The blasphemous Turkish duo named Zifir recently unleashed this third full-length assault of theirs entitled "Kingdom of Nothingness" via the ever-reliable Duplicate Records and the blackened and ugly 13-song effort is quite satisfying in a number of ways. While the songs may appear a tad linear at first, the beauty of them is that underneath their rough exterior they contain both depth and substance.

 

Many of the riffs and melodies have a rather hypnotic and trance-like quality to them while the atmosphere of the entire album is ritualistic and murky. Not that it is convoluted or complex by any stretch of the imagination, but it manages to attain a a strange and otherworldly aura by means of raw, dark, and relatively simple black metal, which is more than can be said for many other bands out there who adhere to the same style and genre as Zifir do. As to the vocals, they are surprisingly diverse and range from foul screams to depraved Gregorian-like chants. Three of the standout tracks on the disc, more specifically the ones entitled "769", "Diabolis Prescriptum", and "Abet", are perfect examples of the band aiming for and achieving an oppressive yet near-meditative musical experience while utilizing different types of vocals and varying the tempo of the material.

 

The lyrics are well-written and interesting too, which probably has something to do with them approaching and critiquing all religions from a slightly more philosophical and historical angle and attacking the problems they pose somewhat differently to many other black metal hordes. "Kingdom of Nothingness" is a passionate and creative piece of work that requires time and patience on the part of the listener, but it will be well worth it if you want quality black metal with a certain Eastern touch to it.

 

https://zifir.bandcamp.com/