Groza - The Redemptive End (2021)

It is definitely a great time to be a Black Metal fan as bands like Uada, Mgła, etc. are leading a new wave of highly polished and modern sounding contributions. Germany’s Groza falls in this category with their guitar driven and brilliantly crafted and layered 42 minutes of music in “The Redemptive End”. Balancing out brutality and flawless execution with a good dose of melody, this band creates six very intense and punishing tracks that any fan of this modern style will enjoy.

Opening with the mood setter “Sunken In Styx - Part I: Submersion”, we get slowly introduced into the band's hypnotic and incisive style. As soon as “Sunken In Styx - Part II: Descent” transitions in, the intensity becomes higher and the riffing takes command. The band’s harsh vocals and ravaging intensity quickly induce headbanging attacks.

We particularly enjoy tracks like “Elegance Of Irony”, which are very clean sounding, melodic, and emotive, drifting the listener’s attention while creating a more complex and layered style. Our favorite track has to be “The Redemptive End” and it's very minimalist interlude that nicely builds momentum to a very melancholic catharsis.

Far from being a one-trick pony, tracks like “Nil” and “Homewards” showcase the band’s ability to blend in extra elements and genres making them sound completely different from all the Mgła/Uada copycats, as they show creativity and vision into crafting their own sound. Overall, “The Redemptive End” features a familiar style that is nicely enhanced and reinterpreted to deliver unique and powerful compositions. Groza is a band set to mark a path for themselves and this release is the second step in their journey.

Label: AOP Records

Release: August 6th, 2021

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Germany