Artists: Сварун (Svarun) [Serbia] / Midgaard [Russia]
Album Title: Коловрат / Начало времён
Record Label: Nymphaea Records (Russia)
Released: 2010
Purchased From: CD-Russia
It's pretty rare that I'll buy a split CD from two bands I've never heard of, but I was intrigued enough by the artwork of Svarun's debut full-length and the samples I heard on Youtube that I decided to pick that up. While I was at it, I decided to purchase this split from 2010 even though I wasn't yet certain I would like Svarun, and I wasn't familiar at all with Midgaard. In this case, the risk was worth it, because this is a very solid split CD featuring a generous helping of music (nearly an hour total) from these bands, and both sides of the split are unique enough that it's unlike anything else in my collection.
Svarun begins the disc with their 5-song EP Kolovrat. It is difficult for me to adequately describe Svarun's music, but basically they are a pagan symphonic/folk metal vocal band from Serbia. Now, by "vocal band," I don't mean that there are no musical instruments (there is a full set of instrumentalists here) but that the music is based around the vocalists. There are four vocalists in the band: a soprano, an alto, a tenor, and a bass. They sing in a style that is not quite operatic and not quite folk, but a sort of blend of the two that seems to be pretty popular in Slavic folk metal lately. Backing these vocalists are the typical guitar, bass, and drums, and there are extensive orchestral arrangements as well. The orchestral arrangements are obviously sampled/synthesized, as is typical for most metal bands that utilize them, but they are quite well-done and almost as central to the overall sound as the vocals are.
Four of Svarun's five songs were re-recorded later for their full-length album, Slavija, but I actually prefer the versions that appear on this split. I think there were some changes in vocalists between the split and Slavija, and I feel that the vocals sound better here than they do on the full-length (though Slavija is still good). Svarun is an ambitious band but not one with a high budget, yet I feel like they do a good job making their music sound epic and symphonic. The production is good and clear, and the vocals in particular sound great and are blended well. The guitar, bass, and drums are kind of in the background (though not as much as they are on Slavija, I think) because, really, the focus is on the voices and the orchestral arrangements, and I don't think anything about it sounds low-budget or amateurish. A triumph, so far.
Midgaard is a Viking/folk metal band from Yaroslavl, Russia. I didn't know anything about them, and, to be honest, I didn't expect anything from them. I tend to prefer my Russian bands to sing about Slavic mythology rather than Norse, so I wasn't really concerned with this side of the split when I purchased it. However, immediately after Midgaard's side of the split (aka the Nachalo Vremen EP) began to play, I was intrigued. The brief instrumental intro begins with an acoustic guitar, but soon that guitar is joined by a violin, a jaw harp, and a flute. I wasn't expecting to hear such a beautiful, folky intro, and it gave me hope for the rest of the EP.
After the prologue, the song "Bitva" began, and I was surprised to hear a gruff male voice singing along with the acoustic guitar and jaw harp. His voice was soon joined by some smooth background vocals and then a beautiful female voice. It was then that I began to realize that Nachalo Vremen is not metal at all. This is a folk EP, and a very good one at that. I was enchanted by the sound of the guitar, the vocals, the jaw harp, violin, hand percussion and tambourine, and flute. Oh, did I mention that the female vocalist on this recording is Oksana Knyazeva of the great (and, sadly, defunct) Vnuki Svyatoslava, one of my favorite bands ever? And that the flute player is Irina Nadeinskaya, also of Vnuki Svyatoslava? Needless to say, Midgaard suddenly became very interesting to me, and they did not let me down at all over the course of this 7-song EP (which essentially makes up their first full-length album, minus one short track). A highlight is "Pesn' Vikingov" ("Vikings' Song"), which is actually a folk cover of Falkenbach's "Farewell" from Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty. But, really, every track here is a highlight. Midgaard finishes with a beautiful ballad, "Lad'ya," here called a "valedictory" or farewell, and indeed it does sound like that. What a wonderful and reflective way to close the EP, and the split as well.
Midgaard's sound here is reminiscent of Volkolak (due to the hand percussion and the constant "boing-boing-ing" of the jaw harp), as well as Vnuki Svyatoslava, except with more male vocals. Normally they are indeed a metal band, and I will keep my eyes and ears open for new music from this band, but I think I will secretly hope that they go back and revisit this pleasant folk sound again in the future.
Unexpectedly, what began as a "filler" purchase became what is undoubtedly one of my favorite split CD's ever. Either one of the halves of this split are worth buying the CD for, but to have both sides be so great in their own, unique ways, that is just a bonus. The bands don't really go together very well, being very different styles of music, but both sides are high quality and remind me why I seek out this kind of music. A very pleasant surprise, and a CD that I recommend.
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