PRAGATA – Rise of the New Empire (Demo 2024)

Released in early February via Bandcamp and sporting a brilliant and perfectly evocative album artwork, this 4-track slice of harsh and hypnotic black metal by the US horde known as Pragata is catchy as hell and rather well-arranged. Its gloriously lo-fi sound and the unpolished nature of the song material in general have resulted in a vicious and energetic piece of work that feels very direct and concise without ever coming across as simple, predictable, or unengaging. In other words, there is nothing one-dimensional about this twisted and ugly gem. I am really digging the interplay between the four musicians involved, the militaristic atmosphere that constantly shimmers in the background, and the sheer strength and potency of the actual riffs.

Rise of the New Empire is a wicked and memorable entry in the American black metal discography and one that harbors heaps of promise of potential with respect to future outputs. Fourteen minutes of underground metal madness dedicated to the eternal specter of war. What we need now is a cassette version or a CD release.