Tsirhic - To Satan I Reply (2026)

Unleashing one of the most visceral and brutal debut mini-albums in quite a while, today we have one-man battalion Tsirhic with “To Satan I Reply”. Featuring five tracks and nearly 25 minutes of ravaging Black Metal, this outfit brings back the good old days of 90’s Scandinavian Black Metal with certain 90’s USBM influences, creating a raw and punishing sound that we haven’t heard in quite a while. For fans of retro BM, this release will make you dust off your old record collection to keep the nostalgia going.

Opening with the ominous intro of “Blessed Be”, the release quickly unleashes some frosty rawness with some hellish Black Metal onslaughts. There is a certain crafty melody behind the harshness, making the music more visceral and punishing, this nicely continues with “H.I.P.C”, another super engaging track with intoxicating hooks and that lo-fi vibe that demos from the 90’s used to have. However, do not think this sounds like it was recorded on a port-a-potty, as the production is quite intelligible.

Getting to “God Dethorned” the band does a 180 turn and delivers some lush synths alongside grainy riffs to create a very dense and eerie atmosphere. Blending the initial rawness and this new found atmospheric side, this is one hell of a song that is both melodic and crushing. “The Prophecy of Gog” and the closer “Mockery of Solitude”, have the rudimentary BM-core returning with blistering drums and some hellish vocals, again, we are quickly reminded of the band’s savage musical core.

In general, “To Satan I Reply” is one of those releases that you don’t expect it to be this good. The band’s sound is basic and rudimentary, as intended, managing to capture that nostalgia and rawness of the BM scene in the 90’s, while still injecting some newer and fresher ideas, not to mention solid production values. Tsirhic sets a very high bar from the start, and judging from the ideas and creativity behind this release, that is far from linear, there seems to be a lot more where this came from.

Rating: 96/100