Lucifugum - 2006 - Involtation

Out of the Ukraine comes this productive Black Metal horde with their ninth album. This album took me by surprise, I must say. I have heard a few bands from the Ukraine, and most of them have had heavy keyboards on their recordings, so when I got this CD I was expecting just that. What greeted me was something quite different. The music is aggressive and slightly towards the melodic side of Black Metal with a few faster parts here and there, but mostly leaning towards the mid-paced. The guitars are the driving force in the music, which  is rather complex sounding, with the odd sample showing up here and there.

The music reminds me to a certain extent of a slower version of Nattens Madrigal era Ulver with a lot of Eastern European influences. Similarities to some of the old classic Czech bands like Master's Hammer and Törr can also be heard here. This album is not at all as chaotic as Nattens Madrigal, but has rather a sound of structure. Some small parts remind me of Immortal. There is something quite different in their sound, which makes them a bit hard to place.

The vocals have a to me distinct Eastern European feel to them, most likely due to the structure
of the language, and are rather guttural but harsh at the same time. There is a hint of Hoest of
Taake in them.

The soundquality again brings Ulver's Nattens Madrigal to mind strangely enough, since they are not
that similar. The soundquality is a lot clearer on this album, with a distinct sound of its own. The
production is very good, and the sound is clear, icy and sharp as a knife, with a slightly odd metallic
sound to it. You hear the guitars, which are somewhat fuzzy but still with this sharp edge to them, at the front of the mix, with the drums clearly audible, but towards the back, with the vocals inbetween.
There is the occasional keyboard, I must say I like it. I haven't really heard a nything quite like this band before. This is quite refreshing! CD limited to 1500 copies.

Standout tracks are "Яма Твоего Сна", "Оноравливание" and "Пределы Непостижимого".

Sunday October 12 2008, by :Vragh:

Decrepit Cauldron - 2005 - Wirkligkeit Altera Pars

Out of the Ukraine comes this Black Metal outfit with their 5 track debut. Presented on this album
are 4 long tracks of mid-paced to fast, slightly melodic technical Black Metal with an epic feel. Apart from the intro, all of the tracks are over 10 minutes long.

Musically this reminds me of a lot of different bands. Stiny Plamenu, Kampfar, Sorhin and Ophthalamia are some of the bands I hear in the mix here, as well as some Metallica-sounding
parts plus influences from both Death Metal and Thrash. I heard quite a few later Ophthalamia parts, which was somewhat unexpected. There is at times a rather Eastern European feel to the music as well, but it is surprisingly absent most of the time.

The vocals remind me somewhat of those by Kampfar, though more muffled and distant, as well as those in early Fleurety.

The soundquality is not at all bad. At the front of the mix there is the drum machine and the keyboard, followed by the guitar and then the vocals further back. The drummachine does get a bit annoying at times, I must say, though I am not fond of the sound of one, so I might be extra sensitive to this. However, this is a rather interesting and quite unpredictable album to listen to, which is most refreshing.

Standout tracks are "Prae Porta Ad Noctum", "Incarnation for the Blackest" and "Opus Aexestentialis". If you like your music varied and quite unpredictable I suggest you check this out.

Sunday October 12 2008, by :Vragh: