Kostnatění – Úpal Review

Blazing sun, desert sands, and an overwhelming desiccation greet the senses, sordid reflections of mirages seemingly dancing before the eyes. Úpal, or “heatstroke” in Slovak, embraces the dichotomous beauty and fury of the heat, an undeniably surreal death as the sun claims its victim: shimmering rays, mirages of reprieve, the acrid taste of vomit – distant untouched kingdoms. Kostnatění builds upon shifting sands with majesty and massacre alike, its dominion established on the foundation of old civilization and new, those who refuse to succumb to the heat.

Kostnatění (Czech for “ossification”) is a one-man act composed of a Minneapolis-based artist known only as D.L., also of other acts like Glass Shrine, Hornet Murmuration, and The Outer RIM. While firmly rooted in the icy basin of second-wave black metal, Kostnatění, as its sophomore effort’s moniker suggests, is “a story of the human condition as a function of heat.” Hallucinatory and unpredictable in its balance between exotic and unforgiving, Úpal paints mirages of anxiety and obsession with influences of African folk and noise rock, with a flaying edge of dissonance. More recalling the sonic contemplation of microtonal black metal akin to Victory Over the Sun or Jute Gyte, Úpal is wonderfully otherworldly and hauntingly evocative – but certainly not for everyone.

Those who are looking for the lonely and cold darkness that pervades acts like Deathspell Omega or Blut aus Nord will be sorely disappointed. Kostnatění bathes its black metal musings in harsh sunlight with careful attention to detail and unwavering organicity that allows its stinging and psychedelic guitar tone to shine. While this sun-bleached theme recalls acts like Altars or Austere, Úpal features a sound like no other, perhaps closest to the melodic gallops of American raw black explorers Grave Pilgrim. Opener “Řemen (The Belt)” radiates the foreign desert, the freeform guitar runs approaching acts like Orphaned Land or Melechesh in their warbling Middle Eastern-influenced melodicism, before its following two tracks “Hořím navždy (I Burn Forever)” and “Rukojmí empatie (Hostage of Empathy)” dive from the prophet’s precipice with crawling dissonance that gashes and lives under the skin – a madness reminiscent of Rejoice! The Light Has Come. However, for how unlistenable Úpal becomes in these moments, Kostnatění always returns to the grounded folk approach, as centerpiece “Opál” reminds in its resurrection of the central melodic motif of “Řemen,” constructing its own microtonal duel with flute. The first half is tasteful and contemplative, in spite of its unfriendly dissonance, thanks to its slower tempos and thoughtful rhythms.

The second half of Úpal amps up the intensity. From the hostile squeals, crunchy rhythms, and flaying riffs of “Skrýt se před Bohem (Hide from God)” to the vicious blastbeats and dueling flute melodies paired with vile dissonance of “Nevolnost je vše, čím jsem (Nausea Is All I Am),” the culmination of the “Slunce svázáno s krvácející Zemí (Sun Bound to the Bleeding Earth)” is an absolute ride. Taking cues from all previous tracks, the ghosts of the desert and the gods of the dead join forces in a chorus of insanity from the cliffs, epic and nearly nauseating in its motif. Punky second-wave rhythms morph with growing layers of dissonance, each more painful than the last, with flute guiding the path into transcendence. Collapsing into simple riffs and repeated melodies punctuating each repetition, our heatstroke ends simply and aptly: in relief and in death.

Úpal is as unforgiving as the desert sun. As is the case with much of microtonal black metal, it relies more on exploration than punishment, but Kostnatění isn’t afraid to show its teeth. Featuring an approach that blurs the line between folky exoticism and dissonant pain seamlessly, it will soothe your soul and crush your spirits, often in the same anxious breath. As such, it is not an album for everyone, as its weaponized breed of melodic and dissonant motifs may come across as noise or lack of commitment; there are unguided moments that last too long, especially in “Rukojmí empatie (Hostage of Empathy).” Repeated listens are a must for the uninitiated, as each spin slices through another layer of skin to reveal its black heart. However, constructed with such care and precision, emphasizing a broad and rich exploration of melody and dissonance, fans of the style would be foolhardy to miss Úpal.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Willowtip Records
Website: kostnateni.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: May 26th, 2023