Caught in the torpor of exhausted weariness, a thickly crestfallen state of mind leads Łódź, Poland-based melodic black metal quartet ODIUM HUMANI GENERIS down a path of solitude into psychic limbo where their sophomore full-length album is both inspired and possessed by its palpable melancholy. In between catchier, more approachable munitions ‘Międzyczas‘ still has the scathe and throttle of atmospheric black metal but with suicidal ideation and melodious ‘dark metal’ characteristics blooming through. Despite this description this album is yet a guitar driven spectacle capable of profound catharsis and shoulder slumping meander alike, a thoughtfully arranged metal release admirably rooted in its conveyance of a distraught state of mind.

Odium Humani Generis formed as a quartet circa 2015 as a step taken beyond the founding members’ teenaged thrash metal cult toward black metal inspired by melodic, depressive, and atmospheric acts as well as some traditional heavy metal spiritus lingering by association on their debut demo tape (‘Zmora‘, 2018) where I’d felt their melodic influences were easiest to parse. Beyond that starting point about half of the core line-up soon moved on or started other projects (see: Fadheit, Nightbound) as it was clear these folks had spent a handful of years grinding away at their own capability and were then finding their voice in young adulthood. Definitely check out that demo there are some unique basslines and wandering thoughts which yet contain the dramatic essence of where the band is today. From there the pandemic would of course hit months before their 2019 recorded debut LP (‘Przeddzień‘, 2020) was released, and I’m not sure how much that might’ve helped or hindered the process of a debut but there the combination of melancholic melodicism applied to Furia-esque rushes of speed and a biting Lifelover-esque sense of howling dramatism made for a well-indulgent first impression. Songs like “Wracaj” would essentially deliver what the average black metal fan might want from a Polish black metal band, a solid kick to the head delivered with a strong melodic black metal inspiration driving its moodiness and while there is more to their style than this, it’d been an easy to approach album.

While many of their peers use borrowed textures (guitar tones, techniques, repetition, etc.) as a core point of pivot in developing their own personal style the further we go down the road with Odium Humani Generis it seems their intent is far more interested in conveying directly stated emotive qualities (as in, outsized melancholia) and bracing this with atmospheric bluster. Sustaining a high level of performance before authoring serious pieces seems to have made the difference in this sense, allowing for a quick evolutionary drift beyond their first album toward an interstitial EP (‘Zarzewie‘, 2022) which’d felt like a test of guitar directive more than anything else at the time. Depending on long-winded ~8 minute melodic black metal floods to generate had generally paid off on their debut and some of that EP but I think it was clear things were becoming somewhat samey with fewer compelling basslines and various rhythmic indulgences that’d made the band interesting in the first place. They’ve thankfully regained some level of the personal ‘dark metal’ specificity (see: “Granice”) of that earlier work for ‘Międzyczas‘.

As suggested an inconsolably dark cloud hands over Odium Humani Generis‘ work and this intent is easily grasped as ‘Międzyczas‘ presents two of its bigger showpieces up front, starting with the folken gloom of “Idée Fixe” and its traipsing prime melody. The rhythm of this song flexes both rapidly struck rhythmic churn and glowing keyboard/synth assisted hum as the tempo frequently shifts in nauseated step. Basslines are well-stated in the mix but now play a clear supporting role with no major flourish or flair compared to their first two recordings. Drums occupy a great deal of space where the head of the beat is deep-central in its kicked movement yet the limbs stretch a far and wide as spider legs to create the sensation of being surrounded by their often intricate work. The title track and primary single, “Międzyczas“, tasks the rhythm section in more sparing bursts as a dirge to start before a sort of black/heavy metal built riff becomes it central hook. The group shouted vocals and tragic, slow-woven tremolo picked guitar riffs give the sensation of melodic black metal tradition from a different heartbeat. This is the band at their most connective and achingly dramatic, probably the most ‘accessible’ set of verses they’ve managed to date yet it works as the dreariness of Side A achieves its representative voice. For my own taste the guitar work serves as the central point of interest, or, the major voice of these first few songs to great sweeping effect as they breeze through ~23 minutes with absolute ease.

If there is one direct to brain moment of melodic black metal moment on ‘Międzyczas‘ that’d stuck in mind for its traditional feeling gait it was probably the first few minutes of “Drogowskaz”. Beyond that escalating sophistication to start the song eventually finds its hook in a late 90’s Old Man’s Child-esque riff sidled next to a long bout of celestial drift as its remarkable final third develops. You’ll know what I mean once it hits and the moment is brief but this is just one example of the level of care these folks’ve put into eh, intentionally somewhat catchy songcraft which is at times unorthodox. In fact one of my favorite pieces on the album goes even further with this as they’re hitting a post-punk/goth rock beat to kick off the next song (“Jarzmo”) before battering their way through it and coming out the otherside bumping out black/gothic metal (sans any attempt at clean/maudlin vocals) outright. Of course I could go on pecking at the innards here, there are fine moments around every corner of what “Granice” carves out for example, but the gist of it is that Odium Humani Generis offers that next elevation of their ideal on this sophomore record. They’ve not transcended black metal just yet but but this album should have some sticking power with folks looking for a unique enough take on moderne Polish black metal sounds. A moderately high recommendation.

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