment. Legacies of Frailty presents as a snarling beast of apocalyptic despair, but there’s more going on here that simple feral savagery.

The multifaceted nature of our own demise is mirrored in the intricate approach to songwriting, which has resulted in a well-rounded package. The music is harsh and unforgiving, yet still makes the most of its blackened melodies and atmospheric presence. Adopting a layered approach to songwriting and delivery, the artist behind Woe has delivered an album that offers depth of atmospheric substance, alongside the sort of scathing aggression that’s withering, crafting songs that are uncommonly affecting.

The return of Woe heralds the end times. At least, that’s how it feels when listening to Legacies of Frailty. This is a powerful record that takes the extremity and intensity of modern black metal and presents it with real, tangible passion and feeling. It’s a record to be both embraced and feared.

Essential listening.