Album Review: Руян - Наследие

 

Artist: Руян (Ruyan) [Russia]
Album Title: Наследие ("Heritage")
Record Label: Sound Age Productions (Russia)
Released: 2011
Purchased From: CD-Russia (via Ebay)

In 2009, a band called Grai (aka Graj, or  Грай), hailing from the Republic of Tatarstan, in Russia, released their solid debut album, Полынь трава ("Wormwood," apparently).  This light-sounding, lyrically-dark album featured a couple female vocalists, including one who goes by the name Rodonitsa, who not only sang but performed the harsh vocals.  Women who can both growl and sing are no longer considered such a rarity, but Rodonitsa is quite good at both and her contributions to that album are notable.

However, at some point after Grai's debut, Rodonitsa and guitarist Char left that band and Ruyan was formed.  The strange thing is that Grai became a much sunnier-sounding band after that, while Ruyan seems to have carried with it much of the melancholy that was at the heart of Grai.  On Ruyan's debut CD, Heritage, Rodonitsa and Char are joined by guitarist Skorb, drummer Filin, and bassist Elk, better known for being a founding member of Alkonost.  Elk has since left Ruyan, as he was apparently only a session member.  So while Ruyan is a "new" band, in a sense, there's a lot of experience behind it, and that shows with the maturity of this band's excellent debut album.

Heritage begins with the much-expected folky instrumental.  Like the Nordverg album I just reviewed, Heritage features the work of multi-instrumentalist Vladimir Reshetnikov --now a full-time member of the highly-acclaimed Arkona-- as well as Yaroslav Morozov on balalaika.  The mood quickly changes with the first proper song, which has a sense of melancholy to it that emerges even before Rodonitsa switches from her soprano and folk-style singing voice to her deep death growls.  The mood, to me at least, is reminiscent of the mournful sounds of Vo Skorbyah, except not quite as brooding or slow.  Ruyan's music is like a mixture of folk and doom/death metal styles, though it occasionally shifts into a happier-sounding, folkish mood, like at the beginning of the third track.

This strange juxtaposition of such happy-sounding folk music and melancholic metal is one of those things that sounds like it simply shouldn't work (as does, I suppose, the idea of "folk metal" altogether, to those who aren't familiar with it), but this is a gorgeous and multi-shaded album.  The fact that Ruyan is Russian and Rodonitsa is a woman (a young and beautiful woman, at that) who seems equally comfortable when singing or shrieking/growling will lead to many comparisons with Arkona, a band that has the distinction of basically being the golden standard of Russian folk metal AND female-fronted folk metal.  Those comparisons are fine, I think, but they don't paint an entirely accurate picture of Ruyan's unique sound.  For one thing, Rodonitsa's voice has a completely different timbre than Masha's.  She tends to sing higher, uses a lot of folk style at times, and has deeper, more death metal-like growls.

The guitar leads are pretty folky and unique, even for this crowded genre.  There are long periods of folk-style vocals and strange guitar leads, like in the middle of the fourth track, "Song About Yarilo-Father."  At times the guitar reminds me of the style of the late Alexander Urakoff from Gods Tower.  The songs often feature various flutes and acoustic stringed instruments like the balalaika, though the impression one gets from listening to the album is not necessarily the same as one gets with a number of other folk metal bands.  There's a pervasive sadness to many of these songs that makes the happier ones, like the fourth or seventh tracks, stand out.  But even in its melancholy, ultimately I feel happy when I listen to Ruyan, like I do with any music that is beautiful and resonates with me.  This is a very talented band, both in the songwriting and instrumental departments, and is truly a world-class pagan/folk metal band on par with the best this genre has to offer.

The only time when Ruyan kind of drops the ball a little bit, at least to me, is on the final track, also called "Ruyan."  This long, mostly instrumental track seems to meander pointlessly before fading into the sounds of waves and birds (which I guess kind of appropriate, since that's how the album begins as well).  Personally, I would have liked the album to have finished on a stronger note, and it's the one fault I can find with it.  On the plus side, the track does have some nice moments, but I find my interest flagging about midway through.

