Kriegsmaschine - Enemy of Man
Originally called Death Frost, Poland’s Kriegsmaschine has been around for a while. Though this is only their second full-length LP, they have an extensive back catalog that includes three split releases, three demos and an EP (A Thousand Voices, 2004). There is also a compilation CD that features rare and unreleased tracks. Enemy of Man comes almost a decade after 2005’s Altered States of Divinity debut full-length album, and shows considerably growth in both songwriting and sound. While there are those who might point out the somewhat obvious similarities to fellow Poles Behemoth, the bulk of Enemy of Man treads different territory. The riffing is dark and sometimes atonal, mixing higher and lower sounds together to create a grim and churning sea of evil music. My personal favorite tracks were “Farewell to Grace” and “Asceticism and Passion,” both of which have sinister atmospheres. “Farewell to Grace” had a lot of Dark Ambient effects in the background (chanting, tortured screams, etc.) and it added quite a bit to the song. “Asceticism and Passion,” on the other hand, had an almost tribal drumming style and the vocals were reminiscent of Attila (Mayhem). The other tracks, while not as great as those two, were still highly recommendable. Even though there are times where the specter of Behemoth makes an appearance (mostly in the vocals and the production), Kriegsmaschine is far from being a clone. If you’re a fan of evil sounding Black Metal, Enemy of Man doesn’t disappoint and it’s an LP that I highly recommend tracking down.
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