Review by Nekrist on April 2, 2025.

Blaze Of Perdition is one of those bands that I found by chance in my constant search for quality in the extreme metal scene worldwide, and boy was it a pleasant discovery.

This Polish band is characterized by playing furious and merciless black metal, balancing it with very memorable melodic elements, this album titled Uphasin being not a simple continuation, but a refinement of their style, taking and polishing the best of their discography to later capture it successfully and finely on this record.

The compositional level is spectacular. The guitars play riffs that you want to hear over and over again thanks to an enormous sense of musicality and harmony, songs like 'Niezmywalne' and 'Przez Rany' confirm and verify my words, the melodic parts which are kind of «Dissection-esque» sounding are simply epic, while the fury unleashed by a highly technical drum performance perfectly unites all the elements, it is like taking and mixing the best and «catchiest» parts of bands like the very well known and also Polish Mgla and the merciless aggression of Infernal War, making a perfect balance of both worlds without any hesitation, Odraza is another band to compare Blaze Of Perdition with at its most brutal form.

Mr. Paweł's voice is without a doubt at its prime, maintaining an easily distinguishable style of his own, something that not many vocalists manage throughout their careers, as well as projecting anguish and suffering as few do, this time, singing in his native language throughout the album, I found very hard to compare his vocal range to that of other vocalists in the black metal scene because he doesn't use the prototypical «goblin-sounding» vocals, but more of a «rotten» and «acid» growling scream instead.

The production in general is of a high level, allowing all the elements that make up the album to be appreciated perfectly, the album having an ideal length that makes it very addictive to listen to.

I cannot recommend this record enough, one of those albums that I always go back again to when I need a shot of adrenaline and epicness, an absolute ten for me and one of the best of the famous and respected Polish extreme metal scene.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Dominik on April 2, 2025.

Blaze Of Perdition has been circling my radar for quite some time. My first encounter was with The Hierophant, which served as a more-than-solid slab of complex Polish black metal. But somewhere along the line, their subsequent releases seemed to lose a bit of that sharp edge, and, in turn, they lost me as a follower (not that I was a great loss, mind you). Now, they’ve returned with Upharsin, and I can unequivocally say they’ve won me back—this is their finest work to date. Majestic and slightly otherworldly, though I can put your mind at rest: Upharsin isn't trying to jump on the cosmic black metal bandwagon (whatever funny sub-genre that is). Instead, it stands as a testament to high craftsmanship, an elaborate piece of work worthy of your attention.

The album is packed with highlights—five to be precise—with 'Młot, Miecz i Bat' taking the lead by the tip of its nose. Of course, that could change by the time I listen to the album again in five minutes. Each song has its own distinct identity, yet the entire album remains remarkably coherent, which is no easy feat.

Take, for example, 'Przez Rany', a towering track that swaggers with an air of majesty and just a hint of arrogance. It’s like you’re standing on the tallest tower of your medieval castle, looking down at the squirming worms below, that besiege your home, mocking and shouting insults at them while simultaneously relieving yourself on their helmets. Yes, I may have been inspired by “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”, but the track genuinely starts in a very epic fashion, and it picks up speed with the kind of finesse that makes you wonder if the band is secretly moonlighting as black metal engineers or even architects. What a nice choice of words that pave the way to the next paragraph.

Because then there’s 'Architekt'—another meticulously constructed gem. It’s the blueprint for the whole album, containing all the elements of Upharsin in one dense, crushing track. It also serves as the perfect prelude to 'Młot, Miecz i Bat', the current apex of the album. At over 10 minutes long it could feel too drawn out at times, but still, it moves along like a journey, a fitting finale with many layers and depth. It keeps you on the edge until the end and offers a surprise heavy metal-ish solo before the last note fades into the void—yes, real metal in black metal! What a novel concept, right? And while the album might be a stretch for those purists who live for 280 BPM and incessant furious tremolo-picking, 'Niezmywalne' serves as the reward for anyone brave enough to sit through this dense black art.

Finally special mention must be made of the band’s performance. Unsurprisingly, the musicianship here is as tight as an iron maiden (the torture device, not the band... although the band in its early day was pretty tight too). The experience of the members—who are dabbling in side projects like Mānbryne and In Twilight’s Embrace—clearly shows. The seamless interaction between the band members makes Upharsin stand out. The transition between faster and slower sections feels fluid as if the band is communicating telepathically. But let’s not forget to mention the vocal performance. S., the vocalist, sounds like one of those creepy aliens in a sci-fi movie telling Earth to surrender or face total annihilation. His growls and barks are distorted, often feeling like two voices in one, perfectly complementing the vibe of the album. It’s almost like Blaze Of Perdition is aiming for something similar: total domination of your auditory senses and total surrender to their black art.

Rating: 8.4 out of 10 – because while Upharsin might not shatter the boundaries of black metal, it certainly raises the drawbridge and pours boiling oil on the competition. A mighty return, indeed.