It never ceases to amaze me that there is still a music scene in Ukraine and that music will always find a way to survive and flourish no matter what is going on in the world around them. Here we have the debut album by melodic black metal outfit Deus Sabaoth who comprise Alyona Neith (all instruments), N-Exul (vocals) and Ercld (drums). One thing which makes this band stand out is the heavy use of piano and how it often underpins the guitars, providing a very melodic undertone which is almost classical.
This is heavy on the atmosphere, and on one level is incredibly heavy with punishing vocals and drums, yet the melody is incredibly dramatic with keyboards also playing a part but in a more overt manner here and there as opposed to the piano which is more in the background. A good black metal album contains not only atmosphere but lots of levels and that is very much the case here as there is a lot going on, much more than one normally finds in this style of music. The album is easily available on Bandcamp and while some may feel this needs support just because it is from Ukraine and we all need to do whatever we can, take it from me that if you enjoy this style of music this is well worth investigating further.
Rating: 7/10
