Album Review: Finsterforst - ...zum Tode hin

Artist: Finsterforst (Germany)
Album Title: ...zum Tode hin
Record Label: Einheit Produktionen (Germany)
Released: 2009 (February)

I don't often pre-order albums, but I felt that the follow-up to 2007's promising Weltenkraft certainly warranted it. For this release, Finsterforst moved up to the solid German metal label Einheit Produktionen, home of some great bands like Odroerir, Nomans Land, and Andras. I'm guessing that either the move to this label gave the band a lot of exposure, or simply that ...zum Tode hin got a lot of people's attention for other reasons, because if you go to a place like rateyourmusic.com you'll find a surprisingly high number of reviews, both positive and negative, for a pagan metal album that hasn't even been out for two months as of this writing.

Chances are, you probably already know who Finsterforst is, and may already have a strong opinion one way or another about them. Their first album was a solid but exhausting 77-minute long collection of epic, accordion-filled metal. If you just winced at the term "accordion-filled metal," please walk away now, because that's what it is. On second thought, don't walk away. Give them a chance. If any metal band has a chance of convincing you that the accordion is an instrument that belongs in metal, it's probably Finsterforst. Yeah, okay, you've also got Korpiklaani and Kalevala, which also have great accordion players (and don't forget the band Svarga from Russia), but none of these bands are as epic and heavy as Finsterforst.

Apart from the accordion, what does this band sound like? They sound to me like a mix of Moonsorrow circa 2001-2003 and Moonsorrow 2005-present, but with some Finntroll and Equilibrium thrown in as well. The songs are long and have a wonderful, organic flow to them. There's an almost ever-present synth choir (thus part of the Moonsorrow comparison), some lovely acoustic guitar moments, mostly-harsh vocals, occasional soaring lead guitar lines, great and varied drumming, and of course that accordion. The songs are quite folk-infused, often incorporating the humppa-influenced rhythms of Finntroll. There are also moments of "Viking choir" and solo clean vocals, though most of the vocals are delivered in a somewhat-monotonous shriek. Former Eluveitie member Sevan Kirder plays tin whistle at a few points on the album, as he did on Weltenkraft.

The main difference, I think, between the first album and this one, is in the construction of the songs. Weltenkraft consisted of 10 songs that were between 5 and 13 1/2 minutes long. ...zum Tode hin consists of 5 tracks which are between 11 and 21 1/2 minutes long. The songs on ...zum Tode hin take more time to develop, and many of the melodies unfold more slowly, which I think helps them leave a more lasting impression, on me at least. The band seemed to really fly through the material on the first album (maybe because they realized that a CD can only hold 80 minutes of music total), but they take their time making their way through this album. Sure, there are still a lot of fast moments, and even some blasting, but the songs have more room to breathe. Maybe that's a terrible description and I'm completely off, I'm not sure.

As far as drawbacks of this album go, well, I guess it can still be a exhausting listen if you're not prepared for a 70-minute long album with only 5 songs. Also, if you're not paying attention, it can pretty easily turn into background noise, because even though the songs are very good, they're also kind of similar to each other. This may be an album you have to listen to in different settings before it clicks, like maybe a long car ride through the country. I found it to be way too much to properly absorb in a few listens, but it has definitely grown on me the more I listen to it.

I think that ...zum Tode hin may prove to be one of the better metal albums of 2009, at least in the pagan metal genre. There's not a huge amount of originality here, but fans of Moonsorrow (particularly the second and third albums) or Equilibrium will likely find a lot to enjoy with Finsterforst. I would love to be able to see this band live, so if Paganfest ever comes around to the States again, somebody please sign these guys up. And don't give them one of those 30-minute sets, because they'll probably only get to play a song and a half in that amount of time.

Finsterforst is definitely, in my opinion, one of the best newer bands in pagan/folk metal, and they're worthy of even more attention. ...zum Tode hin is a great sophomore release that builds on the promise of Weltenkraft and managed to blow away my expectations. Highly recommended.

Album Review: Ancestral Volkhves - Perun Do Vas!!!

Artist: Ancestral Volkhves (Slovakia)
Album Title: Perun Do Vas!!!
Label: Sound Age (Russia)
Released: 2008

You haven't heard of Ancestral Volkhves, or have simply never checked them out? Well, you're not alone, but if you lean towards the more riff-based, black metal side of pagan metal, you should certainly take notice of their latest album, Perun Do Vas!!! Oh, did I mention that the frontwoman of Russian folk metal legends Arkona makes a few appearances on the album? Maybe that got someone's attention.

