| Reviews for Ruina's Ukruina |
| Chunky melodic black death - 65% |
| Written by autothrall
on November 5th, 2009
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| This is the debut from a youngish Ukrainian band who combine chunky death metal and melodic black metal into a competent whole. Fronted by the prolific Viterzgir (who has appeared in Kroda, Molphar, and Capitollium among others), they pummel through 10 solid if often average tracks. "Fetters of Freedom" starts off with a clunky and forgettable riff, but the song improves once the more melodic black metal riffing initiates. There are also some folk guitars near the close of the track which are a nice touch. "The Tree of Kin is Rotting" begins as a folk death metal hybrid but then once again uses melodic black style in the verse. Other strong tracks on the album include "Without Fear and Death" and "Hacked and Crushed", but I found several of the other tunes lacking. The album sounds nice and punchy, but the folk instruments meld in nicely and the vocals are set perfectly in the mix. The leads here were competent but not very interesting, adding little to their respective tracks except for the fact they exist. The tunes were a little inconsistent, I'd recommend about half the album overall. Still, the way they approach these styles is refreshing and doesn't ape off too many other bands, the black and death and folk blend nicely. -autothrall http://www.fromthedustreturned.com |
| Ruina - Ukruina - 80% |
| Written by ravenhearted
on April 1st, 2009
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| Even though Ukraine is hardly know for their Death Metal, the rather new band RUINA is bound to stir up some attention because of sharing a frontman with the Folk Metal maestros KRODA. Even though RUINA is definitely sharper around the edges than the pagan hordes, it's not hard to hear the influence of the Folk scene in their music. As far as the Death Metal label is concerned, "Ukruina" threads on the melodic side of the spectrum, and with the inclusion of a mouth harp adding another dimension to the often quite powerful melodies, the alienation of traditional Death-fans is complete. The target-audience for this music lies closer to the fanbase of NOKTURNAL MORTUM and of course the ever-present KRODA, but should what it lacks in brutality it more than makes up for in grand riffs and varied song-structures. Even though it never quite measures up to the majestic uniqueness of KRODA's last few albums, "Ukruina" is an excellent album in its own right, ingeniously avoiding genre cliches or unnecessary recycling of ideas. It's a shame it probably won't get much exposure outside of the steadily growing fanbase of the Ukrainian scene, but RUINA is certainly worth keeping an eye out for. (Online April 1, 2009) Ailo Ravna Written for the Metal Observer |