(Review borrowed from Metal Archives, Written by KonradKantor)

Some albums are not really meant to be understood. To take apart and dissect an album like W śnialni would be doing it a disservice, so the goal here is really just to get everyone interested in black metal into Furia. There's not a specific type of taste that is immune to Furia's power to expand its horizons, and the latest album -- which is the first since 2016's Księżyc milczy luty -- is no exception. A bit of background on the Polish scene on the surface, as I'm sure there are 10s-100s of raw black / punk black projects I have yet to hear. But for most part, the Polish bm sound really starts with Nergal and early Behemoth, and the torch of the mainstream has been passed to Mgla. Bands such as Plaga, Veles, Graveland, Evilfeast, Arkona have all added to that Polish picture. Graveland being on the Pagan/Viking end of the spectrum, and Plaga and Mgla being on the more modern / punishing side of it. Furia, back when they had their original guitarist Voldtekt (Massemord), played a more straightforward style than they do today. The only real lineup change was when Voldtekt left and Artur Ruminski joined, but it's safe to say the other core members helped Furia's sound develop into something totally original on their own. However, Artur is in some other projects that I will mention later in this discussion. Someone who is only into Polish bm on the surface, such as Mgla or early Behemoth, would be best suited to introduce themselves to Martwa polska jesień, Furia's debut, before starting with the more modern works. I think the natural progression of this group has always taken experimentation into more avant-garde styles and added it to the core sound. So if you want more of that powerful Polish feeling, start with the debut, and work your way through a very rewarding discography, including the EPs. It's not quite possible to do accurate band comparisons, because Furia is very original in its present state, but if you think you would like a combination of Ved Buens Ende / Fleuerty / Dodheimsgard and Mgla / Plaga, then Furia is really for you. Oh, but let's say four totally capable musicians decided to play this combination of styles while they took a bunch of acid or weed / mushrooms / booze. Oh, and they also recorded the album in one take after not discussing their ideas with one another. That's more where we've headed in their latest album (haha). The beginning of W śnialni starts with what sounds like a sound check. At times, only the L or R speakers will emit music / or sound. There's a lot of feedback as well, but because there's no crowd noise (bottles being opened, bar chatter), you get the feeling the band is doing a soundcheck in outer space. There's a really surreal feeling to this, as if you're listening to a garage practice, but it's being recorded. Disclaimer: I do not understand Polish, and therefore have no idea what the band members are saying to each other in these tracks, but there is definitely some sort of frustrating conversation going on. The whole thing is really bizarre, yet charming at the same time. The album really starts to open up, as if there is an overarching atmospheric theme to the album (think Darkspace / Alrakis, but drunkenly), as if some alien lifefrom decided to mix the stuido experience having never heard any other studio experience. There's a tribal undercurrent to the mix that come in-and-out, as if the band members just want to jam away and improv. That's the right word... improv. The thing feels like a drunken improvisation meant to take the listener into a warped sense of everything the band has turned into from 2003 until now. And just when the listener finally starts to get into the groove of the second song, the music will take wild turns. Again, the mixing here is truly something to behold. To date, the band has taken its more bold artistic statements and saved them for EPs, as the albums have been much more, shall we say, typical, in terms of how we listen to black metal. This thing throws it all out the window. The second half of the second track (there are only two tracks on the record, and it's fairly short at just over 29 minutes), makes the rest of whatever the fuck Furia is doing worth it. I should also note, that Artur's other main project, Gruzja, has a very post-apocalyptic punk / bm feeling to it, and that has certainly worn off here. If you're a fan of Nocel and Księżyc milczy luty, which are the two best "modern" Furia albums, Gruzja is worth checking out if you want to add a punk vibe to that sound. All-in-all, W śnialni isn't one of the best Furia albums, but it's certainly just as memorable. The whole thing feels like a cathartic "fuck off" from members of the band, as if they are insisting that you listen to the music the way THEY want you to. Furia has always had this feeling on its later records, but not as over-the-top as is displayed on this one. I think that Księżyc milczy luty (specifically songs such as "Grzej") are the pinnacle of Furia's fantastic sound, but for those listeners willing to take that weirdness a step further, the latest record is a welcome addition the the increasingly complex collection. Personally, Furia is my favorite Polish black metal band, period. There's generally an era most people will prefer, be it the straightforward early stuff (if you consider Kriegsmaschine / Plaga to be straighforward), or the later stuff that resembles the oddities that were coming out of the Norwegian scene in the mid-90s. I say get weird and listen to this shit. Even if you're disappointed in it, you certainly won't forget it.