This is the second album from Polish solo post-black metal band Miasme.
Keep Them at a Distance contains 43 minutes of engaging music. The artist behind Miasme convinces easily with a striking display of hybrid blackened post-metal that feels very contemporary, yet also timeless in its flavour.
The music of Miasme is post-black metal that merges atmospheric black metal, post-metal, and blackgaze. The artist behind Miasme handles all instruments, although the vocals seem to be handled by a guest vocalist. It’s very much a modern interpretation of the blackened style, bringing with it swathes of colourful melody and expressive atmosphere.
Put differently, Keep Them at a Distance sounds like it has a post-metal base that’s been given a blackened overhaul and layered with blackgaze melody. It’s a simplistic description, but gets the point across.
Put differently again – take a band like Dirge, (with bits of Cult of Luna and Amenra), corrupt the vocals so they’re darker and more monstrous, throw in a bit of Outre for esoteric violence and Mesarthim for cosmic atmosphere, and then add in some blackgaze elements, (minus the overly sugary side of the style), and you’ll have a rough approximation of the Miasme sound.
Keep Them at a Distance is a mood-focused album, but isn’t lacking in forthright aggression. The skilled songwriting makes the most of the artist’s vision, allowing for vivid atmospheres to be created, while also providing a firm base to launch vicious attacks from when needed. The songs demonstrate a keen awareness of melody and dynamics, as well as an ability to piece a few different component parts together well, so that they work with each other synergistically. Alongside this sit a range of good ideas that have been well-developed, imbuing the album with a character that’s unusually strong. There’s a lot to take in across the six songs, and many layers and uncharted depths to explore, within the music’s overarching framework.
A strong new record from Miasme then. Manifesting as blackened post-metal, the artist behind Miasme has managed to take a range of influences and combine them effectively into something with a voice of its own. Don’t let Keep Them at a Distance pass you by. It’s the sort of record that would get a lot of attention were it released on a big label. Sadly, I expect it won’t get the attention it deserves. Time will tell. Until then, make sure that Miasme is a band name you’re well-acquainted with.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 