This is not a folk metal album. This is mostly no-nonsense, pagan-themed black metal. To my ears, it sounds a lot like the first Hromovlad CD, if I may compare an unknown album to an equally unknown album. Once you hit the "play" button, Perun Do Vas!!! takes less than 30 seconds to get up to full, blasting speed, though the riffs are melodic and there's a good amount of variety, so this is no tuneless, "norsecore" blastfest. I have the first Ancestral Volkhves CD, Son O Iriyi, but it can't really keep my interest. On Perun Do Vas!!!, however, the Slovaks have really hit on something.

It doesn't hurt, of course, that they employed the help of Arkona mastermind Masha "Scream" as guest vocalist on three songs. Her presence pretty much makes any song awesome, and she does a really great job here as well. She appears on "Perun Do Vas!!!," "Slavorozhdenie," and "My Slavjane!!!," which are all great performances, but "Slavorozhdenie" is the highlight of the album, for me at least. It's a mid-paced song with a pretty folky rhythm, something that would not sound very out of place on an Arkona album (except for its lack of keyboards or traditional instruments), and Masha's layered vocals are really given room to shine. There are also some great clean male vocals on this track. The clean vocals appear elsewhere, but not much. Most of the vocals are done in a cold but powerful black metal rasp, and are certainly an improvement over the vocals on the first album, which I thought were rather weak.

Don't think that Masha is the only reason you should check out Perun Do Vas!!! If you're a fan of solid, melodic riffs, you'll find them in abundance here. The band doesn't use keyboards at all, but the music is still very epic because of the riffs. There are flutes on the final track, but that's it for folk instruments. Most of this album is straightforward black metal, but the songwriting, performances, and variety in tempo should keep the interest of those who, like me, only have a passing interest in this kind of black metal. Unlike on Son O Iriyi, all of the lyrics here are in the Slovak language (though Masha's vocal parts may be in Russian... I'm not sure, as the lyrics in the book are all printed in Roman font) rather than being mostly English. For whatever reason, Slavic languages sound great when shrieked or growled. The production is also quite good and clean, but not too clean. This is still mostly a black metal album, after all.

Perun Do Vas!!! is a pretty solid album throughout, and if you like black metal but aren't afraid of occasional clean vocals and some minor folk influence, or if you like pagan metal but aren't afraid of some fierce black metal, you may want to add this one to your collection. There was never a time where I felt the band was out of ideas or just padding out the album. Each song sounds like it belongs. This is very good stuff. Check out the samples on their Myspace and judge for yourself.

Album Review: Darkestrah - The Great Silk Road

Artist: Darkestrah (Kyrgyzstan / Germany)
Album Title: The Great Silk Road
Label: Paragon Records (USA)
Released: 2008

My first exposure to Darkestrah was in the fall of 2005 when I ordered their first album, Sary Oy. This promising and unique debut mixed obscure black metal with a lot of traditional Kyrgyz instruments and throat singing, which is not a combination you hear on a regular basis. Unfortunately as vocalist Kriegtalith and drummer Asbath moved the band to Germany, they parted ways with the guy responsible for playing all those traditional instruments (Oldhan). As a result, their next album, Embrace of Memory, had a sound that was much closer to traditional black metal, though it was very epic and had some scattered influences of Kyrgyz culture in the mix. Because a lot of their uniqueness was gone, and I was losing interest in traditional black metal, I ignored their next album, Epos, for a while.

After Epos, Darkestrah left German label No Colours and arranged for their next album, 2008's The Great Silk Road, to be released on small New York State label Paragon Records. This should be good news for U.S. fans, who won't have to track down another Darkestrah release on No Colours and pay the higher prices that are usually charged for releases on that label. Not that a higher price wouldn't be worth it for this album, which would turn out to be one of my favorite 2008 releases, but the easy availability and very positive reviews the album was getting inspired me to give the band another listen.

