HEGEMONE – Voyance
Release Date: 15th September 2022
Label: Brucia Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Metal, Post Metal.
FFO: Cult of Luna, White Ward, Conjurer, Downfall of Gaia.
Review By: Jason James
Hegemone seem to tackle their musical endeavours in 4-year spans. Formed in 2010 in Poznań, Greater Poland, Jakub Witkowski (Bass/Vocals), Kacper Jachimowicz (Guitar), Tomasz Stanuch (Keyboard/Noise) and Tomasz Towpik on Drums, released their first album, Luminosity, in 2014. This was followed by the album We Disappear in 2018. Now, in 2022, the topography of Central Europe gets ready to shift once again as the Baltic blackened metallers prepare to unleash their third album, Voyance.
Fans of this band will tell you that this is not going to be a subdued, quiet affair. When you have a band member whose role is Keyboard/Noise, this should clue you in on what to expect. And Voyance does not disappoint. The album is a mixed affair, changing from vicious thrash to crushing power chords with no warning. Long atmospheric interludes at the beginning of four of the tracks give way to rampaging delirium.
The guitars at the beginning of the album’s first single, Odium, call to mind an immense army of killer bees getting closer before the chaotic track kicks in, sounding like people have spotted the swarm and are now falling all over each other to escape, leaving carnage in their wake, the bees merciless in their pursuit.
There is nothing new on display here. The Polish quartet luxuriate in their sound, chiselling off another slab of heaviness. There is no growth because there is no growth needed. Hegemone know what they do well, and they make sure they stick to the program. Perforated eardrums are the order of the day here, and Voyance only adds to the legacy of Baltic Black metal. Here’s hoping these guys get on the road soon and don’t make fans wait until 2026 to hear something new from them.
(3.5 / 5)
