CRYFEMAL – La Gran Victoria del Mal

The manic and maniacal brand of fiercely intense black metal spawned by Cryfemal rarely fails to excite me. As with the solid and morbidly entertaining 2020 offering titled Eterna Oscuridad, this upcoming 30-minute shroud of musical darkness delivers a proper kick to the abdomen and sounds outright vicious and insane. There is a completely unhinged quality to its eight compositions that adds a chaotic vibe to the proceedings, but things never fall apart and there is a method to the madness, if you will. The opening track, ‘Necrocaina’, is one of the highlights of the record and a good example of how to infuse a tune with dynamics and a sense of structure in an interesting manner. Also, notice how the keyboards add a subtle atmospheric touch without ever appearing intrusive, which is a cool approach that works really well throughout the album. Other standout moments include ‘Mal Inmortal’ and ‘Noctambulismo’ due to their brilliant riffs and excellent drumming, and these ugly fuckers are unarguably two of the most memorable entries in Cryfemal’s entire discography. And if a brooding atmosphere is what you are after, ‘Escencia del Caos’ and the catchy ‘Despide el Ser’ might just do the trick for you. I cannot recall another output by Cryfemal that contains as many death metal influences as this one, and it is all the better for it.  

Sharp as a razor, unpleasant as fuck, and pretty solid from beginning to end, La Gran Victoria Del Mal is most definitely worth looking into should you harbor a desire to be pummeled to death by something that constantly and consistently exudes a menacing mood. If you want originality and innovation, you should probably look elsewhere, but if cruel and ear-piercing black metal is what you crave then you have arrived at your destination.