Review by Arek on September 15, 2024.

I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Deformeathing Production's offerings, because what can I say about bands like Trauma, Antigama, Hostia, Sphere, Straight Hate, or recently Agima Sun. Vitur is, next to Pincer Consortium, the newest-youngest acquisition of Deformeathing Production. Wojtek has a good ear and a feel for good bands. These releases may not always have equaled economic success, but they all gave listeners high-quality musical productions. It's no different with Vitur. The advertising blurb - "nine tracks in the style of brutal, technical, but at the same time dark death metal along the lines of The Faceless, Deeds Of Flesh, Suffocation, Origin, The Zenith Passage, and Archspire" indicates the quality of the Warsaw band, and if I add that the line-up includes the drummer from Hostia, then we can already see that they are no slouch.

I must say that Wojciech very accurately indicated the bands that greatly inspired the people of Warsaw, but it must be emphasized that they 'inspired'. Despite their young age, the musicians managed to create their own album and their own vision of fast, modern technical death metal. I believe that stylistically and sonically they are closest to the work of Archspire and The Zenith Passage, and in charisma to Origin or Deeds Of Flesh. However, youth has its own rules. This anger and rage had to be released somewhere and it fell on Transcending The Self. Although the album consists of 9 songs, in reality we have 6 pieces and 3 intros that are musically in tune with the rest of the album. Everything is maintained in a modern, brutal climate. The singles 'The Entity' and 'Only Vacuum Remains' perfectly reflect the character of the album. However, it does not mean that you can stop at listening to them. Under no circumstances! Don't let the next explosions of anger and aggression pass you by, including the progressive ending - 'The Empty Mind', the supersonic 'Absorbing Liquid', 'Dual Consciousness' with a massive ending, or the rather twisted 'For Ages'. It must be mentioned that this young quartet knows how not to overdo it with the technicalities, but only to use their skills to express their emotions.

The album was impeccably produced and prepared from the graphic side. I think that Vitur perfectly complements the catalog of the Polish death metal scene. Although they did not invent the wheel with their debut, they left a strong enough mark to hopefully await their second release, and returning to the comparisons only drawn from our backyard, after listening to their album the following association came to my mind - the style of Redemptor's middle work reinforced by the motorics of Dormant Ordeal with the sonic soul of the latest Lost Soul. I keep my fingers crossed for them.

Rating: 8

Review by Arek on September 15, 2024.

I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Deformeathing Production's offerings, because what can I say about bands like Trauma, Antigama, Hostia, Sphere, Straight Hate, or recently Agima Sun. Vitur is, next to Pincer Consortium, the newest-youngest acquisition of Deformeathing Production. Wojtek has a good ear and a feel for good bands. These releases may not always have equaled economic success, but they all gave listeners high-quality musical productions. It's no different with Vitur. The advertising blurb - "nine tracks in the style of brutal, technical, but at the same time dark death metal along the lines of The Faceless, Deeds Of Flesh, Suffocation, Origin, The Zenith Passage, and Archspire" indicates the quality of the Warsaw band, and if I add that the line-up includes the drummer from Hostia, then we can already see that they are no slouch.

I must say that Wojciech very accurately indicated the bands that greatly inspired the people of Warsaw, but it must be emphasized that they 'inspired'. Despite their young age, the musicians managed to create their own album and their own vision of fast, modern technical death metal. I believe that stylistically and sonically they are closest to the work of Archspire and The Zenith Passage, and in charisma to Origin or Deeds Of Flesh. However, youth has its own rules. This anger and rage had to be released somewhere and it fell on Transcending The Self. Although the album consists of 9 songs, in reality we have 6 pieces and 3 intros that are musically in tune with the rest of the album. Everything is maintained in a modern, brutal climate. The singles 'The Entity' and 'Only Vacuum Remains' perfectly reflect the character of the album. However, it does not mean that you can stop at listening to them. Under no circumstances! Don't let the next explosions of anger and aggression pass you by, including the progressive ending - 'The Empty Mind', the supersonic 'Absorbing Liquid', 'Dual Consciousness' with a massive ending, or the rather twisted 'For Ages'. It must be mentioned that this young quartet knows how not to overdo it with the technicalities, but only to use their skills to express their emotions.

The album was impeccably produced and prepared from the graphic side. I think that Vitur perfectly complements the catalog of the Polish death metal scene. Although they did not invent the wheel with their debut, they left a strong enough mark to hopefully await their second release, and returning to the comparisons only drawn from our backyard, after listening to their album the following association came to my mind - the style of Redemptor's middle work reinforced by the motorics of Dormant Ordeal with the sonic soul of the latest Lost Soul. I keep my fingers crossed for them.

Rating: 8

Review by Felix on April 27, 2024.

Since the beginning of their musical activities, the members of Skyforger do not only appear as musicians, but also as emissaries of their country. From my point of view, they represent Latvia in a dignified way. Their discography is growing constantly and most of the efforts are very well done. Despite the fact that some of their albums are slightly weaker than their predecessors, the band always acts in an authentic manner. But authenticity is not the only trump card of "Senprūsija". Due to its strong compositions, it belongs to the better outputs of Skyforger and surpasses its predecessor significantly. Furthermore, it cements the musical approach of the band. The Latvians cover the whole spectrum between wild thrash and shamanic doom and they do it in a skillful manner. Without neglecting completely folkloric elements, they create a churning mix of metal.

Harsh tracks like "Sudāvu jātnieki" or "Tagad vai nekad" underline the most craggy side of Skyforger. These songs are no American-style thrash metal and the usual European thrash approach does also not show up. Furthermore, these tunes have nothing in common with the more or less primitive black thrash legions from Germany, although their sound is slightly blackened. The band offers a different version of thrash. It is able to create very special melodies and the edgy Latvian language adds an enriching element. It would be an exaggeration to say that Skyforger still spread an exotic aura. Their sound is not unique. But the musicians are capable to generate the vehemence of thrash metal with their own means. The equally massive main riff of "Divi brāļi" pulls you into the song immediately, but this piece does not follow the thrashing approach of the aforementioned songs. The longer it lasts, the more the band emphasises folkloric sounds, in particular as a result of the use of flutes. Due to this pattern, the song is comparable with the title track. But despite these differentiations, the album never falls short of an appropriate level of heaviness. Not least to the raw voice of the lead singer and an unmistakable quantum of high velocity parts ("Melnās buras"), this full-length exudes metal from each pore.

The arrangement of the songs is well done. The heavyweight "Rāmava" is absolutely correctly positioned. It separates the faster tracks of the first half of the album from those of the second half while leading you to the dark Latvian forests or, alternatively, to the autumnal and windswept shores of the Baltic sea. Desperate riffing meets mantra-like singing while the last rays of sunlight vanish slowly. The deities of the Old Prussians are surely delighted to get this sonic offering. By the way, the ambitiously designed booklet is a treasure trove for historically interested metalheads.

Long story short, Skyforger deliver another chapter of their independent kind of metal. With the exception of the lukewarm instrumental called "Rituāls", they offer good songs with a more or less flawless production. All of you who like the previous albums of Skyforger will not be disappointed, because the band remains a reliable partner for its supporters.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10