Already, black metal is a potent style that can become a truly devastating force in the material world so long as it is wielded by capable hands who know how to bring about such chaos. However, it is when the anger and suffering of the style are turned inward upon the very souls and spirits of those listening to the music that I believe black metal becomes its most harrowing and devastating. The human mind is viciously susceptible to insecurities, inner darkness that we fear, and the very sufferings of existing in the world that we do, and it’s such that when a band comes around with a real knack for exposing such weaknesses that black metal takes on a completely different form. I thought I already had my hands full of it from hearing the latest Vitriolic Sage album a few days ago, but it’s with Afraid of Destiny that I find myself before another staggering example of that very kind of black metal in magnificent form.

No matter where you go in the modern landscape of all that black metal has to offer, nihilism is a prevalent theme that you can never truly get away from lest you find yourself in the brighter sections of the genre where bands like Skyforest and Ueldes are becoming more prominent. With no lack of misanthropy, though, acts like Afraid of Destiny are still able to dominate the scene for all the right reasons with creations like “Contra Omnes” practically what this particular vein of the style was made for from day one. This is far more than a record with some concrete basement recording quality and not much else, though. What has been presented to us here can only be described as the style being taken immensely seriously with the ingenuity and attention that any great effort of the style demands at all times, and Afraid of Destiny has delivered it all in a surprising amount with the quality to match. Without a heavy reliance on riffs with a more focused approach on the atmospheric values of the style that immediately enhance the evocative aspects of the sound where “Contra Omnes” truly shines. Nothing is left to chance as the very writhing of you soul synchronizes with all that goes on within these seven tracks that offer a wide visage for the senses while never once allowing you to get too far without reminding you just how bogged down the spirit and mind become in this world that has been in a constant state of decline for millennia now.

No matter how decadent we may make our lives or how far the rot of materialism that consumes us seeps ever deeper, “Contra Omnes” stands as a bleak reminder for those who refuse the truths of reality. Many try their best to bring such grandeur to this particular corner of black metal, but it is here that Afraid of Destiny far exceeds many of its contemporaries aren’t able to deliver.

LISTEN to “Contra Omnes” on Bandcamp here.

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