Published: February 11, 2025

The chilling embrace of winter is something that metal has long sought to embody in many of its different forms, and it would be wrong for anybody to claim that there has been quite a bit of success especially in the worlds of doom and black metal. When done right, the great snows are done immense justice and loads of intrigue are brought to the table as many themes of sorrow, death, and beyond can be encapsulated in the intensity and macabre serenity. It simply needs a band that’s able to deliver such talent. Having made themselves a name to know and respect for over ten years now, it’s with their forthcoming effort that Norilsk stands monolithically tall as a band that embodies the very best of what this corner of the underground can be.

We are fortunate to be living in a time where we have no shortage of interesting acts of death-doom for all that the style has to offer with there always being a name that has put out something flavorful and interesting for us to sink our teeth into with each release offering something that the others do not. Delivering wintery doom like few others out there, the return of Norilsk signaled the return of greantess for many of us with the reality of “Antipole” being something that should surprises new and old fans alike for all that was dared to be brought forth and executed with such mastery. A powerful blend of death-doom that is never once afraid to delve into other styles to bring some real flair and grandeur into the mix, everything that is “Antipole” tackles duality in its many forms with it being reflected gorgeously in the music itself. Beautifully ebbing and flowing from a more patient execution that’s able to crank the speed while always enabling this record to maintain its soul of death-doom while simulatenously making for a listen that delivers in far more ways than just slow volumes of a dark death. Rather, “Antipole” stands tall as a work that demands commitment. To understand every given facet of this work is to become intimately familiar with all that greatness has to offer when its harnessed and honed in a brilliant way while keeping your mind open to other influences worming their way in and enhancing your work. That’s something the underground can do in exemplary form when allowed, and Norilsk has delivered it in such a form that cannot be deemed as anything short of masterful.

Compelling and utterly addicting once its hooks latch into your very soul, wintery doom has been given extreme justice for all that was put into this record. The very snow on the side of the mountain underneath the stunning tapestry of the night sky has a massive role to play throughout the whole of “Antipole” with the work simply stunning from front to back. Norilsk has never been a name to deny in any form whatsoever, yet it is with each given minute detail of “Antipole” that the fourth full-length album from this Canadian act stands as one of the best to date if not their very best as a whole.