І ніч схиляється до наших лиць (Night Falls onto the Fronts of Ours)

Alongside Roman Saenko (Drudkh, Blood Of Kingu, Hate Forest), Khors’s guitarist and vocalist Helg is the most prominent musician hailing from Ukraine, because besides the coherent and good discography regarding this project, he’s also part of great underground acts such as Ygg and Ulvegr. That said, Khors – with a cohesive line-up till date – have just releases the sixth album “Night Falls Onto The Fronts Of Ours” via Candlelight Records.

In spite of the somehow dissonant and even obscure beginning, the band’s melodic side emerges after the intoned stanzas inciting to the Slavonic bravery. That melodic side is, of course, delivered by the band’s already well-known guitar riffs, and joining the melody, we have an epic taste that closes the first song, “No Oaths No Tears No Knees!”, in an exciting way. On the other hand, that melodic approach can be crossed with melancholic moments in several occasions during the record.

With 2012’s “Wisdom Of Centuries”, Khors have got back to the aggressive and dark sound that marked the early years, and now, with this new album, they’ve fused their violent side with vibrant and luminous soundscapes that started with 2006’s album “Cold”. This point leads us to talk about the keyboards that always were a highly important tool in Khors’ songs. Currently, the keyboards might not be as prominent as before – let’s remind, for example, the glorious album “Return To Abandoned” (2012) –, but that instrument is still keeping its space through shimmering sounds being an important characteristic regarding the atmospheric trademark created by these Ukrainian fellows. Nevertheless, atmosphere is not always formed with keyboards – we have Hate Forest to exemplify that – and, in “Following The Ways Of Blood”, we can find an atmospheric section offered by the full-bodied guitars.

Having in count the huge palette of musical colors that’s presented by Khors, not everything is moved by atmospheric and shining symphonies since “1664” emerges as the heaviest and bleakest song in the album. The band’s progressive side is a less approached aspect, but it’s also explored throughout their career; and regarding that there’s the track “For The Last Time” which offers a complex structure and all instruments are in great communion in which every single one has a very specific role.

Overall, this new “Night Falls Onto The Fronts Of Ours” doesn’t possess the melodic emphasis that “Cold” offered or the heathen atmosphere that “Return To Abandoned” exhaled, but still it’s a fine album with interesting details that will surely please the old and the new enthusiasts.

Originally written at www.againstmagazine.com