Review by SzejkElRopa on July 6, 2026.

"Hellven" is one of the most important albums for me. Unlike many, who were raised on the first or second wave of black metal (and I'm quite jealous of it, growing up with these bands must have been a great experience), I got into this genre through modern Polish albums, such as Mgła's "Exercises In Futility", Zmarłym's "Druga Fala", and Zørza's first full-length. Granted, I often come back to this album, because despite the fact that I found so many other awesome bands, this remains a masterpiece. Recently, the Polish duo released their sophomore album, and many things about it are very interesting. After having parted ways with their previous vocalist, finding a new one, as well as collaborating with the vocalist of Harakiri for the Sky, my curiosity reached its peak.

First of all, I have to admit that I have a love-hate relationship with Harakiri for the Sky. It is not about the image or "it's not even black metal", because those things never really mattered to me. Their idea for the music, their ability to create melodies, and to convey emotions are undeniably good. However, I have never been able to get past one of their post-debut albums because of the vocals overtaking whole songs. And with over an hour of these, it was impossible for me to enjoy the music. But what does it have to do with Zørza? I was quite scared that the same would happen with the Polish band, that they would follow the path Groza took - leaving their identity and leaning too much towards HftS. Fortunately, this didn't happen. The first two songs, with the guest contribution of J.J., are great pieces of music - they are equally melodic, emotive, and, what's most important, they still have that desolate, frostbitten atmosphere known to me from their previous album. For example, the title track features heavier, fast-paced riffs, as well as the melodic sections, giving the song a perfect balance. Moreover, it doesn't bore the listener, despite being over 10 minutes long. "My Wounds" has a very memorable section, when Amorth and J.J. take turns screaming, as well as a melancholic opening guitar melody. Although this song briefly leans into post-black territory, the one before the guitar solo definitely leans towards traditional black metal instead of post-black.

Moving on with the rest of the album, this time without the Austrian guest, highlights of the album don't end here. In "Against Theocracy", echoes of their earlier cover of Windir's "Journey to the End" can be heard, particularly in the use of clean vocals. The whole song has a battle-like atmosphere, and once again, the atmosphere strikes a perfect balance between Viking-like elements, modern black metal/post-black metal riffs, and traditional Zørza aggression and coldness. Speaking of "Against Theocracy", I have an unconfirmed theory that "The Devil Wears Well" was made to be a crowd-pleaser. The heavy, repetitive riffing, memorable chorus ("Yes! I feel the power!") make it a great song for a potential mosh pit and sing-along in the concert. Speaking of the latter, "Against Theocracy" also features clean vocals, which may have confirmed my belief. Moreover, it also has a repetitive, headbanging melodic riff, as well as strong bass lines, which make this song even more memorable. The only problem I had was with "Death III". Although it was not a bad song, its opening was great; it has been almost completely overtaken by the vocals. This is the problem I talked about before, and fortunately, this song is the only one with that.

As I said, the riffing in the album has slightly leaned into more post-black metal territories; however, there is no copying anyone. There are heavier passages, which were especially present in "IEI", aforementioned post-black metal melodic riffs, and on top of that, desolate and aggressive, straightforward black metal riffs. Moreover, in several songs, such as "Stormspell", guitar solos can be heard. They are great and put in good places, although I have to say that in "Hellven" they were much better placed and fitted the music almost perfectly. On the other hand, it is hard to decide whose voice is better, because both Refur and Amorth gave convincing performances. Amorth's snarling is filled with aggression, and despite having to get used to it, it proved effective on this album. The bass is audible, and especially in "Against Theocracy", it leads the song. In other moments, it is also audible, which contributes to the atmosphere. The drums are also great - the guest drummer constantly fills, and I have no complaints about his work.

Zørza's second album is almost exactly what it should be. It is a journey filled with coldness, aggression, some war spirit, as well as emotions. They don't repeat the mistakes of other bands, which makes them a unique band on the Polish black metal scene. In all honesty, I give it 8.9/10, because it is a great full-length, diverse, melodic, absolutely not boring; however, it doesn't reach the same level of greatness as "Hellven". Maybe I'm saying this out of sentiment, or maybe such masterpieces are extremely hard to beat. Nevertheless, it remains a fantastic experience and should be recommended to any fan of post-black metal in a broad sense, or simply modern black metal in general.

Rating: 8.9 out of 10

Review by Jeger on June 29, 2026.

As an enthusiast whose soft spot for the beauty of Post-Black Metal is like that of a true art/literature appreciator, when an album like Zørza's "Twilight Of The Golden Star" sees the light of day, it's like seeing Delville's Les Trésors de Satan for the first time or that day you first discovered the magic of Margaret Weiss & Tracy Hickman. There's something to be said about the epic nature of the compositions, the divine melody of passages that make up evolutionary albums like Harakiri for the Sky's "Mære" or "Noctambulist II: De Droom" by Noctambulist. Something to be seen in just how beautifully these albums are packaged in genuine non-AI artwork created by respected Artisans of the canvas.

When you dare to push beyond the boundaries set by genre purity into the realm of genre exploration, the result will likely be something like experiencing the above-mentioned Zørza - "Twilight Of The Golden Star", released on June 26 via Godz ov War Productions. Zørza's sophomore opus features Post-BM mainstays Harakiri For The Sky who contribute to tracks one and two: the title-cut and "My Wounds" - an exemplary pair of tracks that quite frankly set a seemingly unreachable bar for the remainder of the album, but more shall be revealed…

"Death III" - the third installment in the Zørza "Death" saga - getting into the heart of the matter now. Gone are the guest-contributors and it's only Zørza left to carry on in soldierly form as they continue their captivation campaign; ensnaring the senses with pulsating melodious tremolo riffs and a myriad of brilliant percussive alternations between blast-beats and martial rhythms. Snaking its way just beneath the surface gleam is the thunder rumble of the bass lines and calling down said thunder from storm-pregnant skies are the vocals: impassioned screams and mighty drawling roars that resonate with such urgency, such an organic sense of yearning.

There's no danger here, no hatred, no violence or malice, only the majestic "Stormspell" siren song to ease you into the fluidity of the experience. Perpetual momentum and snare-pounding you into a Post-BM-worshipping stupor. Drooling all over yourself now (can't take this guy anywhere) and locked in like Rain Man locking into The People's Court: "gotta watch Wapner". Gotta delve deeper! Deeper still into the gentle closing moments of the song as they tick away to soft fluttering tremolos fading into the awaiting silence…

Post-BM fix Suboxoned for now! But it won't be too long before I find myself under its influence again and in a state of blessed melodic oblivion. Make this your invitation into the surprisingly 100% legit world of Post-Black Metal or may it serve as yet another conveyance into what has become a warm familiar genre. It's gravy on either side I guarantee. To the Golden Star! Whatever that is and to Zørza - one of the contemporary scene's most important Post-BM projects; one to keep your eyes and ears locked onto for sure.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10