Style: Dissonant black metal (Harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Blut Aus Nord, Urfaust, Advent Sorrow
Country: Italy
Release date: 30 January 2026

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Drops of rainfall accumulate at the tip of a leaf. Though the dewy orbs reflect back dappled sunlight, evaporation’s sedate clip is outmatched by the impatience of gravity, releasing the excess water onto the leaves below with a thud. The wind picks up and the willow shudders in a clatter of stillamenta—this falling of droplets is a sigh of relief for replenished soil and an announcement to the sparrows that worms have begun their pilgrimage to the surface.

The stochastic dripping of the willow in the aftermath of Gorrch’s Stillamentum is not one of a peaceful, lackadaisical summer rain, but is instead a battle scar from a menacing, torrential downpour. Opener “Nimbus” (Stormcloud) begins with a throaty baritone chant acting as a harbinger of suffocating, dissonant black metal. The pattering of the willow’s drops echoes a relentless monsoon of blast beats crushed in by a dense, smothering production. Frightening, shrill tremolos mirror the shriek of lightning, and harsh vocals invoke a wind that violently whips branches and debris with abandon as human and creature alike cower in fear.

Discordant harmonic phrasing combined with erratic rhythmic choices induce a horrifying, Lovecraftian sublimity across Stillamentum. “Cryptæ” (Crypts) holds single tremolo lines out for uncomfortably long periods of time, punctuating the repeated root note with descending, quasi-sonoristic guitar work. As the pressure from the repetition becomes unbearable, the riff explodes into a 6/8 pattern in what can only be described as a demonic, fucked-up jig performed by the denizens of an unfathomably dark catacomb. Conversely, “Larvæ” (Larvae) punctuates its unsettlingly bright chords with off-kilter accenting, coming to a head in its final third as its riffs swirl in a putrid 7/8 pattern akin to writhing, gnawing insects.

Stillamentum’s landscapes rarely veer from its claustrophobic introduction, instead recontextualizing itself into new, equally crushing settings through subtle tweaks and evolutions. “Vorago” (Chasm) is monolithic, slow, and imposing in its horror despite its high tempo, staying with singular riffs for extended periods and slowly cycling between ideas which are only broken up by brief drum asides. Not only is the production suffocating, but the songwriting itself asphyxiates the listener as they undergo a searing baptism to the tune of incessant dissonant strums; any opportunity Gorrch give to breathe is an act of prolonging the torture as opposed to an act of mercy. 

For most of Stillamentum, the effect is gloriously gruesome, but closing tracks “Angor” (Anguish) and “Phlegma” (Phlegm) betray an onset of staleness. The unsettling, plodding drums at the end of “Angor”, for example, recycle songwriting tricks that appeared on “Vorago”. “Phlegma” introduces new ideas through its use of deep, cavernous tremolos accentuated by piercing dissonant chords, but repeats these ideas ad nauseam, making the track too repetitive to justify its runtime. As a consequence, Stillamentum stumbles in its final moments and ends up feeling a touch front-loaded.

Stillamentum is a journey into the abyss, beginning in a nightmarish stormcloud and ending in the depths of the Earth. Through pieces that bury the listener under shrieking dissonance and claustrophobic blast beats, Gorrch luxuriate in the vile rituals of insects, catacombs, and endless chasms. Despite its punishing repetition—sometimes, to the point of monotony—Stillamentum demonstrates the versatility and creativity inherent to the Italians’ brand of dissonant black metal.

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Recommended tracks: Cryptæ, Nimbus, Larvæ
You may also like: Yellow Eyes, Serpent Column, Krallice, Lorn
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp

Label: Avantgarde Music

Gorrch is:
– Chimsicrin: drums, vocals, keyboards
– Droich: guitars, bass