What began as a pandemic-era Black Metal outlet around 2020 has gradually evolved into something far more complex. The Polish formation Zmarłym is in the midst of reinventing itself, and although that transformation doesn’t yet feel fully complete, the signs are pointing in an intriguing direction. With Wielkie Zanikanie (The Great Disappearance), they present their second full-length album via Godz Ov War Productions, demonstrating that their musical ambitions stretch far beyond mere genre preservation.
On this album, Zmarłym walks a fine line between the foundations of traditional Black Metal — cold riffs, piercing shrieks, disorienting drums — and an increasingly bold urge to experiment. Think subtle electronic textures, unexpected shifts in rhythm and dynamics, and progressive structures that at times carry the listener along rather than overwhelming them. It feels like a journey — not just musically, but thematically. Wielkie Zanikanie breathes decay, introspection, and the inability to hold onto what once seemed solid — in the world, in oneself, in sound.
The production is raw, but purposefully so — as if the edges are left frayed to let atmosphere seep through. At times, it still sounds a little unsteady, as though the band is hesitating between the familiar past and the unknown future. But it’s precisely that tension that makes things interesting. The electronic elements aren’t used as gimmicks but rather as extensions of the album’s emotional undercurrent. And when the progressive passages lock into place, Zmarłym sounds, at times, utterly crushing in its conviction.
It’s exactly this hybrid approach that gives Wielkie Zanikanie its character. The album feels constantly in motion, like an entity that refuses to be pinned down. Not every experiment lands equally strong, but the ambition is palpable, and the direction the band is heading makes you eager to hear what’s next.
Zmarłym’s many faces reveal themselves not just in their musical choices, but also in the strikingly diverse vocal delivery. Where many Black Metal bands rely on a single type of scream or growl, Zmarłym consciously embraces variation. From blistering, visceral shrieks that hit you like a blow to the chest, to near-ethereal, harmonious clean vocals that add surprising emotional depth — every vocal register is explored. This choice not only enhances the dynamic range of the songs, but also reinforces the thematic complexity of the album: decay, transformation, struggle, and surrender each get their own voice, their own color.
What makes this vocal versatility even more compelling is the decision to sing entirely in Polish. It gives the music a more natural rhythm, a deeper tonal richness, and above all, a sincerity that might be harder to achieve in English or any other “international” language. You can feel that this isn’t a translation of emotions — it’s a direct transmission, as if each line is being pulled straight from within. Polish as a vocal language adds a unique atmosphere: mysterious, incantatory, and perfectly suited to the dark, introspective world that Wielkie Zanikanie inhabits.
Zmarłym is clearly still in transition — but if this album proves anything, it’s that the journey itself is just as compelling as whatever destination they may be heading toward.
80/100
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