Genius Ultor - Nic co boskie nie jest mi obce

GENIUS ULTOR - Nic co boskie nie jest mi obce (ARACHNOPHOBIA - CD 2014)

I already managed to almost forget about such project as Genius Ultor, although couple of years ago I gave their debut album “Dzień nocy” quite a positive review. To those, who’re not familiar with Genius Ultor let me just say that it is a project of the members of Stillborn, who’re quite respected death / black metal band here in Poland. But the debut CD of GU was released in 2010! Since then the silence has covered the project and the only sign of life from those guys was Stillborn’s “Los Asesinos del Sur” album… and then Ataman Tolovy was active solo, recording several materials for his killer project called Turin Turambar. But finally the time was right to do another Genius Ultor, whose second album came through Arachnophobia – and that is another really awesome release from this small underground label! Yes, I still can’t shake off after the magnificent Odraza “Esperalem tkane” CD and the label attacks with Genius Ultor! Trust me, I spent last couple of weeks, listening to “Nic co boskie nie jest mi obce” and this album gets better and better with every listen. I mean, I was impressed since the beginning, really, but now when I know all these songs pretty well I am also finally ready to review the album and I am also sure that it won’t be an exaggeration or some ass-kissing, if I say that it’s yet another awesome Polish black metal album!

But there can be a debate whether we should call “Nic co boskie nie jest mi obce” a black metal at all? Not that it would really matter, I suppose that the band won’t give a damn shit about labelling their music… but the fact is that Genius Ultor is far away from the typical, classically meant black metal releases from Scandinavia. Some Polish bands, just like the mentioned Odraza, have created some sort of unique sound and style, special feeling and atmosphere, and even if their music is rooted in the black metal style, then combined with this uniqueness the result is just something different and something out of ordinary. And Genius Ultor is also such exceptional band. Another thing is whether an album like “Nic co boskie nie jest mi obce” will be able to speak and reach to non Polish listeners, as I have a feeling like they won’t be able to understand it at all… just look at the lyrics. All texts on “Nic co boskie nie jest mi obce” have a special character, are unordinary. They are also, together with the very characteristic vocal sound of Wirus, responsible for creating the atmosphere on the album. So, if you don’t understand the lyrics, then you may lose the essence of the whole material. So, better learn Polish, if you want to find out what “Nic co boskie nie jest mi obce” is all about!

So, the vocals and lyrics do give something unique to the album. But the music I dare to say is also far from typical black metal stuff. Sure, Genius Ultor managed to create a dense, thick and black as a tar, dark and sick atmosphere! Yes, some of these riffs are almost hypnotizing, but the whole album is full of variety and there are many slower, mid and fast parts spread through all seven tracks. But that diversity, along with quite original way of playing and arranging the songs and vocals, are what makes the album so interesting. Many great riffs, many totally killer parts… and every song will surprise with something awesome and memorable. The title song, then “Koniec wszystkiego co znamy”, “Zwycięstwo” – these songs will show you what Genius Ultor is all about. And in the end we have an acoustic track titled “Krew nie woda”, which is based on Impaled Nazarene “Blood Is Thicker Than Water”… OK, I don’t remember the original at all, as last time I have listened to anything from Impaled Nazarene was over a decade ago (I’m just not a fan!), but this acoustic song, with great harsh or clean vocals sound fantastic and so weird hehe! It just shows that bands like Genius Ultor have no boundaries… Also in such “Koniec wszystkiego co znamy” you’ll find a mid part, which is so far away from the known and common black metal playing. But that’s the strength of this band, especially when they put such fragment between fast, blasting black metal! Sometimes the music has the simplicity and dirtiness of old punk, just like in “Kataryniarz”, which is filthy, vulgar, uncompromising and aggressive… and cold as dead. And if there’s a song, which really is close to Impaled Nazarene, then it probably is “Zło przenajświętsze”.

Bands like Genius Ultor have their own vision for extreme music and black metal. Albums like “Nic co boskie nie jest mi obce” are brave and unordinary, and I am not sure whether everyone will really enjoy this stuff, for it’s just not like the typical black metal. And there are these vocals and lyrics, which will probably sound so weird for non Polish listeners... maybe this is why we, Poles, worship such albums and at the same time they don’t reach as many maniacs abroad. But come on! You all listen to Norwegian, German or French lyrics, so do that also with Polish black metal and I can assure you that “Nic co boskie nie jest mi obce” will strike you hard and won’t leave you careless. This is simply a very good album, indeed!

Standout tracks: “Nic co boskie nie jest mi obce”, „Zwycięstwo”, “Koniec wszystkiego co znamy”, „Kataryniarz”

Final rate: 85/100