Artist: Massen
Title: Gentle Brutality
Label: Apostasy Records
Cat #: CDARC072
Release Year: 2023
Duration: Album
Format: CD
Packaging Type: Digipak

Gentle brutality is the second album from the Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal band Massen.

Sometimes it needs a contradiction to describe art and sometimes art is just contradictory, but does so well as a complete work.

MASSEN already proved that extreme music knows no boundaries with their debut “Contraesthetic”. Now, it’s time to go a step further with their blend of unique melodies, black/death metal intensity and engaging sounds. “Gentle Brutality” takes all its energy from the sheer brutality of shredding guitars, pounding and blasting drums as well as furious grunts in combination with haunting clean sung vocals and highly addictive string instrumentations. The tracks are equally beautiful and loathsome at the same time.

While songs like the opener ‘Energy System’, ‘Corps De Ballet’ and ‘Throwing The Stones’ showcase a strong black metal influence with their fast-paced rhythms and grim atmosphere, MASSEN also knows how to slow down for a moment to create an even more engaging flow for their album. ‘Together Alone’ and ‘Dym Idzie (Smoke Is Going To The Sky)’ reduce the instrumentation to focus on the vocals and the words in intimate ballads that never lose touch with the band’s signature elements. The intro for ‘Askoma (Sorethroat)’ tricks the listener with its industrial appeal that leads into a savage melodic death metal inferno, while the closer “Our Melody Is Not Dead” perfectly sums up everything that makes “Gentle Brutality” such a versatile record by living up to the album’s title.

Recommended if you like: Arkona, Moonsorrow, Ensiferum, Ne Obliviscaris, Deicide, Dimme Borgir, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Septicflesh

Track Listing:
1. Energy System
2. Corps De Ballet
3. Disgusted
4. Together Alone
5. Askoma (Sorethroat)
6. Throwing The Stones
7. Dym Idzie… (Smoke Is Going To The Sky)
8. Our Melody Is Not Dead