Artist: Piołun
Country: Poland
Label: Malignant Voices
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2026
‘Exolvuntur’ represents the second chapter in the discography of the Polish Black Metal band Piołun. That journey started in 2019 and led in 2022 to the debut album ‘Rzeki Goryczy’, initially released on CD by Malignant Voices and later on vinyl as a co-release between that label and Terratur Possessions. I quite appreciated that debut for its combination of a classic 90’s Swedish Black Metal sound mixed with what you could call the typical Polish sound of the last decade or so. And if you were similarly enjoying that record, then this new one holds more of a good thing in store.
Because indeed, ‘Exolvuntur’ builds quite directly upon the framework set on ‘Rzeki Goryczy’. Perhaps there is a slightly more pronounced emphasis on atmosphere and a tad less sharp guitar sound as on the debut, but musically, pretty much everything is still the same. The dynamic sound is built on the legacy of in part the Swedish Black Metal scene as well as Piołun’s countrymates of Kriegsmachine, Blaze of Perdition and Mgła. But while a lot of the elements sound familiar, the main difference is that the melodic components are more subtle. You’ll hear those fierce and creative drives, delicate leads woven throughout and various changes in drum rhythms, that reminds you of for instance Mgła or Swedish Black Metal, but it feels less obviously melodic. Similarly, it’s less trance-inducing than for instance Kriegsmachine. So despite that familiar ring to it, it feels as though the music of Piołun has something fresh to offer. Perhaps it’s the epic undertone that obviously surfaces in tracks like ‘Exolvuntur’, ‘Moribunda’ and ‘Próba Sznura’, but regardless of what it is, it makes ‘Exolvuntur’ once again a thoroughly enjoyable record!
The new album is this time released on the CD and LP formats by Malignant Voices themselves. This might be a great opportunity to also pick up the latest Medico Peste that was simultaneously released on LP. The bands and the label certainly deserve the support, and ‘Exolvuntur’ is an album that for sure would find a deserved place in the collection of followers of the current Polish Black Metal scene.