While Epos was thematically centered around the Kyrgyz lake of Issyk Kul, The Great Silk Road, obviously, is concerned with the ancient trade routes that pass through Asia. Epos was a good album, but I found it a little repetitive and very short (if you get rid of the several minutes of sound effects, the album clocks in at around 27 minutes). The Great Silk Road builds on the many positive aspects of Epos, but is overall a much more satisfying package, in my opinion. For one thing, it's significantly longer, with four long tracks (ranging from 8 1/2 to almost 19 minutes in length) and a short outro. I also found it to be more musically interesting. There are certainly those who prefer Epos, however, and I would certainly recommend that release if you find it for a good price and are prepared for what is basically a long EP consisting of one song.

On this album, Darkestrah reminds me quite a bit of Drudkh or Negură Bunget but with a bit of Orphaned Land mixed in. There are many atmospheric, slow-burning sections with thick chords and catchy riffs, sometimes enhanced by keyboards, cello, or a few traditional instruments (like the temir-komuz, the Kyrgyz jaw harp). The music, especially in some of the intros, has a very distinct Middle Eastern quality to it, and one may have no problem picturing the desert and traders from various cultures converging on the Silk Road. Then there are Kriegtalith's vocals, which are evil and icy cold. Hers are some of my favorite black metal-style vocals, because they are in such a high register and often sound inhuman. I don't know if she enhances her vocals with a little distortion, but I suspect that she has simply perfected this style over the past few albums. Some might not like the style, because it at times seems at odds with the atmosphere otherwise created by the music, but I didn't find this to be a distraction.

Because of the long track times and the patient approach the band takes at developing the songs, what results is a satisfying, winding journey. It's one of those albums you can love on the first listen, yet continue to discover new things about it with each subsequent listen. Those who enjoyed the first Darkestrah album but felt that they ventured too far from their roots after that should give them another chance, because, even if the use of traditional instruments and melodies isn't quite as prominent as it was on Sary Oy, I think everything blends together better on this album. Folk metal fans who don't tend to listen to pagan-themed black metal (like Fimbultyr, Enslaved, Hate Forest, etc.) might find this to be too strongly black metal-oriented for their tastes, but then again they might find it easier to listen to because of how well Darkestrah establishes the atmosphere and keeps it throughout the album. It's kind of like how Nile's use of "ancient Egyptian" musical themes made it possible for me to listen to them even though I don't normally like ultra-pummelling death metal.

Perhaps the centerpiece of the album is "Kara-Oy," which is by far the longest track. This track begins with what I think is the cello, along with some throat singing, before launching into some furious black metal. At just before the twelve minute mark, and again shortly thereafter, the band references the main musical theme to their debut album, Sary Oy, which I thought was a pretty cool touch. Anyone familiar with Sary Oy can't possibly miss it. The way this song builds, dismantles, and re-builds, with an organic ebb and flow, reminds me very much of Epos, except about ten minutes shorter. It winds down with the sound of the temir-komuz over a thick backdrop of Drudkh-like musical atmosphere before fading into the 2-minute long, cinematic-sounding outro.

Darkestrah is certainly a unique band, and with each album they have gained a lot of attention, and rightfully so. Fans of black metal, pagan metal, and bands like Orphaned Land should at least check out some samples of The Great Silk Road and see if it doesn't grab you. An excellent metal album indeed.

Album Review: ВеданЪ КолодЪ - Танец леших

Artist: ВеданЪ КолодЪ (Vedan Kolod) [Russia]
Album Title: Танец леших (The Dance of the Wood Spirits)
Record Label: Sketis Music (Russia)
Released: 2007

Russian folk band Vedan Kolod's second CD, The Dance of the Wood Spirits, is an improvement over their very good debut, Tribes. Their overall sound has not changed much, except for the addition of bagpipes and other instruments. The album progresses largely the same as Tribes, with a variety of styles among the songs to keep the listener from becoming too accustomed to one particular style. But everything just feels more mature on this album: the songwriting is tighter, the players more confident, the production is more consistent, etc. This is everything that was so good about the first Vedan Kolod album, only better.

I had ordered the first and second CD's at the same time, and this one actually arrived a day earlier than the other, so this album was my first real exposure to Vedan Kolod other than a few Myspace samples and Youtube videos. To be honest, I didn't really know what to make of it at first. This is a band that is unlike any other that I have heard, and I had to grow accustomed to their style of music and grow to appreciate it over the next few days of listening at work and at home. Like the other CD, there are songs that I immediately liked, while there were some that took time to appreciate. Since then, however, I have grown to really like this album from beginning to end, and I am excited to hear their third CD, which seems to be even more difficult to find than this one.

