За ножом

In this collaboration, only Vir' are related to metal music directly, and even then, if the genre of the collective is defined as experimental sludge / doom metal, it is clear that in this case the main component is "experimental", but not "metal" at all. Theoretically, one can also distinguish "metallic notes" in the works by Otzepenevshiye, however, the "experimental" component mercilessly rams the "metal" one into the ground, so there is no "metal" here too, it's a shapeless something instead. Nevertheless, as a result of joint creativity, these two collectives managed to synthesize several remarkable metal patterns. These "patterns" are very strange, but it's metal – drone / doom metal, industrial metal and, oddly enough, depressive black metal.

Regarding the latter, it is extremely doubtful that the creators set themselves the goal of composing songs in this genre, but thanks to the droning and sustained guitar, nailing the listener to the wall, the gloomy chimeric drum machine and, most importantly, the hysterical vocals, Otzepenevshiye and Vir' did it. This quasi-depressive black metal dominates in the first song "1000 doors". Though, it begins artfully as dark ambient, which evolves rather quickly into drone, but it is not a tale yet – the major story lies ahead. Psychonaut 4? Maybe. Anyway, the piano accompaniment in the final part enhances the resemblance to depressive black metal. Fortunately or unfortunately, next time this genre can be recognized only in the end of the album: in the final part of the seventh song "For a Knife" a fretted bass creeps out with its solo, and the hysterical vocals appears immediately – yes, it sounds like depressive black metal again. The hysterical vocals are also present in the fifth song "The Black", but the essence is different there.

Basically, Otzepenevshiye and Vir' prefer to create the framework of the composition from the remarkable mixture of drone / doom metal and industrial metal, the latter is in the vein of the unforgettable Godflesh totally. Nothing to do but to call it industrial drone metal. But it is to be noted that the guitar work itself is quite distinctive, the riffs are clearly similar to Godflesh only in the aforementioned fifth song – it is easy to identify the branded rough "broken" guitar, generating a trademark downstroke riff. It is noteworthy that such a guitar sounds for a long time without the support of a drum machine, which is in its turn in the spirit of Godflesh absolutely.

However, this does not always happen, for example, in the second song "Kotlovan" (well, most likely it means "The Foundation Pit", novel by Andrei Platonov), the drum machine beats no less than the martial industrial rhythm to the accompaniment of the grim drone riffs. The drum machine is programmed on this album amazingly, may be said, that it's a very musical drum machine – sometimes it even taps a melody. Or such a sensation arises. The most delightful part is played by the drum machine in the seventh song "For a Knife": at first it ticks away an unobtrusive rhythm barely audibly, you don't even pay attention to it – because skillfully arranged various noises, the sound of water, strange howls captures your attention (it all reminds Tiermes, their self-titled album 1997) – and suddenly the drum machine starts to pommel! – purposefully and almost with delight!

The album is literally mesmerizing with a wealth of sounds – the bewitching charming electronic / ambient sounds arise constantly during industrial drone metal compositions: penetrant tremolo, a whistle caused by feedback-looped reverb (more likely), some synth, samples and so on. In addition to the amazing arrangement, Otzepenevshiye and Vir' allow themselves to paint clean ambient sketches. So, a technogenic ritual of the third song "Sonne der Toten" suddenly turns into a stunningly heartfelt solo, ringing in the void. Well, actually this is the fourth track "-273°C" – that is, absolute zero. There is some kind of irony in this: to paint the absolute death with such ambient melancholic beauty. In the same way, "The Black" unexpectedly, but logically flows into the sixth "Ce qui ne trompe pas". This time it is a real funeral epitaph, drawn by monotonous keyboards.

Warning: "For a Knife" is generally a very depressive album, full of yearnful melody, so it is not recommended to listen to such music when you getting high – it can push you into a cold abyss, from where it will be difficult to get out.