Prezir – As Rats Devour Lions (Full Length, 2018)
If today’s Black Metal is not your cup of tea (read: Post-Black Metal), we have a good news for you. Prezir’s As Rats Devour Lions will appease your Black/Thrash Metal liking. Violent, unrelenting and chaotic are just few words to describe this Milwaukee’s quartet first full length.
This is the follow up to the previous EP ‘Contempt’. While I have never listened to their previous release, ‘As Rats’ is an impressive full length in terms of songwriting and dynamics.
I like the fact Prezir draws inspiration from many sources. One second I could hear Naglfar and Necrophobic-like melodies and vocals, and next Absu-like frantic Black/Thrash galopping comes in. Heck I could even hear Immortal’s Sons of Northern Darkness and Infernal War’s Redesekration influences floating around. Does having many influences makes an album less favourable to listen to? In Prezir’s case, not at all. In fact I feel these influences exist in harmony and doesn’t feel forced. While many bands succumb to this, Prezir seems to do it just good.
‘As Rats’ made me sit and listen for so many rounds which led me to believe the thundering guitars, raspy shrieks and maniacal drummings made me went ‘oh this shit is good’. Listen to Janicari for example. Soaring guitars at beginning definitely signal things about to get fucked up, in a good way I mean. Wait til the croaky voices join in! Hamatsa Death Ritual on the other hand reeks a sinister feel of Necrophobic while Idealogue Alchemy reminds me very much of Naglfar (I could be wrong!).
As Rats Devour Lions definitely kills with its Black/Thrash Metal approach. I have to admit it’s been a while since I came across this kind of Black Metal so rich with influences I’m familiar with. Don’t sleep on this. If you’re fan of melodic but violent Black Thrash, this will most probably suit your palate.
For fans of Absu, Naglfar, Necrophobic, Emperor and Immortal
As Rats Devour Lion will be out 17th September via Godz ov War.
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