Label: Independent
Release date: October 18th, 2024
Honestly, I was wondering for quite a long time if I should write this review. The reason is the date of the premiere. It was October 18th. So, before I decided if I should put my energy on describing what “Where All Knowledge Burns” contains and will torment you with my writing about it, I just contacted the band. You know, they released it independently in the form of a CD as a limited edition (100 copies) and it asked if this is still available. I actually was almost sure what the answer would be, but still wasn’t sure. Besides, that’s always good to ask, doesn’t it?
Anyway, Phantom is one more young band, created in 2023. They come from anonymous for, I think, at least ninety percent of metalheads who live outside this country. I guess, this is an even worse situation than in the case of Hungary. I mean, some Hungarian ensembles are and were even in times of previous political system (I especially didn’t write “communism”, because this system had not too much to do with this ideology, at least this utopic one), known in ex-eastern bloc, especially for people from, more or less, my generation who almost whole their life were into the underground. But Bulgaria was and I still feel terra incognita even for us. And, honestly, that’s what I like the most. I mean, to get to know and help in promotion to the bands coming from countries most of you would even suspect for having a metal scene.
But let’s get back to the point. Phantom is one more young ensemble. Well, we actually can say it’s a very young one, because they were born in 2023. So, it’s as clear as a sunny day “Where…” is their first real stuff ever. Yeah, earlier they released, also independently, but online this time, three singles. However, we all know my approach to such releases, so… In any case, the CD contains ten tracks which take over (seventeen seconds) forty-seven minutes. Creativity itself is surely in death metal. I know death, just like every entire sub-genre of our beloved music, has a lot of faces. That’s why I think I need to go deeper in my description to give you a picture of what you should expect from this full-length. Well, our metal brothers from the eleventh the most populous city of Bulgaria (Pernik) prefer to make their music as melodic as it’s possible. It doesn’t mean of course they forgot about the right dose of brutality! But in fact, this is, let’s call it, brutality directed at melody. In some songs it’s more and in other ones a little less recognized, but still melody is an important and immanent part of this creature. The riffs are of course a little broken. We’re also able to listen to several guitar tricks (including something we could call by solos), quite variable drumming and of course deep growling. To make a long story short, everything’s here like it’d be written in the schoolbook “What death metal is about” if it existed. Guys play mostly in the middle tempo.
At the same time, I can hear, even if it’s subtle ones, some touches of thrash metal in what Bulgarians created. But in general, I associate it first of all with the old-school Gothenburg way of playing death metal. Of course, you’ll never read any names in this review, just like in any other one written by me. To sum it up, “Where all Knowledge Burns” is a good album, especially if we think about the fact how young the ensemble itself is and, as I know, musicians haven’t huge experience. I tell you even more, in my opinion everyone who thinks about her- / himself as a death metal fan should become familiar with this album. And in my orthodox world that’s tantamount to purchasing it. As I know, there’s not a huge number of available copies, so be quick or be dead! Phantom needs and deserves your support.
