Review by TheOneNeverSeen on October 7, 2023.

The Greek DSBM quartet has returned after the surprising, yet well-executed partly gothic rock Innocence​.​Love​.​Sadness to deliver another (this time purely DSBM) piece of suffering with a lovely title Self Inflicted Razor Cutting. While not being a new DSBM classic like Corrosion of Hearts or This Mournful Dawn, it is another solid Sorry… album and one of the most satisfying releases in the genre this year.

The album seems to be even more Lifelover-inspired (particularly in terms of the vocal style Void uses) than the band's previous efforts, despite staying raw. At the same time, it does not replicate the sound of any previous release, being cleaner than Failure Years of Neglect Apathy, calmer than Bereavement of Existence and sharper than Saudade. Void sounds desperate and hopeless as always (especially on 'Window to Another Pointless Sunset' when the might and the tone of his voice highly resemble that of Graf von Baphomet), the riffs are consistently sorrowful and the flow of the songs consistently immersive. To wrap up, listening to this album, you are guaranteed to feel lower than Greece's GDP.

As for the actual songs, the album doesn’t quite reach the level of the masterpiece All That Died Was My Innocence and the emotionality of 'I Withdrew Myself into Isolation' or 'Accepting Loneliness', but does offer many remarkable melodies such as the immensely melancholic and perfect for gloomy autumn mornings 'Lying in a Pool of Blood', the Suizid-like short… banger? 'Complete Isolation' with vocals causing me acute nostalgia for Carlsson and Graf von Baphomet or (speaking of Graf von Baphomet) the Psychonaut 4-like 'Days of Uselessness' and 'Broken Promises' with the former featuring highly atmospheric bass at the beginning, giving it even more of a Lifelover-like shade and the latter having a curious structure combining elements with melancholic and furious mood and featuring a powerful sample similar to the 'I Withdrew Myself into Isolation' one. There are two merely fine songs such as the title track or the cover of a mediocre Hanging Garden song, but the better songs significantly outweigh the weaker ones and thus I won’t be very critical of the latter.

The instruments combine well to form an emotional flow of sadness, most notable example being the brilliant melody of 'A Tortured Sight and the Final Breath' that could’ve been easily been a part of Pulver or Sjukdom. The replacement of the bassist has resulted in a pleasant surprise – the bass melodies of 'Days of Uselessness' and 'Path of Nothingness' being very remarkable. Since bass rarely plays an important part in "rawer" DSBM and I can’t recall any particularly memorable bass melodies in the band's other efforts, this is definitely a great change, making the album stand out in Sorry…'s discography even more.

In conclusion, Self Inflicted Razor Cutting is a very good DSBM release that any despair and hopelessness enjoyer should definitely check out. Sorry… have already become a notable act in the genre thanks to All That Died Was My Innocence and this album consolidates my hope they will remain so.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on December 26, 2021.

Gehenna's second album was released during the peak phase of Norwegian black metal. The churches did not burn anymore. Vandalism had made room for ingenious music and this was a wise move. A lot of bands popped up everywhere in the mostly natural land of the fjords. Due to the restlessness of their compatriots, the girl and the boys of Gehenna pulled out all the stops to publish a great album. Almost overpowered by their creativity, the Norwegians enthused the listener with a highly varied programme. But first of all, let's have a look at the production.

Guitars and keyboards were on an equal footing. It was a matter of personal taste: one could be of the opinion that the strength of the keyboards led to a relatively sticky sound. But from my point of view, in particular the equitable coexistence of guitars and keyboards generated a high degree of density. The punchy drums and, of course, the throaty vocals had also been adequately taken into account during the recording session. Unfortunately, it was hardly possible to figure out the contribution of the bass player. However, let us consider this as a minor flaw.

In terms of the production, the main thing was that the final mix did not lack of pressure and harshness, although the keyboards played an important role. Quite the opposite, the album distinguished itself by its haunting and sometimes cold atmosphere. It was another kind of coldness than that of Darkthrone's "Panzerfaust" or Immortal's "Pure Holocaust". Gehenna did not operate in a similar manner. The endless Norwegian forests did not appear in front of my inner eye. Despite a fairly melodic approach, the band occasionally created a type of industrialized frostiness and misanthrophy. Thus, it came as no surprise that the apocalyptic and powerful 'Ad Arma Ad Arma' matched perfectly with the album's aura, at the latest during its mechanized ending. Apart from that, this dark and seemingly overlong piece did not become tedious. Its playtime of 14 minutes was exactly the right format. But the best is yet to come: this colossus was framed by an amazing number of further black metal gems. Already the opener left its mark in an impressive manner.

The disturbing riff at the beginning opened the door to the soundscape of Gehenna. The purposeful guitars as well as the spooky keyboards formed a strong first track. Not at least due to its dynamic chorus, 'She Who Loves The Flames' became a black metal earworm. It was catchy enough to be almost unforgettable and black enough to become the new sonic darling of the genre fans. And Gehenna were not afraid to work with this compositional formula more than once. 'The Pentagram' or 'The Word Became Flesh', for instance, headed in the same direction. Furthermore, they also made clear that Gehenna had an amazing talent for creating fantastic black metal tracks with occasionally melodic parts. But I have to admit that almost each and every song could be viewed as a masterpiece of Norwegian's darkest art. Highlights like 'Manifestation' were simply impressive. But if we look at the big picture, we realize that the band managed to follow strictly its preferred direction during the entire full-length without lacking in quality. Due to the massive amount of high quality tracks, the malicious storm that Malice (Our Third Spell) created was undoubtedly suitable to put you immediately under its spell.

Rating: 9.6 out of 10