Black metal has never really been my cup of corpse paint. However I have been a fan of musical hybridization for a long time although that Run D-MC/Aerosmith collaboration should never have happened since it was the genesis of nu-metal. Since I've contradicted myself in my opening statement I'll get on with the business on hand and say I was recently emailed a bandcamp link from a Bulgarian band called UPYR. My initial reaction was to consider the band to be huge fans of text messages as I get lost with all the abbreviations the kids use these days. A quick google revealed that the name is a type of vampire. What really got my attention though was that the band was described in the email as blackened doom, which caused raised eyebrows as that is a musical description that isn't witnessed every day.
The band also has yet another thing I usually hate: long songs. There is a difference here as UPYR flirt with different styles within their songs but also stand up on their own two feet and proudly identify themselves through their chosen sounds. There are tinges of goth here and there and some of the slow spoken parts have a similar bleak feeling and gloominess to "Burning World" era Swans but also British doom bands such as My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost.
There are three songs on the band's CD but their bandcamp site includes a song which is from a cassette. It's hard to know if it's because this was a December release that I keep staring at the goat and imagine it standing up on two legs completely draped in red. You should do yourself a favour and check this band out.
4/5
UPYR's bandcamp
UPYR's facebook
Smalltakeover on facebook
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