Grand Destiny

Sear Bliss is surely one of my favourite black metal bands when speaking of countries like Poland, Hungary or the Czech Republic. They did so many fantastic albums and more so, they managed to create their own style, in order to become an extraordinary and exceptional band. “Grand Destiny” is their third full length album. And I have to say that I was a bit worried before I heard it for the first time back in 2002. And that’s because their previous two albums were a rollercoaster for me. I absolutely loved “Phantoms”, with a great combination of raw black metal and atmospheric, monumental parts, strongly enhanced by the brass section. Every song on this album turned out to be superb. But later, “The Haunting” came and that album on the other hand disappointed me. I felt like the music became a bit too soft, I didn’t like how the keyboards sounded there and even the trumpets did not help. Generally I think that the songs on Sear Bliss' second full length were just not that good and that’s because this album is fairly mediocre and forgettable. So, this is why I was a bit worried before “Grand Destiny” arrived. But damn, this album turned out to be just awesome and actually it belongs to Sear Bliss’ best releases. So, it’s a great return to form.

Basically, Sear Bliss kept all the most valuable ingredients for their music, which I liked so much on the debut album. And luckily they avoided sounding a bit too soft like they did on “The Haunting”. So, it’s a perfectly balanced atmospheric black metal, with some exceptional monumental parts, with a lot of additional brass section and a great harsh, but clean and powerful sound. Damn, the way this albums starts, with “The World Beyond”, is something you would not expect, because this is fast, very raw sounding, cold black metal that you would not necessarily expect to hear from Sear Bliss, especially after “The Haunting”. But damn, what a stunning opener, what a vicious and aggressive opening song! It can only promise that “Grand Destiny” will be a great improvement. And it is. The next song is “Death in Torment” and again I am impressed! These first riffs in it, with the great addition of trumpet and keyboard sounds just fantastic and I love how the atmosphere is being created in the whole song, finished with a nice acoustic theme. And then what? Another fast motherfucker with some exceptional parts – this is “Ars Idiolatriae”. I can easily say that these three songs are enough to give an opinion that “Grand Destiny” is not only an album that exceeds everything Sear Bliss did on the previous full length, but even their fantastic debut can have difficulties matching that quality.

More so, it seems like “Grand Destiny” belongs to the harshest sounding Sear Bliss albums. The production on it is quite clear, but with that raw, black metal touch what makes it sound so damn good, a bit like Gehenna did on “Malice” maybe. As always Sear Bliss astonishes, for having a great ability to compose interesting and incredibly well arranged songs. Every part of “Grand Destiny”, from start to finish, is excellent and so the whole album has no downs, no fillers, no weak points. It is very damn close to perfection and for sure it is one of the best black metal albums from the early 00’s.

Standout tracks: “The World Beyond”, “Ars Idiolatriae”, “Death in Torment”, “God Man’
Final rate: 90/100

An impregnable darkness engulfed the land on that sullen day. A thick frostbitten mist, rendering visibility to no more than a foot, constituting the perfect climate for an incorrigible horror to eventuate, enveloped the mountains. The forests were still, lugubrious in an eerie silence, not a sole call from the wilds. The sky was enveloped with ominous pitch-black storm clouds, as if a warning of an unimaginable tragedy to come. The air was uncharacteristically stale. Then, it occurred, with the flash of a blade, an instant later it was over. Blood was spilled onto the polished marble floor, an almighty thud the pierced the silence as the body fell, lifeless to the ground. The throne was vacant. The king was dead. The ensuing war horns meant but one thing, that there was no time for mourning, but vengeance had to exert its grip over the enemy. War was upon the land, the warriors were expected to uphold their national pride so that glory would again reign unopposed.

Sear Bliss has been a prolific composer of consistently worthy music for beyond a decade. Without reinventing the wheel on every release, the band has remained true to their roots, simultaneously progressing within their musical lexicon. Each album has its own individual flair and is oozing in character. “Grand Destiny” maintains the deft use of contrasting rawer Black Metal riffs, distinct tremolo sections, and sparse passages that educe a Doomish feel. These are implemented in coercion with symphonic keyboards and the famous brass section - which at times achieves the procuring of an aura idiosyncratic to Spanish flavoured music.

The songs are based around identifiable motifs and these are developed exuberantly throughout each song. For example, “Death In Torment” has a section with a simple chugging riff where the synth is predominate, playing a tune of great majesty. This fades into a doomy rendition of the same idea, and later in the song’s conclusion, this is again reiterated with a meandering acoustic guitar that is accompanied by a mournful dirge courtesy of the brass section. Each song is composed with the interlacing of such motifs strewn into a single plot. The fluctuation between the darker tremolo passages to the uplifting, battle sounds of the brass section help a range of varying moods and themes to prevail. These include, melancholic despair, the emanation of the battle spirit and desolate detachment of emotions.

The spirit of war and the glory of the fight are never far from the picture, with militant drumbeats and the characteristic wailing of the brass section. But, to acclimatise to the ranging of moods, the drumming also has both charismatic and atmospheric personality attributes when required. This doesn’t even begin to justify the eclectic styles that the band is capable of using to shape their own unique soundscape. There are also a few solos, selectively used throughout the album to accentuate the mood. For instance, the lead on “Hate Blade” provides a crescendo that exemplifies the undying warrior spirit and pride unto one’s nation. The middle lead in “Black Heart” draws upon the wonders of darkness, isolation and the unfathomable perplexities that fill the Cosmos. The dynamics of the album are also furthered by classical piano passages, such as the exchange in the same track with a dreary acoustic guitar. It must be also pointed out that the production is top-notch, which isn’t the easiest thing to accomplish with such a line-up. The key here is that there isn’t a constant emphasis on any particular instrument, each is modulated to play into the context of the music at any particular time. This also highlights that each member plays an important role - there are no “just there” instances for any instrument.

The ultimate climax, the exquisite “Infinitude” is perhaps one of the major highlights, if not the crown jewel of Sear Bliss’ illustrious history. We’re led through the unimaginable infinitude of the Cosmos by the intermittent striking of a power chord and the ethereal minimalist creeping of the synth. The brass section soon sounds in reverence and bliss of the natural world, a grandiose exposition of this awe-inspiring entity that will prevail far beyond the evanescence of man’s earthly legacy. This perhaps best conveys Sear Bliss’ ideological statement, to live in glory and honour and not in defiance of the progenitor of our rudiments, but pragmatically within its everlasting will. The track provides much for introspection for those who wish to dig deep below the full sounds of the drums, and the vitality of the synth, brass and guitars.

For those looking to expand their horizons beyond the obvious “classics” and the stray from the blueprint set by their “peers”, this is an album enshrouded in mysticism and first-class composition. Perhaps, not living up to the masterpieces of the past, but it is a fine piece of Black Metal that will please those who wish to look beyond the concrete essentials and experience contemporary class without expecting a flawless masterpiece.