The album begins with Веснянка, an original song by the band which features the drum, zhaleika (I believe), and solo female vocal. This is a fast-paced, energetic song, and a wise song with which to begin the album. The second track, Да на море утушка купалася, which translates to "Duck is swimming in the sea," is a traditional Russian wedding song, and it actually sounds rather solemn for a wedding song, or a song about a duck, for that matter. It contains some very interesting female vocal harmonies. Quite lovely and amazing. The instrumentation on this track is drum and I think a Scythian horn, also an odd choice for a wedding song, I think. However, I would be happy to have this song played at my wedding, if I were to have a second one.

The third track features vocals by Valerii Naryshkin, the one male in the band, as well as gusli, flute, and gudok (the three-stringed, violin-like instrument I mentioned in the last review). The fourth track is mostly instrumental, but with some spoken text in the foreground. I won't go track-by-track through the whole album, but maybe you'll get an idea of the kind of variety Vedan Kolod employs. There are 13 tracks, just like the first album, but this album is 10 minutes shorter, at about 38 and a half minutes. That may sound like a detriment, but actually I think the shorter songs help move the album along at a nice pace.

I don't know what else to say about The Dance of the Wood Spirits, except that it's a great second album for Vedan Kolod and should definitely please fans of their first album. The addition of bagpipes and zhaleika are certainly welcome as well, as they add even more color and richness to the music. There's a lot of detail just waiting to be discovered among these songs, and I enjoy the fact that I keep finding things that I missed in previous listens.

This is a highly-recommended CD for those who are looking for authentic Russian folk with a reverence for Russia's history and a desire to revive and preserve its ancient musical traditions. I encourage Tatyana, Daryana, Polina, and Valerii to continue their musical journey wherever it may lead them. It has been an exciting one so far.

Album Review: ВеданЪ КолодЪ - Племена

Artist: ВеданЪ КолодЪ (Vedan Kolod) [Russia]
Album Title: Племена (Tribes)
Record Label: Panfiloff Music (Russia)
Released: 2007

[April 15, 2009 edit: I made at least one error in writing the review below. The band is still located in Central Siberia, not Moscow. Also, as you can see by Daryana's comment, Polina was only 11 years old (!) when Tribes was released, which is much younger than the "early 20's" guess I made. I should never get a job in a carnival "Guess My Age?" booth, because I'm usually way off. Thank you to Daryana for clearing up my errors! :-) ]

Tribes, the debut CD of the young Russian folk band Vedan Kolod, begins with the deep drone of the Scythan horn, a digeridoo-like instrument. The Scythian horn is joined by some hand percussion and a male voice that, a minute and a half into the title track, changes to a form of throat singing as it is joined by a female voice. This is not how I expected a Russian folk album to start, though I have not heard very many (unfortunately) so I really didn't know what to expect. The atmosphere of this first track is one of a primal feeling, somewhat shamanic, perhaps not dissimilar from Native American music.

Vedan Kolod makes it immediately clear that they are not an ordinary folk band. There are no electronic sounds or effects used, no modern instruments that are now associated with Russian folk such as the bayan or balalaika, no guitar, no violin, no modern rhythms. Their music is described as "authentic Russian folk," and though I am no ethnomusicologist, this does sound like what I would imagine ancient pagan music to be.

Vedan Kolod is a family band, made up of three women (Tatyana Naryshkina, Daryana Antipova, and Polina Lisitsa) who come from the same family, and a man, Valerii Naryshkin, who is married to Tatyana. The band is located in Moscow, but are originally from Siberia. The band seems to wear two cloaks; not only are they artists, but they are musical archaeologists. Their intent is to revive and recreate the music of ancient pagan Russia, especially of Central Siberia and Altai. They play traditional songs and also original works, though their original works contain themes of folklore and old tales and use ancient Russian language (I believe). The band has revived and recreated many ancient Russian folk instruments, some of them almost forgotten. Similarly, they use old vocal styles including the aforementioned throat singing.

Their debut CD, Tribes, is by far the easiest of their three albums to find in the United States. I bought my copy from Amazon, but there are several music websites that stock this album. Technically, it is not a replicated CD but a professionally-printed CD-R. I wouldn't have known this if it did not say so right on the disc label. Anyway, this is not important information, though it may be to some.