Ruyan is not a household name in folk metal at this point, but Heritage is an album that deserves your attention.  It's very folky and authentic, has a variety of moods, and has one of the most talented vocalists you'll find in this genre.  If, like me, you're a fan of the Russian scene, this is essential.  Somebody please give these guys (and girl) an international record deal.

Album Review: Nordverg - Багровый рассвет

 

Artist: Nordverg (Russia)
Album Title: Багровый рассвет ("Crimson Dawn")
Record Label: Stygian Crypt Productions (Russia)
Released: 2011
Purchased From: The Omega Order

At first glance, there's nothing particularly promising about Crimson Dawn, the debut album of Russia's Nordverg.  The artwork, while by no means bad, is pretty generic Viking metal boilerplate.  And the name Nordverg sounds pretty generic as well.  I'm not even certain that "nordverg" is even a proper word.  It seems to me that the name they were going for was "Nordberg," but, if that's true, I'm kind of glad they didn't go with that one, because Nordberg is the name of O.J. Simpson's character in the Naked Gun films and I'm just not sure I could ever get past that.

Crimson Dawn is published by Stygian Crypt Productions, which is arguably best known for the Folkearth and Folkodia CD's they keep shoving out the door.  This may put some people off.  However, Stygian Crypt has also released great albums by Amber Tears, Heorot, and Leshak, and a lot of their CD's have really nice etchings on the silver side of the disc (like Heorot, Leshak, and Fferyllt), though unfortunately Crimson Dawn doesn't have any etchings (I checked).  There's not much we can tell for sure about this band by the packaging, which is standard Viking fare.  However, what's important is the music, and Nordverg, while not original in any respect, have crafted a pretty fine piece of Viking-themed folk metal with their debut album.

The first track of the CD, which is a folk instrumental, is not surprising in the least, except perhaps by how well-done it is.  Arkona's Vladimir Reshetnikov (playing various "ethnic instruments"), viola player Diana Timoshenko, and bagpipe player Alexander Starkov appear in the intro and elsewhere on Crimson Dawn, giving it a nice bit of authenticity.  True, there's nothing here that we haven't heard before, but they do a nice job.

The band itself is a five piece, consisting of three guitarists, a bass-guitarist, and a drummer.  Two of the guitarists and the bass-guitarist are also vocalists.  I'm not sure why the band needs three guitarists, except perhaps to be able to replicate the music better in a live setting (allowing one to switch to acoustic guitar while the other two are handling the lead and rhythm... but then again what do I know about playing guitar?).  The instrumental section is fine, with a nice focus on the lead guitar and folkish melodies.  There are some interesting acoustic breaks here and there, often accompanied by one or more folk instruments.  The guitar riffs tend to be jaunty and catchy, reminding me at times of their fellow countrymen Noman's Land.  The clean vocals sometimes remind me of Noman's Land as well, though most times they are delivered in more of a plain, folk style, rather than the proud, bardic sound they take on in other parts of the album.  There are growls as well, which are well-done.  Production is clean and crisp, allowing all the instruments and voices to be enjoyed comfortably.

The lyrics are all in Russian, which is a plus for me because I love the sound of the Russian language, though I can understand so very little of it.  The songwriting is rather simple, for the most part, but the songs never overstay their welcome and are pretty catchy.  Some songs even show the amount of depth that one would expect from some of the top Russian pagan metal bands, like Svarga or Rarog.  The lead guitar melodies are often quite enjoyable, and I really like the variety in vocals.  All in all, I can't really find any fault with Nordverg's debut CD.  It's fun and lively, not too heavy, but nicely balanced and refreshingly folky.  Some songs are simpler and more shallow than others, but there's nothing here that sticks out as filler.

I bought the CD mainly because I'm obsessed with this kind of music and I rarely pass up a find.  To be honest, because of generic packaging and band name, I wasn't expecting much more than amateurish Viking-themed metal with weak production.  What I found, instead, is a very competent band that has crafted a great debut album.  While it's true that Nordverg isn't really doing anything unique here, and those who are burned out by folk or Viking-themed metal will probably want to pass on it, I can easily recommend Crimson Dawn as a non-essential but quite worthwhile addition to a pagan metal fan's collection.

