Band: Urisk
Album: Shriveling Lights
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: Germany
Label: Independent
Released: April 25, 2025
Introduction
Urisk is a two-piece Black Metal act from Bonn, Germany, consisting of vocalist Marleen Bugener and guitarist/producer Benedikt Brixius, when performing live they are supported by Marius Paulus (bass), Christoph Thiem (guitar) & Pepe Roldan Duran (drums). Formed around 2024 and releasing only a demo to date, the duo has brought forth its first full-length offering to the altar of Black Metal.
Shriveling Lights
Tracklist:
- Moonburnt
- Grip of Fog
- Urisk
- Harbinger of Despair
- Shadow of My Lunacy
- An Eala Bhàn
Crushing. Haunting. Beautiful. These 3 words encapsulate Shriveling Lights essence perfectly. An impressive and interesting blend of black metal, taking equal parts atmospheric and progressive and fusing them into something altogether unique.
Marleen’s vocals really stand out to me as she layers shrieked growls and cleans in a way that is both elegant, yet poignant and aggressive. Whilst listening to the album, I was blown away by how much her shrieked vocals remind me of Onielar from Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult at times.
The music itself lends an incredible atmosphere to the album. Shifting between waves of melancholy and despair, to absolutely crushing, groove laden riffs. Benedikt’s guitar work throughout the album is accomplished and memorable. While Urisk is a two-piece, they were joined by session drummer Filip Gäddnäs, whose performance on Shriveling Lights was absolutely top-notch.
Urisk live line-up, photo by @frida.nordlys
Harbinger of Despair is my favorite track off Shriveling Lights. It’s a bit of a slow burn, opening itself before the listener with a delicate and atmospheric intro. Gradually cascading into a full-blown inferno. The latter half of the song is especially satisfying, evolving into a catchy and melodic pay off with quite possibly the heaviest riff on the album.
Conclusion
Weaving together a seething hellscape of dissonance and brutality among passages of clean vocals and dreamlike ambience, the duo have crafted something truly unique that stands out from the mundane, and often repetitive formula for black metal.
BMZ Rating: 8 out of 10
Support Urisk here: https://urisk.bandcamp.com/album/shrivelling-lights
Your thoughts on Urisk
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