When was the last time a Metal album truly terrified you? That kind of primal fear we first felt hearing ‘Black Magic’ by SLAYER or ‘Dead By Dawn’ by DEICIDE, the sense of otherworldly darkness creeping into your room and surrounding you. It’s a weight of feeling that stays with you forever. QRIXKUOR through their latest album “The Womb Of The World” resurrects that same dread, leaving a mark just as profound and unsettling as those early encounters with extreme Metal. Where many Metal bands rely on technical prowess or majestic guitar harmonies to seduce their prey into their own world, QRIXKUOR choose another path. They have created an absolute mood of madness, both intentional and unintentional, channeled through Black Death Metal. Hence, their work offers no invitation; it demands only submission at certain points. Through nightmarish orchestral passages, you cannot escape their bombastic sonic assault. Take their opening track ‘So Spoke The Silent Stars’ for instance. It combines exceptional layers of conjured cosmic extreme Metal chaos perfectly. The dissonant onslaught of the guitar work truly complements the baneful drum performance, all of which unfolds beneath strange yet deeply sinister vocals. Those formulas together creates a sense of unknown terror that emerges intermittently. It is deadly in its ability to immerse you in immense claustrophobia, dragging you into an endless nothingness. ‘Slithering Serendipity’ is no less intimidating than the opening track. Its dramatic guitar opening makes your head spin toward the grave. And the grandiose orchestral hysteria that follows is likely to brutally test your mental state, forcing you to confront the abyssal visions or dimensions that emerge throughout this particular song. What is perhaps even more intriguing is the solo guitar midway through the track. It allows you to imagine wandering through a forest of darkness, where a singular beauty sometimes appears, but that illusion only traps you further to a great obscurity. Moving into their third cinematic horror soundscape with ‘And You Shall Know Perdition As Your Shrine’ where the band once again sharpens their vision of sonic dread. The flawless percussive performance is also once again elevates the album further, shaping it toward ever evolving forms of terror rather than repetition. Each track sounds like stands on its own, offering a distinct approach to vocal expression and revealing their careful control over how every voice is embodied and delivered. Much of the eternal praise to the compositional work where all vocal and textural elements are woven together with precision. The overwhelming atmosphere emanating from this song can probably only be attained through masterful collective work. The final event of invoking majestic darkness unfolds within ‘The Womb Of The World’. Another harrowing and surrealistic manifestation through the medium of Black and Death Metal mentality. Venturing into the fourth track alone seems sufficient to justify the entirety of the work. It is nearly impossible to calculate or articulate what lies ahead in any given part of their composition. Each bar carries its own distinct impression, as it is layered with elements of breathtaking and unexpected turns. More on this album, the sound production of “The Womb Of The World” is masterfully executed. Greg Chandler, who handled the recording, mixing and mastering of the record, proves to be truly exceptional in his craft. The sound design is fully capable of amplifying the anguish tension, the diabolic symphonic elements and its subliminal messages into a labyrinth of surrealism. The work of the irreplaceable artist Santiago Caruso makes this album an experience that is not only a pleasure to listen to, but also a feast for the eyes. His unmatched visual artistry enriches their music. It sort of makes the album even more stunning and immersive. In conclusion, 50 minutes means nothing less than a worthy soul wandering on a journey through the vast darkness of the underground metal realm, where we are invited to grasp an otherworldly art by QRIXKUOR. No one can come close to their approach, nor can anyone replicate the nightmarish atmosphere they so meticulously conjure. It is only QRIXKUOR themselves who can one day surpass this splendid work. “The Womb Of The World” has my eternal recommendation if you seek a genuine awe of nightmarish Black Death Metal. Confront your nightmare through Invictus Productions (Europe) or Dark Descent Records (US). www.facebook.com/qrixkuor, www.facebook.com/invictusproductions, www.facebook.com/darkdescentrecords