The music of Vedan Kolod is difficult for me to describe, as I have very few musical reference points to use. Many of the songs use sparse instrumentation and put a lot of focus on vocals. The vocals are sometimes harmonized, and sometimes they are singing entirely different things. Both the male and female vocals are very good, and the moments that focus on the interplay of vocals are some of my favorite moments on the album. All members of the band are young (perhaps in their early 20's?), which makes their dedication to their craft and the spirit of ancient Russia even more inspiring.

The band shows much variety on each of their albums (at least the two I have heard so far), so with each new track comes a style and sound that is different from the previous. The elements that are most often present are the vocals and the drums. Many of the songs have drums (ancient drums, not modern), and the rhythm is somewhat tribal, for lack of a better term. All four members of the band are credited with playing some sort of drum, usually multiple types (Slavonic drums [big and small], sharkuncy, etc.), so the presence of drums is understandably important to Vedan Kolod. Some tracks feature the unmistakable sound of the gusli, vargan (mouth harp), and ocarina, as well as at least a few instruments that I didn't know existed at all (a three-stringed, violin-like instrument called a gudok, the fuyara [a huge flute], the aforementioned Scythian horn, various smaller flutes, among others). Also mentioned in the booklet are Slavonic bagpipe and zhaleika, though I don't recall hearing either on this album. They appear on the second CD, though.

A few of the songs appealed to me immediately upon my first listen, including Голубиная Книга (a traditional song arranged by the band, which features gusli and beautiful vocal parts), Перун и Скипер Зверь (which has a great female vocal solo, gusli, and some nice percussion), and Сера Птица (which has an excellent vocal performance by Valerii Naryshkin, another appearance by the gusli, and some beautiful supporting female vocals). The production on this latter track is not as good as the rest of the album, which is a bit of a shame because it's a wonderful piece of music. Being a neophyte to the sound Vedan Kolod have created, many of the rest of the tracks took a bit more effort on my part for me to appreciate, but after several listens, more and more of the album sunk in. I began to notice, with each listen, the little beautiful moments throughout the album: the gentle rhythms, the beauty of the Russian language in the recitations, the details of the vocal performances, the interplay of the various instruments, and more.

Tribes is a great and unique album that is worth experiencing for those who are interested in hearing what the music of pre-Christian Russia may very well have sounded like. For me, it is easy to imagine these voices resonating through the ancient forests, and, like most great pagan art, it stirs my spirit even though I don't understand the words. For fans of pagan/folk metal who have expanded their musical interests into various types of folk music (or who have thought about it), especially those who are drawn to the Russian scene, Vedan Kolod is well worth your attention. Fans of the folk moments on Arkona's От Сердца к Небу CD should also take notice of this band.

Album Review Supplement: Elffor - From the Throne of Hate (2008 reissue)

Artist: Elffor (Spain)
Album Title: From the Throne of Hate
Label: Northern Silence Productions (Germany)
Released: 2004, 2008 (reissue year)

I already reviewed the 2004 self-released version of this album back in October 2007, which you can read here: http://thefinalage.blogspot.com/2007/10/album-elffor-from-throne-of-hate.html

Most of what I wanted to say I already did in that review, so this is meant only to supplement it as it concerns the Northern Silence reissue of the album.

The first three Elffor CD's have been given the reissue treatment so far. Supposedly, they are also re-recorded, but From the Throne of Hate is definitely not re-recorded, and I have my doubts that the first two albums are, either. In my opinion, re-recording From the Throne of Hate would have probably diminished its greatness, so I'm glad that it was left alone, and that the only changes (other than perhaps some remastering) are two bonus tracks added to the end.

Because this is one of my favorite metal albums, I decided to pick up the Northern Silence reissue. I bought the digipack, which according to the back is an "Exclusive Fan Edition" limited to 999 copies. According to the information at Encyclopedia Metallum, however, the digipack is actually limited to 500 copies, while the jewel case version is limited to 1,000. I don't really care either way, because all I care about is that, when I recommend this CD to someone, they'll actually be able to find it, at least until this version is sold out.

The artwork has all been redone, and now the lyrics are printed in the booklet. This confirms my suspicion that the lyrics are pretty bad, but this album isn't about the lyrics. It's about that incredible, dark, medieval atmosphere. The album remains great, and I still listen to it very often. Man, do I love this album.

