Sarmat - Upgrade (2025)

Always pushing the boundaries of Metal, bands on I, Voidhanger Records constantly challenge the status quo with intense releases. Today we have Sarmat and their insane Jazzy/Proggy Metal release titled “Upgrade”. Featuring two tracks and over 22 minutes of crazy music, this release has a very free-flowing vibe that is both aurally pleasing and yet very chaotic and contrived. If you like the more Jazzy side of Ihsahn with a splash of Maudlin of the Well and Dysrhythmia, do not miss out on the madness.

Opening with the playful album title track, we get a blistering start with a crafty bass guitar line and intricate drumming. This quickly transforms into engaging riffs and funky tempo changes as the song transitions into more experimental territories with trumpets and some sparse vocals. The band’s sound is definitely quite unique and engaging as it keeps changing and leaving the listener always guessing what is around the corner for this 14-minute piece. Closing with a wall of dissonance, this track definitely gets the point of the band across.

The second track of this release, “Serum Visions” takes things a bit further with some space-like atmospherics thanks to more crafty and avant-garde-ish instrumentation, creating a very playful and yet trippy ambiance. The band also pushes a bit more on the heaviness with harsh vocals, creating a very disturbing and intense atmosphere, adding to the overall madness of this release.

As a whole, “Upgrade” is one of those releases that on the first spin you find yourself saying: WTF, and the more you listen to it the more layers and craftiness you discover. Sarmat is definitely not everybody’s cup of tea, but it hides masterful songwriting and instrumentation that is quite well incorporated in an organic and free-flowing way. The music in this release will certainly transport the listener to weird and trippy distant lands, so fully embrace the madness.

Label: I, Voidhanger Records

Release: March 28th, 2025

Genre: Avant-garde Metal/Jazz

Country: USA