It’s such an obvious thing to conceive but it still needs to be said every so often so that it is perfectly clear for all to know – just because you’re loud and intense does not mean you’re able to deliver a worthwhile performance. Even just a little bit of finesse can go a very long way for any band no matter how high or low they may be shooting as it can really make an effort feel all the more genuine right from the beginning. That’s a particular thing that needs to be done whenever the worlds of black and death metal come together since extremity doesn’t immediately make for an interesting listen with far too many bands falling into the same pitfalls on their debuts, but it’s on their’s that Pyrrhic Salvation manages to adeptly dodge such failure with spectacular skill.

It tends to be that whenever we venture into a creation that draws from both the realms of black and death metal that it’s a singular vision that does not wave in its conviction to raw intensity, but it can often be at the detriment to the listener since a whole album can feel like one expanded song without much variation or intrigue as the record progresses. Even the smallest change can make a world of difference, but it’s with bands like what we get with the fresh name of Pyrrhic Salvation that we see an occasion where the band in question goes much further than we could’ve expected with the resulting material all but scathing yet utterly delectable. The combined past experience of all of these band members has done them nothing but true justice for this particular vein of extreme metal as we definitely do see that voracious blending of death and black metal to great effect in this record but it’s the incredibly strong technical edge that permeates every moment of “Manifestum I” that sets this debut apart. There’s no such thing as coming out on the other side of this album unscathed as it’s every possible inch of “Manifestum I” that oozes peak hostility charged by the intimidating knowledge and refined capability which becomes all but engrossing as Pyrrhic Salvation works their vicious craft without any regard for potential life lost or harm done. Put all of that inside a pot that is overflowing with a boiling attitude that is more than capable of delivering tasteful madness right alongside with being a technical showcase of what black and death metal can really become when it’s coming from the right hands, and I cannot help but feel that we have a best-case scenario when we look at Pyrrhic Salvation and all that they conjured up with “Manifestum I”.

If this is what the future of what the union of death and black metal can hope to bring forth, then I can only hope that many will look at what Pyrrhic Salvation has accomplished here as a glorious example and template for what the sound can still accomplish in today’s world. It’s right from the very onset that “Manifestum I” has so much to offer even in its smallest moments whatever you’re looking for whether it be raw intensity or technical prowess; Pyrrhic Salvation has what you need.

“Manifestum I” releases on February 18th!

LISTEN to Pyrrhic Salvation on Bandcamp here, or the lead single from “Manifestum I” via YouTube below.

LIKE Pyrrhic Salvation on Facebook here.