Early in 2023, I found a release that had me really intrigued. A Yiddish black metal project by the name of Akloleh. I had seen so many types of black metal but never Yiddish. I immediately hit play and was totally blown away by it. Was it a bit rough around the edges, sure. But for a little bedroom project, the potential was there. After featuring the 2023 release Aybiker Ritual on the Brewtal Awakenings playlist, Mazik (the mystic beast who spawned this project) and I forged a friendship. A few months ago, Mazik bestowed a gift upon me: the new album entitled The Kabbalist. Upon first listen, I knew I had to review this mammoth album for them. What stood out to me the most was the production. Everything was in its place and well balanced, no instrument out shining another or drowning out the vocals. The drums were still big and loud but still let the guitar shine. The riffs flow around the drums and the vocals beautifully. The album starts out with an instrumental track to set the tone that is present over the following nine tracks. As soon as the track A Shoydernish Kimt kicks in, Mazik begins calling out to the listener with their howling vocals, a warning to the listener on what lies ahead in the misty forest that is on the album art. The atmosphere created by Mazik is heavy and brooding. You can feel the pain and suffering that they are conveying through their storytelling that is all in Yiddish. The next track, Merkoveh, comes out firing on all cylinders. Where the previous track was more of the slow burn kind of track, this track leaps out of the dark and takes the listener by surprise with fast paced drumming and icy cold tremolo riffs that cut through the listener. The synth near the end of the track was a nice added bonus as well. In Kamf picks up from where Merkoveh left off, continuing to come at the listener with ferocity and anger. The riff that kicks in around the minute and a half mark had me banging my head each time I listened. It is so groovy and infectious. The track Deveikus slows it back down a bit, trading the speed for atmosphere. It gives the listener a chance to catch their breath while Mazik bellows out his stories from a distance. The next two tracks, Kidesh Levone and Kainahora bring back the fast-paced action before bringing a well-placed instrumental track in Di Ba’alei Shem. I say this because the last two tracks that Mazik presents to us on this epic journey clock in at nine and eight minutes, respectively. Hisboidedus starts off with the slow, thick atmospheric side that we have seen a few times in this offering. After a few minutes, the track begins to pick up speed and around the four-minute mark, those ice cold riffs kick in and the track speeds off into the night sky as Mazik howls from atop his mountain down into the mist covered valley below. Bakhatzoys has a nice little twist in its final moments that will leave you confused but also laughing because as I always say, you can’t take black metal seriously. You’ll know what I am talking about when you get there! I am so happy I got to do a review done for Mazik. To see the growth that they have attained in just a short time is astounding. I truly hope they continue to make new music. They have a very unique style that stands out from the crowd.
- The Metal Architect