But what about the bonus tracks, for the other 499 of you who bought it the first time around? Are they worth the cost of buying the CD all over again? Well, the bonus tracks clock in at a total of 14 1/2 minutes, and my guess is that they were at least recorded sometime after From the Throne of Hate (and probably after The Unblessed Woods, which they resemble more closely). So there's definitely a noticeable difference; they don't sound like songs that belong on the album and were somehow left out. I like The Unblessed Woods, but it's no From the Throne of Hate. And these new songs are good (some may even like them more than the actual album), but they don't really add anything except, well, a pair of new Elffor songs (one being instrumental), which is good enough for me but might not be for you. Actually, "Misterious (sic) Dawn" is really good. When is Elffor going to record a new full-length? Hopefully soon.

Elffor is great medieval ambient black metal, and Northern Silence is awesome for reissuing his albums. Definitely check this project out if you haven't yet.

Album Review: Znich - Zapaviety Aposzniaha Starca (2007 reissue)

Artist: Znich (Belarus)
Album Title: Zapaviety Aposzniaha Starca (Precepts of Last Ancient) + Bonus tracks
Record Label: Volh Records (Russia)
Released: 2003, 2007 (reissue year)

Wow, this was a really awesome surprise. I bought this album to complete my Znich collection, but I really wasn't expecting something this good. But, from the first time I heard the second track (and first actual song following the intro), Выпраўляла Мацi Сына, which, incidentally, is now one of my favorite pagan metal songs, I felt like I had stumbled upon a gem. And the rest of the album confirmed it. Zapaviety Aposzniaha Starca may not be a very well-known or popular album, but, in my opinion, this is one of the essential Slavic pagan metal albums, especially of the Belarusian scene. It's quirky enough that a lot of people are going to dislike it right from the start, but I think it's one that could grow on you.

By this point, Znich had gone through various lineup changes since its inception, and vocalist Ales Tabolitch was the only remaining band member from the days of Язычнік я... The new lineup influenced the folk-infused sound this album took on, most notably the addition of female vocalist Natalia Volynec, whose wonderfully authentic folk-style vocals add so much to the Znich sound that one wishes she had remained a permanent fixture in the lineup. Unfortunately, this lineup would also completely dissolve, leaving Ales the only remaining member for their 2007 album Крыжы-абярэгi (please correct me if I'm wrong on this). For one painfully brief, shining moment, Znich had really happened upon something special, and fortunately it was recorded and became their second album, Zapaviety Aposzniaha Starca.

For this reissue, Volh only had a few songs left to add as bonus tracks, as Znich has never been a terribly prolific band. So the nine tracks that make up the album are supplemented with two bonus tracks, one of a re-recorded Чорны Зніч, and what appears to be an early version of Купала На Йвана!, a song that appears in more polished form on the album proper. I don't know if there was any remastering done, but, regardless, the sound quality is great. The album is doomy and crunchy, with powerful guitar and drums. Most of the vocals on the album are sung, but Ales does occasionally growl, which sounds very good. His clean vocals are also good, often harmonizing with Natalia. True, the vocals are not always on-key, but this gives the album a bit of a rough-hewn quality that I think really fits the mood of the album.

In addition to the folk-style vocals, there are some bagpipes, flutes, and mouth harp to enhance the overall sound and atmosphere. Sometimes the mood seems festive, while other times it seems melancholic (a quality that I've noticed in just about every Belarusian metal CD I have... is it a cultural thing?). But overall I get a feeling of reverence and pride, and I feel good every time I listen to this CD. It's not a perfect album; I think it tends to drag a bit towards the end, when the female vocals disappear for a few tracks, but things pick up again on the final song of the album proper, the mournful-sounding Сiрацiнка.

As for the bonus tracks, I could take them or leave them. I didn't really need another version of Чорны Зніч (though this version isn't bad), but the early version of Купала На Йвана! is pretty good, if only to have another chance to hear the beautiful, layered female vocals at the end. Necessary? Certainly not.

I highly recommend Zapaviety Aposzniaha Starca. It's probably not a good album to pick up if you're just getting into this style of music, since, as I mentioned earlier, it's pretty quirky, but I feel like it can stand proudly among the best of the genre. Those who like the folk choir-style vocals on Arkona's Ot Serdtsa K Nebu may enjoy the female vocals on Zapaviety Aposzniaha Starca.

Fans of Slavic pagan metal who are willing to overlook a few rough edges and quirks and discover the treasure beneath should definitely check out this one.