Нахристихрящях

I always go on rambling about bands that are trying so hard to be "kvlt" that they forget about the actual method of composition behind their music. Of course, that might just be me being the prog-snob I usually am, but my point stands. Well, while Lucifugum are quite the drama queens when it comes to BM image (proved by the countless photographs of Igor and Elena Naumchuk posing in corpsepaint) these musicians seem to know what they're doing... for the most part. Actually, it might be because of the fact two of the members here are from Nokturnal Mortum (although I am not familiar with that band's music as of yet) but as far as I know Khlyst is the main composer. Anyways, in other words the "kvlt" factor here is just the flavour, and not the driving force behind the music.

So, is it the guitars? I mean, this is metal and it is logical to assume the guitars are the main element of the music. WRONG! The guitars here can be heard and they do provide the foundations of the melody BUT they are in no way what captivates the listener. In fact, the album doesn't feature a single solo and literally 100% of the riffs are tremolo. Yeah, pretty dull... So, the drums? Nah, the drummer (a member of Nokturnal Mortum) is quite skilled and provides a steady rhythmic line that all metal albums require, but unless it's djent they can't be the driving force of the music. Is it the bass? Yeah, right, bass in a BM record. Well, this one has its moments but it's just that, nothing more. The vocalist is as generic as they come, "SAYTUUUUUUN" and shit like that. Hold on, this means... this means the keyboard is what pushes 70% of the great sound on this record! *gasp* Blasphemy, this is not true kvlt, fucking sellouts! *cough* Sorry, my inner purist showed for a moment there. So, yes, the keyboardist is actually the one who provides pretty much most of the melodies and harmonies here. Strings, brass sections and even a piano here and there, Saturious is a whole orchestra here, most of the mix is taken over by his captivating musicianship.

So, now you get the reason behind the title of this review, the most essential part of metal music, the guitar, is overshadowed by the keyboard. And you know what? That's amazing! What you get here is a sort of neoclassical synth album with black metal flavour and not a lo-fi dominated early 90's Norwegian-style record. There is an emphasis on how the different parts go together. Yes, the vocals are generic, yes, the riffs are dull, but the way in which they are incorporated shows that this isn't a bunch of angry kids wanting to scream their teenage hormones in the microphone and call it an album, there is thought put into this and it might take the average listener 4-5 listens to appreciate how all of this works together. Hell, even the bass has its parts here and there. So, you don't need to be a fricking beast on guitar, shredding scales like John Petrucci, simplistic but thought-out composing is always better.

Well, I just contradicted myself a lot here, didn't I? So, the problem I have with most of black metal is that it's very narrow-minded, inspired by the same bands and it's pretty much a load of blast-beating, tremolo-picking screaming children recording on a potato, AND THAT'S ALL! This album also has all of these, but you know what? It's definitely not the main focus. As I said, it's just a flavour, the true (or "trve") drive behind the music can be comprehended only by those who have the patience to do one simple thing - listen! Pay attention to the details, how that string section excellently compliments the basic riffs, how the piano adds something fresh and enjoyable, etc. etc. Things like this are what make a record great and the fact you can't notice them all in one listen is what puts off most people. Take your time, patience is key to many great things in life.