Here we have yet another black metal act from Ukraine, the second I have reviewed this week, but while the album by Deus Sabaoth was their debut, this is the eighth from the veterans who have been around for more than 20 years. The rhythm section of Khorus (bass) and Khaoth (drums) have been there since the beginning, while Jurgis (guitars, vocals) has been involved since 2010, and Andres (guitars) has been there since 2019 and the last album. They say about this one, “Wounded and grim, it will carry letters to the future for those who come after us. We began working on it back in 2021 and completed it during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the racist scum. These letters also carry the voices of those whose time stopped forever in 2022.”
It is no wonder there is passion and emotion here, as here we have a band crying out their pain and passion in atmospheric black metal which is incredibly intense. There are a few keyboards here and there, but they are just to provide nuances over the top of the heavy guitars. Jurgis is a wounded animal, his vocals fractured as he brings to life the trauma of life and death in a country being invaded. That they have managed to record something so powerful while existing in a living hell is nothing short of a miracle, and as with Deus Sabaoth, their music has been transformed into something dramatic and powerful, essential for anyone who enjoys this style of music. If you are looking for black metal which is being taken to the next level, then here is another band from Ukraine who are more than delivering with emotion, passion and pain.
Rating: 8/10
