FRESHLY BREWED: Reflections of Amnesia “Hunt Me Down Slowly”
Reflections of Amnesia (Image: Josef Adlt)
A Brew of Industrial Noise and Modern Metal
Pilsen (Plzeň) is the fourth-largest city in the Czech Republic, situated in western Bohemia.
The city has an industrial, hard-working heritage and is famous for being the birthplace of Pilsner beer (1842 saw the creation of Pilsner Urquell).
A few too many Pilsners down the years have often been the root cause of forgetting what happened the night before, so it seems entirely appropriate that up-and-coming local band Reflections of Amnesia originate from the city.
The band made their live debut at Plzeň's Divadlo pod lampou club in late 2025 and have brewed a concoction of modern metal that embraces death metal and metalcore.
Czechia’s metal scene is heavily respected for its raw underground death metal, grindcore (home to the famous Obscene Extreme Festival in Trutnov), and modern metalcore scene. Pilsen has a gritty local alternative music scene influenced by the blue collar, heavy industrial work dominating its economy (historically home to the huge Škoda Works complex).
With a single, Wolves, released by the band earlier this year, their second single, Hunt Me Down Slowly, has recently hit the record shelves and has winged its way to North of Here for review.
Tasting Notes: "Hunt Me Down Slowly"
The single, opens with a high-gravity punch wall-of-industrial-noise salvo of low tuned guitars, driving bass, and growled harsh vocals from Šárka Trapp that hit you full-on.
“I wish you could, tear my core apart.
Pull out the chaos, the psyche parasite.
We’re getting closer
is it just in my mind?
For things money can’t buy
we pay in fresh blood. ”
Before you’ve had time to settle, Šárka’s delivery undergoes an incredible transformation. The "Hunt me down slowly" refrain begins to resonate in a heavenly fashion, countering the previous intense harsh delivery with soaring, cinematic melodies. The track strikes a perfect draft balance—a heavy, malt-rich death metal core down low, capped off by a soaring, top-fermented female vocal hook.
The production carries a signature Pilsen crispness; the sheer cacophony of sound never overwhelms the mix, allowing Šárka’s clean lines room to breathe. Sharp, biting guitar work from Martin Šobr and Patrik Zajíček adds melodic flourishes to the track, before the subterranean rumble of a machine-gun double kick turbocharges the song to its aggressive conclusion.
Dynamically, the track recalls the classic dual-vocal blueprint of Lacuna Coil—specifically the "Beauty and the Beast" interplay of Andrea Ferro's gritty aggression against Cristina Scabbia’s soaring, pop-sensible melodies. Unusually—and rather impressively—Šárka Trapp single-handedly pulls off both sides of that extreme equation. Other notable reference points in their sound include Finnish progressive metallers Amorphis, the modern melodeath foundations of Sweden’s Soilwork and Arch Enemy, as well as the explosive modern metal of Ukraine’s Jinjer and Moldova’s Infected Rain. Vocal-wise, Šárka holds her own alongside esteemed heavyweights like Floor Jansen and Anette Olzon.
While most of the band’s lyrics are penned by Šárka Trapp and Martin Šobr, the words for "Hunt Me Down Slowly" were crafted by external songwriter Lucie Schwarzová. The band’s interpretation deals with someone processing a devastating life experience—struggling to process their reality, questioning what is real, and desperately searching for truth and a new sense of self. Ultimately, it delivers the poignant message that one can only find themselves once they come to terms with their past.
The single is available across all major streaming platforms, accompanied by the band’s first official music video—an atmospheric cinematic piece starring Vanda Krčmářová.
Song/Video credits:
Music: Martin Šobr, Patrik Zajíček, Lukáš Kouba, Petr Rožánek
Vocals: Šárka Trapp, Martin Šobr
Lyrics: Lucie Schwarzová
Starring: Vanda Krčmářová
Production: Jiří Votava
Studio: Franz Kavkaz
Mix, Mastering: Michal Janeček
Last Orders
This powerful, raw single pulls no punches, ensuring you won’t forget the arrival of Reflections of Amnesia as a genuine contender in the European modern metal arena. They are definitely one to watch as they brew further material and refine their craft through touring.
Another great export from Pilsen.
Na zdraví!
