Salqiu - The Blackness Within (2018) *Pick of the Week*

01. The Prong that Cleanses Me from Right 09:35
02. Carnage the Ethos of Humanity 05:18
03. The Blackness Within 00:41
04. Damp Air Settles Upon My Tongue 14:43
05. The Years I'll Endure with the Weight of Guilt on my Shoulders 07:09
06. Had I Not Known That I Was Dead Already 05:29
07. I Saw Your God, He's Dead 02:09
08. I Saw Your God, He's Vile 03:03
09. I Envision the Strained Hands That Breach Feeble Souls 06:10
10. The Fall is a Certainty 03:38

I first was introduced to Nuno Lourengo with his former project the avant-garde death metal band Anthropomorphic Soul . So when he told me that he was going to be doing a avant-garde/experimental black metal project I got excited with anticipation. And when he released 2016’s “To Whom It Serves the Triumphant Destiny” I was floored by the walls upon walls of bleak sound and anguish throughout the music. And this would carry on for the sophomore record as well as an EP in early 2018.

Now here we are in the cold embrace of winter of 2018 with the release of “The Blackness Within”. A sheer frightening and artistic vision that outlines the contours of our very existence. The opener “The Prong that Cleanses Me from Right” is an exceptional beginning with a heavy rasp of contorted, mesmerizing epic piece of music. The use of the bongo drums is brilliantly placed and adds to the flare that Nuno brings to Salqiu.

The attention to detail on every song is what makes Salqiu work, bringing a combination of melodies as well as dark atmospheric symphonic soundscapes to the ears. The aesthetic that is brought forth with the black metal is cold, dark, and un-relentless. Nuno’s vocal work cannot be ignored here as he brings a grinding agitation of demonic growls that shine on tracks like “Carnage the Ethos of Humanity”. The myriad of various sounds and elements presented here pound with a certain flair and ferocity while encapsulating a certain style of beauty in the process.

The album forges with some fantastic tracks with “The Years ill Endure with the Weight of Guilt on my Shoulders”, “Had Not Known That I was Dead Already”, and I Envision the Strained Hands that Breach Feeble Souls”. Even the acoustic title track “The Blackness Within” brings its own spacious and beautiful moment on the record. This record is filled with monstrous and infectious riffs and hooks that pushes the boundaries of conventional black metal. This record is dark, violent, brooding, and disjointed with layer upon layer of frantically placed character.

The continuous changes and occasional glimpses of experimentation in the song writing fall into a perfect blend of emotion and anger. While 2018 for me has a healthy list of fantastic albums Salqiu has once again made this list and shows the growth one would expect from a project such as this. If you are looking for that metal release this year that challenges your psyche and pushes your soul to unsettling despair then be sure to check out this record. 

Genre: Experimental/Avant-Garde Black Metal
Rating: 10/10