URZIRKEL - In silbernen Sprachen

'Niebo I Ziemia' opens the EP with ominous, brooding sounds, creating the feeling of descending into a dark cave with no idea what might be waiting below. The atmosphere is established immediately before a massive throaty scream tears through the silence, accompanied by thunderous blast beats and a heavily distorted riff. The guitar tone feels deliberately rough and somewhat unrefined, but that rawness only strengthens the primitive energy of the track. The vocals are equally uncompromising, spitting pure hatred, while cymbal-driven drumming whips the composition forward with relentless force. During the bridge, the eerie calm of the opening returns, only now it is invaded by pain-laden screams and whimpers, turning what initially felt mysterious into something far more disturbing.

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'Himmlischer Funke' begins with sinister voices lurking in the background, slowly creeping towards the foreground as a clean guitar riff emerges above their low growls. Blast beats soon break through, and admittedly, the drums occasionally carry an almost trash-can-like clang. Yet that dirty, unrefined production works surprisingly well alongside the incredibly dark, reverb-drenched vocals, reinforcing the track’s hostile character rather than weakening it. As the song progresses, the guitars become wilder and increasingly doom-like, creating a constant feeling that you need to watch your step. Towards the end, a fearful, almost accusatory spoken-word passage pushes that sense of unease even further, adding another layer to the already dense and threatening atmosphere.

'Heiliger Kreis' takes on a more ritualistic and narrative character, as droning sounds slowly give way to mysterious melodies before dragging guitar lines begin their crawl forward. The pace gradually increases as the song unfolds, while the vocals sit further back in the mix, leaving valuable breathing room for the devastating rhythm section to make its presence felt. Around the midpoint, more melodic elements emerge and deep, chant-like vocals intensify the ceremonial atmosphere, almost as if the ritual has reached its defining moment. That brief sense of solemnity does not last, however, as URZIRKEL plunge straight back into piercing black metal screams and renewed aggression.

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The EP closes with ‘Król Duch’, emerging slowly from a short intro before a deep, brutal growl sends a shiver down your spine. A brief German spoken-word passage adds another layer of detail before agonised screams take over, backed by a simple but effective riff and a constant storm of aggression from the drums. The quiet, clean break in the bridge proves particularly effective: with much of the instrumentation stripped away and only the screamed German vocals remaining, there is nowhere for the despair to hide, making the moment feel even more devastating. Yet URZIRKEL choose not to leave us there. Tender guitar melodies slowly carry the track towards its end, offering an unexpectedly gentle and almost conciliatory farewell after everything that came before.

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With "In Silbernen Sprachen", URZIRKEL deliver a debut that feels raw, hostile and deeply ritualistic. Rough production, agonised vocals and relentless drumming create an oppressive foundation, while eerie passages, chants and carefully placed melodic moments give the darkness room to breathe. Not every rough edge will appeal to everyone, but here, imperfection often becomes part of the atmosphere rather than working against it. A disturbing and remarkably confident first ritual.

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SCORE 8/10

REVIEWED BY SWAMPY