Zarraza Politically Empower Their "150 Words"

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An ominous klaxon blares overhead, a final warning against the inclement onslaught ahead. It is an alien sound, jarring and cold. The sound is without a doubt inorganic, though not industrial in nature. Its periodic eruptions are accompanied each time by a clattering of frigid cymbals and brazen sustained chords, with a swelling that grows from the deep. So do Kazakh groove metallers Zarraza begin “150 Words,” the closing track of their upcoming debut full-length Necroshiva, premiering exclusively below.

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The sounds of “150 Words” are emblematic of what can be found across Necroshiva. While the riffs dive and dart through rhythmic shifts and truncated measures, drummer Ruslan Konon propels the band ever ahead with a nonstop battery of pummeling double kicks and blast beats. The strong presence allotted him and the bass in the mix lends a weighty sludginess to the band’s otherwise dexterous and hostile riffs. Guitarist Nick Khalabuzar dances between blazing single-note progressions and furious chugs in the creation of a palpable energy that feels ever on the edge of combustion.

Handling vocals, Khalabuzar eschews the meticulously refined death growls of his peers in favor of a raw shouted delivery to carry his politically-charged lyrics. “Anti-religious songs full of sarcasm and quotes from Giordano Bruno and Pierre-Simon de Laplace are not welcomed in a country where there is a significant Muslim population,” the band said in a collective statement. With Necroshiva armed and at the ready, however, Zarraza are showing zero signs of apprehension.

— Ivan Belcic

Zarraza are self-releasing Necroshiva on May 11th. Pre-order the album in digital format on Bandcamp.

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