JOHANN WOLFGANG POZOJ — Birth of Pozoj (Trilogy Part 1) (review)

JOHANN WOLFGANG POZOJ — Birth of Pozoj (Trilogy Part 1) album cover

Album · 2011 · Black Metal

3.5/5 · 2011-08-23
J-Man

In light of their recent signing with prestigious metal label code666, Croatian avant-garde black metal act Johann Wolfgang Pozoj has decided to re-record their debut full-length album, Birth of Pozoj. Rather than simply remastering the album for the release, the band has "re-arranged, re-thinked, and re-recorded" Birth of Pozoj, as they intend on soon doing for the rest of the "Pozoj trilogy". Although I am currently unacquainted with the rest of the band's material - including the original version of Birth of Pozoj - I do know that this is one damn good album, and surely among one of the more impressive avant-garde black metal releases I've heard recently. This album consists of two exceptionally long songs, one exceeding the 33-minute mark, yet it remains interesting the entire time through. Birth of Pozoj is one of the most unique black metal albums I've heard in a long time, and people who enjoy black metal on the more progressive and experimental side should find plenty to love here.

Johann Wolfgang Pozoj really defies characterization on this record. Although you could say it's rooted in black metal, the clean vocal sections, progressive song structures, varied instrumentation, and ambient portions really make this a tough one to pin down. I'll stick with a loose "experimental black metal" tag, but even that isn't doing them much justice. Birth of Pozoj is a truly unique album, and the fact that it also manages to amaze with its tremendous compositions as well is admirable. Although I'd say the near-34 minute "Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes" is slightly more interesting than the near-21 minute "Queen Emeraldas", both are beautiful songs that serve as stunning rides through the darkest depths of human emotion - and there are plenty of awesome riffs here too, by the way. Birth of Pozoj will take quite a few listens to "sink in", but it's a really remarkable observation once you give it the attention it deserves. I wouldn't let the long compositions and weird, dissonant riffs scare you away after first listen.

One small complaint of mine about Birth of Pozoj is related to the production. Although not detrimental, it sounds a bit thin to these ears, and the occasional technical "hiccup" - most likely related to the quality of my promo copy - doesn't help either. The retail version may sound higher quality than the version I'm listening to, but there's no way for me to judge that right now.

All in all, Johann Wolfgang Pozoj really ended up exceeding my expectations with Birth of Pozoj. The band's unique take on avant-garde black metal is remarkable, and the way they manage to portray this through beautiful songwriting and varied instrumentation makes this one a winner on nearly every front. If you have eclectic tastes when it comes to black metal, I'd say this is a highly-recommendable purchase. 3.5 - 4 stars are very well deserved, and I'll be extremely curious to hear where Johann Wolfgang Pozoj takes this intriguing trilogy in the future.