Absque Cor – Na zawsze cieniem…

Lately I’ve received some releases that are a few years old, one of them being Na zawsze cieniem… by a Polish act going under the moniker of Absque Cor. The title Na zawsze cieniem… seems to translate to ‘Forever A Shadow’ and it’s a second full-length by this one-man horde of Vos.

Na zawsze cieniem… arrived after a six-year hiatus from his previous 2017 release titled, Wędrówkę haniebnie zakończyć. Musically the project hasn’t undergone any radical transformation as most changes are rather symbolic, compared to its predecessor. Obviously, this is essentially atmospheric black metal and all titles, lyrics and narrative are presented in his native Polish so a certain amount of digging is necessary to get beneath the layers unless you understand some Polish?!

On these six lengthy tracks and playing time of 58 minutes (in length this is almost twice as long as its predecessor!) he offers a piece of atmospheric black metal with variety and plenty of interesting shifts and moods to it. Na zawsze cieniem… is filled with raging outbursts, tranquil and meditative passages, epic riffs, and gloriously harsh vocals.

Na zawsze cieniem… opens with “Zapaść” – the song showcases the project’s signature style of intense black metal mixed with atmospheric, sometimes folk-tinged, and deeply emotional soundscapes. Following, “Jeden raz za dużo” is a brutal yet emotive piece with an industrialised and blackened edge. Pounding drum rhythms and repeat bass lines open “Nawet nie próbuj” building in intensity, complexity and rawness as the song progress. The 10-minute ‘Dziękuję, że jesteś’ is the cornerstone of the opus and a sublime treat that needs to be heard. “Piosenka o niczym” (translated as a “Song about nothing”) is the 14-minute epic penultimate number featuring lengthy and  windswept cold and icy musical landscapes. The sixth and closing track is a cover version of Golem’s “Солнце Мертвых” (apparently “Солнце Мёртвых” was a track from the short-lived career of a band who stylistically embraced Industrial, Post Rock, Shoegaze, Ambient & Post-punk), which is a darkly bewitching and alluring track, a superb way to end this sophomore and mysterious record from Absque Cor.

Lyrically, Vos is touching on depressive and suicidal themes, where it’s clear that Vos & Absque Cor dug deeper to bring his own personality into the mix. The production is raw, unpolished, and thin, designed to create a sense of isolation, despair, nihilism and intense melancholic atmosphere.

In summary; Na zawsze cieniem… is a fiercely competent, expertly written and well-played slab of music that could easily appeal to fans and listeners of early Agalloch, Panopticon, Shining, Harakiri for the Sky, Grift, Burzum, Galar, Cor Scorpii, early Ulver… just to list a few acts.

To find out more on Na zawsze cieniem… visit Godz ov War Productions’ bandcamp or just listen to the entire terrifically magnificent six-tracker below.