EP REVIEW
SABHANKRA – Path of Pain
Melodic black metal with emotional depth.
SABHANKRA is a sound I’ve been following since the Constantinopolis days, before the band even adopted its current name. Over the years, the band has learned the finer points of its craft through trial and error, largely without professional help, turning every difficulty it has faced into another valuable experience. Even after moments when Savaş, in particular, has come close to exhaustion, the band has continued to delight its fans by consistently delivering new and stronger material.
SABHANKRA has been active under this name since 2001, and it has been twenty years since the release of its first full-length album, "Powercraft". Throughout that time, the band’s discography has featured numerous works exploring different approaches to melodic expression. Following 2025’s "Nocturnal Elegies", the three-track "Path of Pain" revisits the relationship SABHANKRA has established between melodic black metal, death metal, and thrash metal, while also forging a connection with its past. Recorded in spring 2026, this is a short release at around thirteen minutes, yet each of its three tracks represents a different approach to songwriting.
Opening track 'Witness My Fall' brings SABHANKRA’s harsher side to the forefront. The feral vocals rooted in raw black metal and the aggressive instrumental arrangements establish the track’s dark atmosphere, while the melodic passages prevent its ferocity from becoming one-dimensional. The keyboard melody heard particularly during the transition into the chorus provides a more restrained counterpoint to the track’s threatening character. The vocal passage that follows stands out for its memorable quality, with a melody that can leave a lasting impression. Here, melody becomes important because it gives the track’s harsh structure a more distinctive and memorable shape without softening its aggression.
At the heart of the EP, 'In Your Absence' opens up a different expressive territory. Starting from a calmer, more emotional introduction, the track gradually develops into an expansive, epic melodic black metal arrangement. The opening melody is strong enough to carry the rest of the song, while the progression of the guitars and the sustained vocal lines allow this melodic thread to develop and grow in impact without losing its coherence. The guitar solo that comes into focus around the three-minute mark follows the same emotional trajectory as the main melody rather than overshadowing it. The fact that the solo and the central melody never sound like two disconnected elements is one of the song’s greatest strengths. Looking at the songwriting SABHANKRA has delivered over the years, I consider this its strongest work to date. Despite the expanding instrumentation as the track progresses, its melodic cohesion remains intact, returning to the same melancholic line in the finale.
This approach shows that memorable melodic touches in SABHANKRA’s music are not simply used to create a background atmosphere or provide contrast between heavier sections. Melody is one of the driving elements of the songwriting itself. The relationship between black metal’s sharp, feral vocal character and arrangements that evoke a more emotional, occasionally even symphonic sensibility is therefore functional rather than merely decorative. At the same time, the prominence of the melodic content means that the track’s dramatic impact depends largely on the strength of its central theme. The success of 'In Your Absence' lies in its ability to retain that theme’s impact across different sections.
'The Midnight Gloom', meanwhile, occupies a special place in connecting the EP to SABHANKRA’s past. Its central melody is directly related to 'Wolf', a track from the band’s first official album, 2006’s "Powercraft". This is not simply a case of reusing a familiar old melodic passage; rather, a songwriting idea from the past takes on a different context within a new song arrangement. While 'The Midnight Gloom' establishes itself as a distinct track through its lyrics and overall progression, the reappearance of the older melody creates a meaningful sense of continuity within the band’s discography. This choice goes beyond a mere nod to the past, also revealing how SABHANKRA has managed to preserve its melodic identity over the years. However, looking at it from another angle, this could be somewhat disappointing for die-hard fans waiting for new material from the band.
Despite its short running time, the EP avoids being confined to a single mould thanks to the distinct characters of its three tracks. 'Witness My Fall' stands out through its aggression and memorable chorus, 'In Your Absence' through its melodic development and emotional breadth, and 'The Midnight Gloom' through its connection to an older composition. Rather than coming across as three disconnected ideas, this variety can be understood as a relationship between the band’s musical past and present. The traditional approach of melodic black metal, which brings an uncompromising attitude together with melody, is clearly evident here. What sets SABHANKRA apart, however, is its ability to build this duality not merely on opposition, but around memorable melodic frameworks that give its compositions their backbone.
The mixing and mastering handled by Nik Palivos at Haunting Studios, along with Wahyu Satria’s cover artwork, complete the release’s production and visual identity. However, what truly distinguishes "Path of Pain" is not its visual presentation or its movement between genres, but the way it brings together three different forms of melodic expression within a single, concise release. The connection between 'The Midnight Gloom' and the "Powercraft" era is particularly revealing, showing that SABHANKRA does not regard its past as a chapter simply left behind. "Path of Pain" is an EP that demonstrates how an established melodic approach can remain relevant in contemporary compositions, gaining further value through its relationship with the band’s discography while proving that SABHANKRA can still push its songwriting forward and excite its fans.
https://sabhankra.bandcamp.com/music