There is nothing that can compare to some black metal that actually serves as a release for fury and disparity the likes of which only the deepest pits of the soul know truly. I’m not talking about some riffs or some attempt at being somewhat blasphemous even if they’re done well. I’m talking about the explosive breed of the genre that is not afraid whatsoever to pull from other styles so that its rage is properly expelled upon the masses where none are safe, none are spared, and everyone feels the true magnitude of what has been summoned forth. Acts like Gaerea have been staple acts for such madness in my experience, and it has been far too long since I’ve come upon another name that checks off all the right boxes for such a performance. With their second work, Okwaho well and properly caught me off-guard.

When dealing with this kind of attitude that seeks to pull from other sounds to achieve the sensations that they’re going for, anything is on the table for a possible end result but only the most extreme of sounds are fit to really bring out what the concept is capable of. For their concoction that purges the soul and wracks the mind, Okwaho sought the answer mostly in the eviscerating realms of sludge while still managing to incorporate post-metal and doom aspects to really make this performance a beast to behold. And what a beast it is! Nobody is out of the question when it comes to the raw fury that Okwaho summons forth with “The Usurper Regime” never once failing to rise to the occasion to deliver unrelenting devastation upon the pathetic state of many swathes of modern sociopolitical occurrences with the very centerpiece of this album, “The Mermaid”, delivering a ferociously powerful and wildly poignant performance of one of the most tragic acts born out of the simple search for safety only for lives to be lost amongst the unforgiving sea. The definition of harrowing without so much as missing a single step of excellence along the way, Okwaho’s catharsis is not the kind that leaves you feeling cleansed after the pummeling riffs, the haunting atmospheres, or the dirges of those left behind while the darkness continues to creep forward. “The Usurper Regime” waits for no one to catch up for Okwaho pushes it onward at blistering speed with an unyielding spirit that will only rest when the last thing there is to consume in existence is itself.

A work of the rawest hate and contempt, Okwaho’s patience and drive throughout the performances make it all the more formidable with every inch of the craft giving further credence to just how voracious and all-consuming of a record that we’re contending with here. It may be years before we find another work that can bring forward something like what Okwaho has with their second creation, but we’re sure to have our hands more than full with this massive darkness whenever that time comes around.

LISTEN to “The Usurper Regime” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Okwaho on Facebook here.