I refuse to accept the possibility that we are living in anything but a golden age for what metal music is capable of. Sure, there are plenty of copycats and imposters out there seeking to ride on the coattails of talent past, but there’s so much ingenuity and creative madness out there begging to be discovered and lost within that I cannot help but feel as though it’s an obvious reality that only the foolish shield themselves from. It can require some digging, but once you find an act that defies expectations and continuously pushes the envelope to become an entity like few others, it becomes clear very quickly what can still be accomplished. Building off its preceding creations, it’s with its second full-length album that Qrixkuor does far more than simply defy expectations.

While it was already with their previous efforts that Qrixkuor challenged much of what black and death metal can be in a single vessel, there isn’t so much as a single moment of this new effort, “The Womb of the World”, that doesn’t take things several degrees higher to such lofty heights that one cannot help but feel overwhelmed by what’s to be found within. A sublime blend of maddening extreme metal even in its base form, it becomes obvious immediately that “The Womb of the World” is anything but typical. Featuring compelling orchestrations that were composed and brought to life by one of the masterminds behind Qrixkuor, these four chapters tap into a side of extreme metal that we rarely get to see: a singularly thrilling and terrifying web of symphonics and deeply layered black-death metal that is never once afraid to dive ever further into sights unseen and depths unknown, peeling back the very eyelids of the listeners such that they are forced to see the journey for all the harrowing discoveries that can be found. Complex, unyielding, and the very definition of what it means to watch a creation come to life in a spectacular form, “The Womb of the World” is as satisfying as it is immeasurably dense. Even after doing these reviews for almost twelve years, my vocabulary fails absolutely to describe all that’s summoned throughout this utterly haunting work of art.

Qrixkuor is a name that has made its impact and worth known many times over already with its endeavors since its 2016 debut EP showcasing incredible growth in all directions to make this act one to respect for all that it dares to be. However, few words can describe the leap that Qrixkuor has made with the advent of “The Womb of the World”. One could spend years scraping the very floor of the underground in the hope of finding something that is a true surprise and goes against many of the walls that metal likes to put around itself. Qrixkuor is nothing if not an active defiance of those boundaries. Sprawling forth in tremendous and dark fashion, their dominance and mastery over their personal corner of the underground is something that cannot be overstated.

“The Womb of the World” releases on November 7th via Dark Descent Records and Invictus Productions!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “The Womb of the World” on Bandcamp here, or via YouTube below.

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