When was the last time an album hit you with such emotion that you felt like it was casually going to rip your heart out and leave you with a gaping hole where your emotions used to live? I have a list of bands that have created music like that, and those are the ones I go to when I want pure emotions put to the soundtrack of raging Black Metal.

Romanian psychedelic Black Metallers  Negură Bunget may not be around anymore but the two former members in Sur Austru are here to carry their spirit with their third album Datura Străhiarelor. It’s a roaring firebrand of an album, capable of being that heart wrenching while making you want to tear and claw at the reality surrounding you.

“Afurisirea”” is the perfect opening track. Raging with primal fury, the lyrics are in Romanian so it’s one of those albums where I have zero idea of what’s being said, but it doesn’t matter because the cadence matches up. The song opens up to be so much more than just a Black Metal blast fest, it begins a blackend and beautiful journey.

From the presser: Datura Străhiarelor’ is Romanian for “The Gift of Scarecrows” and is a concept album focusing on the Apocalypse triggered by magical beings from Romanian mythology. Their spells break the gate between the fantastic world and the real one, through which ancient beasts surge, thus annihilating humankind.

See, that’s some badass shit! “Arătarea” continues that badassery by creating a beautiful soundscape that builds towards an immense and brutal climax. It reminds me a bit of Nokturnal Mortum’s Verity and Voice of Steel albums, with it’s mixture of nature sounds against staggering human brutality.

“Cele Bune” and “Cele Rele” are the centers of the emotional hit that Datura Străhiarelor delivers. There’s parts of the songs that put me in the depths of existential sorrow. The entire album pulses with this feeling, from the mournful, clean-gruff vocals to the strident riffing and battering ram of the drums.

“Fărmăcarea” and “Afurisirea” bring the Arkona in epic fashion, they crank the emotional knob to eleven, the soaring vocals are hypnotic against the soul crushing heaviness of the instruments. It’s tracks like those that make the most impact. Blaze of Perdition did this on Upharsin earlier this year and Sur Austru are showing that they’ve perfected the formula to rip your still beating heart from your chest.

“Împărăcherea” and “Isprăvirea” close out this Romanian beast and they do it with massive, ravenous hunger. The former sporting powerful gang vocals and a martial pacing like warriors called to battle with plenty of “hoo-ha’s”. The latter is the final crush, the push to victory that Datura Străhiarelor delivers in just under an hour (54:02 if you like numbers).

It’s taken me a bit to write this review, life keeps happening you know. However, I spent the entire week with Datura Străhiarelor. Whatever I was doing Sur Austru was there. This is an unrelenting album, from the opening blast to the final note a solid third album that you need to own. For you nature lovers of Nokturnal Mortum, Arkona and Thy Catafalque this needs to be in your collection.

[Visit the band's website]

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