The saying “idle hands are the devil’s work” certainly has a time and place where it absolutely applies, but what about when busy hands are those that bring about devilry and madness of a truly dark sort? That’s a concept that metal has been downright iconic for over the decades with there still nowhere near any sort of a shortage when it comes to bands that are able to deliver in that regard, but there are just some names that refuse to stay down for long while ensuring that their rise is as undeniable as it is swift. It was just barely four months ago that Wstręt came to us with its two-track debut EP, but it’s already that their follow-up comes to us with all the ferocity, promise, and expansion that we were teased with a short while ago.

While there are plenty of ways to make your name and power known in the vast realms of the underground, it’s oftentimes the relatively straightforward paths that can get you to your desired destination more efficiently with time and experience enabling you to find better ways to infuse your own flavor and personality into the mix. It was already with their first piece, “Subhuman Eschatology”, that Wstręt gave us the groundwork for the type of black-death metal they sought to summon albeit a brief showcase. Now, with the arrival of “Enlightened Misanthropy”, Wstręt shows us how far it has already come in hardly no time whatsoever with the power and nuance to match in damn near every regard. Subtle with its melodies and unapologetic in its overwhelming brutality, it’s around every corner of this EP that Wstręt leaves no soul unscarred by what they drag out of the writhing darkness to inflict upon the plague that is humanity. Capable of taking its time in separating flesh from bone as well as the very resonance of the soul, “Enlightened Misanthropy” is constantly stalwart in its pummeling offensives. Whether it’s grinding you into dust via a barbaric display of simple but deadly effective riffs or hurling down the winding, twisting halls of true insanity, it’s in each case that the strings of fear, terror, and apex suffering are guiding by the deft hands of Wstręt who make no hesitation to show us what they can already pull off.

If it wasn’t already before in its predecessor that Wstręt had our interest, it’s with virtually every aspect of “Enlightened Misanthropy” that the Polish duo ought to have our undivided attention. The intensity and ferociousness showcased here is indicative of what the seething floor of the underground still has to offer if you manage to look in the right place with the name of Wstręt an excellent find for any looking for the next name that’s sure to rise and devour the very light of day.

“Enlightened Misanthropy” releases on January 30th via Godz ov War Productions!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Enlightened Misanthropy” via YouTube here or below.

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