Exil - Karga

 My review on Exil - Karga

Release : January 30th , 2026
Orgin      : Lille , France
Label      : Source Aton Records
Rating    : At the end


Karga


Exil are a post-black metal band from France. Karga is their first full-length release.

The album opens in a calm, almost meditative way, with a mysterious and atmospheric feel before it slowly moves into heavier territory. Black metal elements start to appear, the vocals don’t really grab me at first, even though the melodies and rhythms in the first half are strong. Musically it works, but it feels like something is missing, and the vocals take time to make sense.

That changes around track five. From here, something clicks. The middle and ending sections feel genuinely strong, before everything is pulled back and rebuilt again. It’s a bit unexpected, but it works. From this point on, the album feels like it tells a different story. Blast beats come in, the rhythm guitars open up, and suddenly the vocals feel more natural in the mix. They’re still rough and gritty, and there’s room to grow, but now they fit the overall mood.

Poussière stands out with its calm spoken French part and slow build. The melodic section that follows is one of the stronger moments on the album. The final track, featuring Amy Tung Barrysmith, works very well as a closing piece and ties the atmosphere together nicely.

Karga is a good album, even if parts of it feel a bit unfinished. From track five onward, it’s clearly stronger. Not everything hits, but when it does, it really works. The sound is clear and precise, and the ideas are there. Overall, a solid release, even if the band is still finding a more defined direction.


Rating: 5/10


“I’ll be spinning more albums – stay tuned.”

Hauk





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