Pure Wrath – Bleak Days Ahead (2026)

Being one of the few bands that are decently known outside of Indonesia that do not play Gore/Grind Metal, Pure Wrath as always impressed listeners with their raw and visceral Atmospheric Black Metal. After loving their first release through Debemur Morti, “Hymn to the Woeful Hearts”, this release unleashes over 40 minutes of even more refined music that takes a few spins to fully digest.

Opening with the blistering two parts of “Bleak Days Ahead”, Ryo, the band’s single member, unleashes vicious onslaughts of misery inducing riffs that perfectly blend with his harsh screams. However, the subtle atmospherics is what gets the listener as the slowly creep on you and build up some intense momentum. Adding extra elements like sax, piano, organ, and mellotron, the music is quite varied and creates very profound passages thanks to this wider pallet of sounds.

After the initial two-part song taking over 20 minutes of runtime, “Heaven of Echoes” oozes melancholy and mystery, while “Spectral Insomnia” and its playful guitar work will send chills down the listener spine while unleashing some truly hellish and intense Black Metal onslaughts. The closer, “Opaque Mist”, is an interesting and very different piece that has a very Katatonia-esque vibe, making it odd at first, but actually quite fitting to the overall bleakness and mood of this release.

As a whole, “Bleak Days Ahead” is an album that is pretty well described by its title. Pure Wrath continues to create very powerful and fierce music that is far from linear and showcases great ideas and familiar elements, but in a completely unique and punishing package. If you are tired of cookie-cutter Atmospheric Black Metal bands, give these guys a chance as they are the real deal amongst a sea of lookalikes.

Rating: 96/100