Published: July 10, 2023

From Bandcamp, “the debut album "A Soul Purged" is a cathartic scream into the void, a sonic portrait of a world spiraling into the depths of indifference and ignorance. For those with the stomach to face the unadulterated reality of our urban dystopia, URBAIN serves as a brutal yet thought-provoking guide, brandishing music as a torch to illuminate the darkness.” The album has nine songs. “Perception” is the first. Charming piano notes open the song, and there is a little tension in the background. When the riff enters, darkness follows, and when the vocals enter, its pure black magic. The aggressive sound is also tempered with sadness. “C.A.F.O.” is quite short, and passes just enough time for the listener to engage in its cold bleakness. “Without Conscience” is slower and a bit more mysterious. The band does a really nice job of thickening the background here with eerie elements that are also melodic at times. Take a listen to the gutturals after the half-way mark, and the clean guitars that follow.

Bass guitar notes segue into “Lockdown,” which bubbles under the surface with clean guitars and some tense tones. So far, the band has presented a very diverse album with a lot going on. The title track has a slow power that builds in intensity, like a fire with more and more gas poured over it. The band mixes in several different elements to keep the song robust, and the power they generate in this song takes “beast” to a whole different level. “Bissonnet” is another short song, and these in between tracks are meant to provide the listener with some time to breathe, and ponder.

“Unseen” is another slow, intense song, with brief moments of gorgeous melodies to temper the stark aggression. “Nihilophobia” is just over a minute long. Alluring keyboards combine with clean guitars and bass in what can be described as a ritual of sorts. “No God to Greet Me” closes the album. This slow and emphatic song is about as hopeless as the title suggests, but also has plenty of unbridled power. Overall, this was an excellent slab of Black Metal that proves that you can still stick to the foundations of the genre, but also strike out on your own. It was diverse, powerful, touching at times, and wrapped up tightly with a black gift bow.