Album Review: Крода - Schwarzpfad

 

Artist: Крода (Kroda) [Ukraine]
Album Title: Schwarzpfad
Record Label: Purity Through Fire (Germany)
Released: 2011
Purchased From: Ebay (Apothelyptic Reign)

Wow.  That pretty much sums up my initial reaction to hearing this album.  It is Kroda.  It is different in some ways than what we heard on previous albums, but it is Kroda.  And it is awesome.

I feel a little guilty now at being so surprised, but I have heard bands attempt to carry on after losing an important creative member and fail to live up to its previous work.  And because Kroda was previously a duo, with one member essentially playing all the instruments in the studio, and because that member left the band a year earlier, it seemed like a longshot that Kroda could continue, at least at the level of greatness they had previously known as the duo of vocalist Eisenslav and multi-instrumentalist Viterzgir.  But Eisenslav decided to continue after the departure of Viterzgir, rebuilding the band from the ground up and making a few changes to the sound.  The end result is that Eisenslav was able to keep the band not only relevant but, some might argue, even better than it was before.

One of the first things I noticed about Kroda on Schwarzpfad is that the sound is more stripped-down than it was on the first three studio albums.  The atmosphere on the earlier material is pretty palpable, with lots of sopilka (a type of flute used in Ukraine), vargan, and ambient sounds.  They almost sound otherworldly.  On Schwarzpfad, Kroda sounds more down-to-earth, more raw, more "live," more immediate.  There are still keyboards and the lovely sopilka (as well as a lower, droning wind instrument), but at its heart Kroda sounds even more like a black metal band here, with Eisenslav's vocals taking on a fearsome and passionate presence, similarly to how he's handled the vocals in the live setting.  Guitars are raw and not over-produced, the drums (live rather than programmed) sound awesome and powerful, and you can even hear the great bass parts.  The production is more bass-heavy, I'd say, than I'm used to hearing in black metal, but it works to Kroda's advantage.  This is a black metal album that even those audiophiles who can't stomach typical "raw" black metal could probably enjoy.  Acoustic guitars make a rare showing here and there, which I believe is something new for the band.

Keyboards and other atmospheric effects are used more sparingly than in the past, though the entire last track is an ambient instrumental piece.  When they are used, they sometimes take the form of ambient pads and sometimes choirs, which support Eisenslav's harsh vocals.  The sopilka appears on each of the first four tracks, and I am grateful for it.  There's something about the sound of that instrument and its use on previous Kroda albums that it feels like an essential part of their sound, adding some softer melodic touches to help balance the ferocity of Eisenslav's vocals and the other instruments.  I don't know who plays the sopilka on this album, but my hope is that it will always remain a part of the band's sound.

Every track on the album has its own highlights... I even love the ambient outro, which serves the purpose of bringing the listener into a state of quiet bliss after the first four long, blistering black metal tracks.  Other highlights, for me, are when Eisenslav's vocals make their first appearance on "Schwarzpfad I (First Snow)," accompanied by the synth choir, and when the clean vocals make their appearance in "Schwarzpfad IV (Heil Ragnarok!)."  But I could easily point to a number of other great moments.  Eisenslav and the talented bunch of musicians he has surrounded himself with have made, in my opinion, an arguably perfect pagan/black metal album.  I wish I could say that I knew it would end up being this good, but I must admit that I didn't know at what level to place my expectations.  It is possible (though pretty unlikely) that at this point there may be other Kroda fans who have avoided Schwarzpfad so far out of fear of being disappointed, but, if you do exist, let me say that you need to track down a copy of this album as soon as possible.

I don't know what the future holds for this band, who have achieved so much and have faced so much opposition in their short nine years or so of existence, but I am confident that Kroda is in good hands and will hopefully achieve many more great things down the road.

Album Review: Крода - Live In Lemberg

Artist: Крода (Kroda) [Ukraine]
Album Title: Live In Lemberg
Record Label: Hammermark Art (Germany) / Battlelord Productions (Japan)
Released: 2008
Purchased From: ? (Can't Remember)

I procrastinated so long on writing this review that it no longer seems relevant, considering that the studio duo that made up this edition of Kroda parted ways a few years after its release and the supporting players that fleshed out the live lineup captured here (consisting of members of Ruina and others) are no longer associated with the project, either. I'm not certain, but it appears that although Kroda's first three studio releases, and the following retrospective Fünf Jahre Kulturkampf seem to be finding re-release on Kroda's new label Purity Through Fire, Live In Lemberg looks poised to be forgotten as a relic that no longer holds any meaning.

