There are many times that I need even the briefest of breaks from a style simply because I don’t want to tire myself or even go far enough as to burn myself out with it for a little, and it was just a few weeks ago that I got to that point with black metal. It’s not that what I was hearing recently at the time was boring, I simply got a little burnt out, but all it takes is a literal spark of fresh greatness to bring back that desire for more black metal. During the year’s longest night, it’s fitting that it’s Croc Noir’s debut album to bring me back.

There’s something deviously simple about this band yet there are so many layers that it’s impossible to not want to peel them apart before releasing that the real beauty of these seven tracks lie in the feverish tenacity that Croc Noir embodies with their first full-length album. Even just knowing the name of Croc Noir and being even slightly familiar with the little amount of material that they’ve dished out in the last two years would be enough to make your ears perk up at the sight of “Mort”, and in no way does it disappoint. We’re given straight, cold, and raw black metal with a great melodic side that only further increases the already top-tier potency that Croc Noir delivers at every turn. There are so many riffs abound with a freaking accordian thrown into the mix that “Mort” becomes a record that feels like a spiritual successor to classic black metal records but with plenty of modern twists and turns to make it engaging, enticing, and something that’s nigh on intoxicating to anyone who went in simply expecting flat black metal. But, thankfully, Croc Noir has lived up to their reputation in the best way imaginable, and “Mort” is a constant reminder for the entirety of its run that this a band worth keep several sharp eyes on as they proceed to devastate our ears and the black metal scene as a whole.

Given time, I’m all but possible that Croc Noir can create something truly staggering given how well they executed this excursion for their debut and I can only imagine that they’re to only increase in quality over time as though they were fine wine. Should you be like me and simply want even a hint of solid black metal to get you back into the mix of the genre, there’s truly no wrong that “Mort” can do for you even after hours of sinking your teeth into this crispy material.

LISTEN to “Mort” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Croc Noir on Facebook here.