‘The Hell We Have Chosen’ by Strixskog
The first time I heard Strixskog was in the Year of Our Lord, March 21, 2023. Some blessings in life take time to arrive, including the discovery of this band that is based in the mystical land of Pennsylvania, USA.
With the release of their latest album titled The Hell We Have Chosen, Strixskog has blown open the windows with winds of fury and lament, parting ways with prior elements and welcoming a heavier, more intense atmosphere. To be honest, the band’s Instagram page threw me off a bit at first, as they are self-described as “A dungeon synth and extreme metal project.” The new album is a far stone’s throw from dungeon synth (their past releases include this aspect). Instead, you get hit with a black metal/blackened hardcore vibe throughout. At its core, it is contemplative while also riveting.
The Hell We Have Chosen by Strixskog
In fitting form, the album starts off with “The Hell We Have Chosen”, a guitar-heavy song filled with fierce vocals and quality rhythm throughout. For a band historically known for dungeon synth, this song basically throws the synth off a cliff for this record. There is no holding back on the brutality and ferocity as the album progresses with “Beasts as Gods”, another ferocious black metal track.
“I Betrayed Those Whom I Loved” is what I would consider the closest thing to a death metal band merging with a black metal band at a hardcore show. It’s heavy, it’s driving, yet the vocals still remind you that this is blackened metal, despite the confusion the other elements may present to your earbuds. Regardless of how you categorize it, it’s a fantastic song that, once again, is carried by harsh vocals and driving guitars/drums.
To close out the album, the band ends with “Weeping and Silent Sorrow”, a somewhat hopeful track that leaves an uplift to the closing of a fantastic record. Melodically, it embodies more of a progressive metal vibe than black metal, yet the black metal vocals and rhythmics are undeniable. Again, they flirt with other elements outside of black metal, yet the true substance still remains. This band seems to have a talent for merging different variations of metal into one without making it sound disjointed.
The Hell We Have Chosen by Strixskog is a fantastic introduction for new listeners like myself. If you haven’t listened to it yet, you can find them on Bandcamp and Spotify, as well as on the Blacforje Spotify playlist.