If that's true, I think that's a bit of a shame, because Live In Lemberg is a solid live album, especially considering that Kroda, though having three fantastic studio albums under their belts by the point this live disc was recorded, had only been performing live for roughly seven months. Sure, there are some rough spots to be found, as some of the music proved to be difficult to reproduce live. And the folkish nature of the albums had to be reduced in order to lessen the band's reliance on pre-recorded tracks in a live setting, so this version of Kroda is more raw than the polished version we heard on the first three albums. However, the upside of this is that the live version of Kroda featured here has a stronger "black metal" sound than the previous studio incarnation, which will appeal to listeners who wanted to enjoy their studio work but found it to lean too heavily towards folk metal. The live drums also add something missing on the previous studio albums, which featured a well-programmed but obvious drum machine.

More importantly, I feel that Live In Lemberg marks the start of a transition that Kroda was making towards a more "live" studio sound, a transition that was continued with the studio re-recordings found on Fünf Jahre Kulturkampf and the latest studio release, Schwarzpfad. Some reviewers have noted how different Schwarzpfad sounds than the first three studio albums (which shouldn't be surprising anyway), but it appears to me that the band was already headed in that live-sounding, raw black metal direction before Viterzgir's departure from the project in 2010.

Now that I've wasted three paragraphs talking about things that are irrelevant to the actual album, I should probably actually get into talking about this disc. Live In Lemberg features thirteen tracks, but three of them are instrumentals and two are encore versions of songs that appear previously on the disc. So, disregarding these, we have eight actual songs, but the band manages to cover quite a range of their early discography with these songs. There are a few songs each from Cry To Me, River... and Towards the Firmament's Verge of Life..., the first two studio albums, as well as songs from their split CD's with Oprich and Velimor (two discs which each contain essential Kroda material, unlike some split releases). They also include a metalized version of a Ukrainian traditional song and an Absurd cover. Sadly missing are any tracks from their third studio album, Fimbulvinter, which in my opinion was their strongest album up until this point. However, considering the length and complexity of that album's songs, it's understandable.

The production of the live disc is pretty solid, though not spectacular. Everything can be heard clearly, but it's lacking the kind of depth and immediacy that I would have liked. The instruments don't really stand out in the stereo spectrum, so it kind of has the effect of being recorded on a single mic, though I know that isn't the case. Fortunately, the levels are good, there's no distracting distortion or too much crowd noise (except between songs), and there's not a whole lot I can complain about. Eisenslav's vocals have a different tone than they did on the previous studio albums. There's more passion and strength behind them, which is probably due to the energy of a live concert. How his voice stays strong throughout the set and its encore is a mystery to me, and it's something that a number of black metal vocalists have apparently failed to master. He sounds quite good, as do all of the instrumentalists. The songs seem to lack the atmosphere of the studio versions, which is to be expected, but it does tend to draw my attention to the fact that these songs are well-written and hold up even in a live setting with mostly guest musicians.

Kroda must have been pretty happy with how their live sound was developing, because they later re-recorded a number of these songs in the studio with their live line-up on Fünf Jahre Kulturkampf. Because of this (and the concert's inclusion on the DVD packaged with that retrospective release), Live In Lemberg as a live concert CD may, as I said at the beginning of this review, seem irrelevant or unnecessary. Maybe that's true. I bought it before Fünf Jahre Kulturkampf was released, so I didn't have the same kind of dilemma that a newer Kroda fan might have, so if you are a Kroda fan and don't already own this disc, you would have to ask yourself the question of whether or not it is worth seeking out. For many, it will probably be "no," as this is hardly an essential piece of the Kroda discography. But, as a monument to a transition that was taking place within the band that led them to translate this live sound to the studio setting, I feel like it's an important part of the band's history, a history which is still being written by Eisenslav and Kroda's new incarnation. Whether or not that makes it worth a purchase depends on how big of a Kroda completionist you are and how much you enjoy live albums.