Місяць помсти

Misyac Pomsty, or Moon of Revenge is quite an obscure release by one of Ukraine's finest bands, Dub Buk. Everything about this two demo compilation is pretty primitive compared to their newer stuff. But I must say this is by far their darkest and coldest release, yet it still has many of the elements that made albums like Idu Na Wy and Rus Ponad Vse so great.

The production here is noteworthy. It's weak and raw, yet light and smooth. It's something of it's own, but it most likely reminds me of Nokturnal Mortum's Goat Horns . With Misyac Pomsty, you have a more hypnotic sound that doesn't rely too much on keyboards. As a result, there's a more prevalent guitar sound and even a good bass. I was able to make this comparison when I heard the fourth track, "Cruelty", a 12 minute masterpiece. The underlining riffs remind me exactly of Veles Scrolls (a song from NK's Goat Horns). An excellent song filled with majestic keyboard parts, strong, melodic clean vocals, while giving you the feeling of being in another world.

In general, the first four tracks are much more calm while the last three are heavier. Songs like "In Search of Soul" have quite an icy feel to it, as if you were stranded out in the cold plains of the eastern lands late at night. Several short breaks occur in the first four tracks. It's mostly synth driven, but in case you have ADD these breaks are short enough such that the metal resume again.

The last three tracks kind of pave a path for the ideas found on Dub Buk's sophomore album, Idu Na Wy. Rather than the dark, obscure, hypnotic sound found on the first half of the album, there's a more triumphant, majestic, heavier feel to these three tracks. Zasinae is a personal favorite of mine due to the cool shouts towards the end of the song.

The musicianship overall works really well. It's nothing spectacular, meaning you won't hear any vibrant guitar solos or wild riffing, but that's not a big deal at all for an album like this. Each instrument works very well together - they're all drowned out on the same level - they all stand out at the same level. Keys are never overused nor do they steal the show. They are a great icing on the cake used sparingly enough to really bring the best out of the Misyac Pomsty. Vocals are pretty standard, a bit more screechy than usual, but this type of style works a lot better on such a production, compared to the more roaring/barking vocals found in later Dub Buk releases. Also the second half of the CD has slightly better production, but it's not easily noticed.

Unfortunately, 37~ minutes is a bit short, especially when combining two demos. It would've been nice to hear more songs like it. And I would've loved to see some lyrics/translations to these songs but I guess that adds more to the obscurity? But for the most part, I was impressed from the moment I heard Misyac Pomsty, and it grew on me even more. At first listen, the album didn't seem too original, but after digesting it more, I realized this is a piece of work that can only come from a country like Ukraine. The atmosphere, mood, and style is on a whole new level that separates itself from the generic pagan black metal bands found all over.

If you can find this compilation, or its reissue, I'd highly recommend picking it up. It's better than the generic Graveland, Nokturnal Mortum, and Hellveto clones that are found all over eastern Europe and other places. Misyac Pomsty is an underrated gem, and if you can find a copy, give it a listen. You won't be disappointed.