Smoke Rites – Eager Eyes of Talion

As most of you might know by now, Poland is leading the charge when it comes to the extreme metal, but here we get to hear something completely different to what we are used to, a mixture of stoner, sludge and blackened doom metal. I am referring to a Warsaw-based band Smoke Rites, and their second full-length album, released independently on January 6th 2026.

The band, Smoke Rites, was formed in Warsaw in the fall of 2020. An EP entitled The Rite Of The Smoke (2021), and a debut full-length Total Lung Capacity (2022) followed. A short period of inactivity followed, but now they are back with their sophomore album, Eager Eyes of Talion. The line-up responsible for the recording of this album is comprised of; Tomasz Mielnik (vocals), Łukasz Borawski (guitars), Adam Ziółkowski – (bass), Michał Kamiński (drums) and Monika Adamska-Guzikowska of TOŃ (guest vocal on “Death is a Five Letter Word”).

The new album and its eight compositions explores the existential themes such as trauma, helplessness, death and emotional numbness. Eager Eyes of Talion is a combination of sludge metal and funeral doom with minor blackish touches. The sound is visceral and disaffected, featuring a dry and raw production, often utilizing harsh, forward-in-the-mix vocals from Tomasz Mielnik. Apart from the drumming, that feels a bit thin at times, the album as a whole is a piece of an uncompromising heaviness, with a raw and honest approach. Fuzzy and muddy riffing of the guitarist Łukasz Borawski sounds balanced – a massive low-end weight with a gritty, unpolished edge. Ultimately we have the bass, by Adam Ziółkowski, providing a warm, fuzzy, and powerful low-end bass lines that perfectly complement the guitar riffs from the aforementioned Łukasz Borawski.

The ones that stick with me are; “10 Ft Dread” due to its crushing chorus, but also the strong lyrical content exploring the mental wounds, existential anxiety and depression. Following “Death is a Five Letter Word” is another great song, a 6-minute heavy track featuring the guest vocals of Monika Adamska-Guzikowska, characterized by a non-stop onslaught of powerful sludge and groovy stoner metal.

The album’s sound was shaped by the band’s bassist, Adam Ziółkowski (mixing), and mastered by Haldor Grunberg of ‘Satanic Audio’, known for working with bands like Behemoth, Me And That Man and Dopelord. The album artwork for Eager Eyes of Talion was created by Michał Sobociński (This Is Madness).

Smoke Rites obviously draws inspiration from bands such as Black Sabbath, Sleep, Crowbar, Weedian, Nola, Electric Wizard, Down and High on Fire. Eager Eyes of Talion offers an unforgettable listening experience – bleak, intense yet entertainment from start to finish. Furthermore, Eager Eyes of Talion is the best proof for why the Polish underground metal scene is so highly regarded. Thus, if you were not familiar with their earlier materials, Eager Eyes of Talion is the right time to jump on the bandwagon, as all eight tracks sound like coming straight from their hearts, in a raw, truthful and unedited form.

To find additional details on this sophomore record from Smoke Rites visit their bandcamp.