It’s not often anymore that I find myself perplexed. Perplexed in such a way that I’m even more fascinated by what I’m hearing. When I opened up my latest mail from I, Voidhanger Records, I was definitely expecting some black metal, but there was one that really confused me even from before listening and infinitely more so after listening. The upcoming 26-minute one-song EP from -S- is a far cry from metal and questionable to categorize as rock. This incredibly funk-based work is like nothing else I’ve ever heard, and I just can’t stop being astounded by it.

Oddly enough, everything lines up here in such a way that, initially, gave me no doubt whatsoever that I wouldn’t fall deep into what would be thrown down. Great label, solid premise, mysterious but inviting cover; it all seemed so perfect for an off-putting black metal pursuit. Yet, that wasn’t what’s offered here in the slightest. Instead, we’re given a very odd blend of foggy drums, encroaching bass, dissonant vocals, and, most curiously, a clarinet that was one of the last things I was expecting. It quickly evolves to make “Zabijanie Czasu” a work that feels instantly fascinating as it brings an occult flavor that the world of funk has never seen before (to my knowledge), and it’s something that I just could not help but become entranced by. The music is almost drone-like in nature and no less than puzzling by nature simply due to the immense congruence that we see between all the different styles brought together that feel like they shouldn’t work, but -S- pulls it off like they’ve been refining it for decades. One song spread out across 26 minutes is exactly something that I’m always on the lookout for, and “Zabijanie Czasu” is one of the most standout releases of that kind by far. It’s constantly defying expectations and pre-conceived notions about music that we all have subtlety programmed into our brains from our youth, and it’s -S- that attempts to break down those very walls of restriction to where should you manage to embrace such mental renovation there are infinite possibilities that are born both within and from “Zabijanie Czasu”.

Far from anything than I was ever expecting, I can’t help but say that “Zabijanie Czasu” has so much to sink your teeth into that it’s absolutely something I’ll be crawling back to like an addict in withdrawal. As just the first in a trilogy, this EP has everything going for it and there’s no reason that I can think of as to why we shouldn’t be very excited to see what -S- creates in the future.

“Zabijanie Czasu” releases on September 25th via I, Voidhanger Records!

LISTEN to an excerpt from “Zabijanie Czasu” on Bandcamp here.