Album Review: Neoheresy - Obława

Artist: Neoheresy (Poland)
Album Title: Obława
Record Label: Elegy Records (USA)
Released: 2017
Purchased From: Elegy Records

It was in 2014 when Hellveto became Neoheresy, and in the few short years since then there have been four albums and a split release under the new name.  Hellveto was known for being prolific, and the artist now known as F (formerly known as L.O.N.) is keeping the tradition going with the new project.  When the name change was announced, it appeared as if there were going to be a stylistic shift.  Neoheresy, it was said, is "monumental Black Metal with the influence of ancient folk and symphonic music as well as dark ambient."  The first album released under the new moniker, Noc która dniem się stała, didn't really sound any different to me than Hellveto's Damnaretis two years earlier.  It still sounded like orchestral black metal with heavy symphonic elements.  I wondered if there was any truth to there being a "stylistic evolution," or if maybe I wasn't smart enough to detect the subtle differences between the two projects.

However, the second Neoheresy album, Talionis, which arrived less than a year later, actually did feel like a "stylistic evolution," particularly with its heavy use of choral elements.  My assumption is that these choral elements are synthesized or sampled, since F was, as usual, the only person credited with the creation of the album.  But they sound amazing and sophisticated, another effective tool to serve F's singular sound.  Sometimes they are singing, sometimes shouting, and they seem to form actual words as opposed to the simple "ooh" and "ahh" sounds that you often hear with sampled choirs.  Graveland used something possibly akin to this on the intro to Wotan Mit Mir, but the voices on Talionis sound much more natural.  In addition to the more sophisticated use of choral elements, there was a new level of intricacy in Neoheresy's arrangements.  The slight influence of folk music could be found here as well.

The excellent new direction found on Talionis continued with Potop, released less than a year later.  If Potop was inferior in any way to Talionis, it would be the length of the album, which was a full 11 minutes shorter than Talionis, clocking in at a mere 36 minutes.  Then, about a year later, Obława arrived.  The big difference I can detect between Obława and Potop is that Obława seems to focus even more on the choral arrangements, which have never sounded so good.  The actual lyrical/thematic content of the album is, like usual, completely inscrutable to me, but that has never stopped me from enjoying his music before.  The only major problem I have with Obława is its length.  It barely squeaks in at 30 minutes long.  While there are a bunch of great albums that are even shorter, due to Obława's unhurried pace it feels like I'm listening to an EP instead.  On the plus side, if F continues on the pace he's been on, we shouldn't have to wait long before the next album.

As for the packaging itself, the CD comes in a simple, slim, but attractive digipack.  The cover is simple.  Very Hate Forest-y.  On the inside flap is the album credits (I'll give you a hint: F does everything) over a photo of F holding a violin and its bow, his back to the camera.  On the back is what appears to be a painting of Knights Templar or something similar.  According to Google Translate, "Obława" translates as "Round-up" in English.  Hellveto had themes of the oppression of medieval-era pagan people by Christians (notably in the album 966), so perhaps the painting and the overall album theme are related to that subject.  The music is epic and majestic, and the production is clean and crisp.  No instruments overpower any of the others, and the orchestral instruments are given as much priority as the drums, guitars, and vocals.  Everything is impeccably played and recorded.  Nothing sounds low-budget here.  F continues to impress in every aspect.

It's difficult for me to review Hellveto/Neoheresy albums while doing them any justice because I feel like I have so little to say about them that would be helpful to anyone who is on the fence about purchasing them.  If you're unfamiliar with his music, each new album tends to be as good a place to start as any other.  If you're already a fan, like myself, then you probably already have the album already or are planning to get it regardless of what I have to say about it.  But I review his albums because it's frustrating to me that he continues to create and release such great music yet is almost entirely ignored by metal websites and critics.  F seems to create his music in a bubble of sorts, seemingly not bothered by the lack of critical attention it tends to receive.  He's been doing this for more than 20 years and seems to contain unlimited creative energy, creating great albums that have given him a small but loyal following.  Perhaps that's all he really wants.  As for me, I want more people to listen to him.  I want more people to talk about his music.  I feel like he deserves a much larger audience than he has.