Голос сталі

Last year, I covered Nokturnal Mortum's Lunar Poetry demo, having been one of my personal favorites from their earlier stages of their careers. Beginning in the mid-2000s with the release of "Мировоззрение", Nokturnal Mortum begun to incorporate more folk and pagan elements within the music. And while that album was good for what it was, it wasn't until 2009 with the release of "Голос сталі" that the concept was fully executed to its full potential.

The album opens up with a three minute intro that mainly consists of folk instruments and natural sounds, some of which I could've swore that were previously borrowed from their most infamous album "NeChrist". But right away, what makes this album stand out from Мировоззрение would be its production. Whereas Мировоззрение leaned more into the earlier era's production with a more raw and abrasive sound, this album's production sounds more cleaner and well-sounded. And when the next track "Голос сталі" kicks in, this is where things go from good to fantastic. The guitar riffs are rooted in a more folk-like structure, and while they do sound harsh, there's a triumphant pagan spirit felt within the riffs that feels more empowering than evil. The drumming is also more technical and calculated compared to their previous works, with the slow booms of the drums only furthering the tense atmosphere in the track. And of course, we do have those folk and symphonic elements thrown in the tracks that not only further enhance the pagan tone, but the symphonic parts still maintain the band's old school style with its high-quality melodies.

As good as this opening track is, the album only gets better as the instrumentals progress. The way the album is structured makes it so as the tracks go on, concepts that were introduced earlier are elaborated even more, such as in "Моєї мрії острови" where the track furthers that slow, epic style that was introduced in the first track. Then there's the fan favorite "Україна", a short, yet effective song with catchy riffs and beautiful folk melodies that serves as a beautiful tribute to Ukraine. And even the more melodic approach in that song is further carried out in a later track "Шляхом сонця" with some majestic riffs that mix in melodies and harshness in various moments of the track. When it comes to the instrumentals and the way they're structured on the album, it's easily Nokturnal Mortum at their most sophisticated, as they not only enter a new era in their music with better production and a folk-leaning sound, but each new song adds in something new that engages the listener to keep going.

But while the instrumentals are great, I also have to give credit to the vocals where it's due. Knjaz Varggoth does the lead vocals as usual, and while he does his usual shrieks, he's actually not the best part in the vocal department. That would actually have to go to Astargh and W. Angel, who do the backing and clean vocals. To see what I mean, let's go back to "Україна". While Varggoth shrieks about his country, W. Angel contrasts the shrieks with his melodic singing in chants, especially at the chorus where his singing flows perfectly to the symphonic and folk elements. Not only does it offer a more romanticized picture of the lyrics, but it only further the more melodic parts of the song. Astargh also back up the lead vocals well in tracks like "Валькирия", where his own chants and echoes serve as an additional layer to the complex vocals. While I certainly do respect Varggoth's vocals on here, this album is one of the rare moments where the backup vocals actually do better than the lead.

Голос сталі isn't flawless by any means, as the production can get a bit too clean at times and some moments can initially come off as cheesy. However, Nokturnal Mortum have shown to have matured a lot in their songwriting and composition, as with the great blend of black metal and folk music, plus the brilliant vocals, and needless to say, Голос сталі is definitely a must listen for those wanting to get into the band's more folk edges.

Wow! I don't even know where to begin. This album is a flawless, melodic, epic, glorious masterpiece. I'll surely put this record among the best albums ever recorded, not only in metal but in music. Almost everything on here is top quality from start to finish.

Nokturnal Mortum has been a quite known and popular band within the metal community and is maybe the best metal band that Ukraine has offered us. They formed in the late 90's and released a couple of good albums such as “Lunar Poetry”, “Goat Horns” and “To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire but although those albums were good, enjoyable and showed the potential and talent this band had and could achieve they were unluckily flawed. We had to wait for almost a decade (this album took many years to compose and record) to fully listen to their magnus opus : which is a everlasting masterpiece. Definitely one of the best worth waits ever. This album is comparable with the next one "Verity", and it's very arguable yet.

To start with, almost every feature such like composition, songwriting, production or originality is perfect on here. This website defines Nokturnal Mortum's sound as “symphonic folk / black metal”, which is completely true. However, this albums incorporates elements from several metal genres and mixes them in the right way. Lead vocals are closer to a black metal shrieking style but we can also hear epic melodic backing vocals similar to pagan/folk/viking ones, which both are great and add epicity to the music. Guitars sound with a high and cold tone which create an epic and beautiful atmosphere which are sometimes sadly buried by their oversaturated distortion, but if we listen to the whole album this is not a great problem. Guitarists also perform some great solos which remind us of heavy / power metal ones, and fit the music wonderfully. Bass is buried in the mix, but we don't care because it's not the main instrument on here and it's just an accompaniment. Drums are very well played since we can hear outstanding blastbeats and slower parts, furthermore its sound is wonderful and their volume in the mix is perfectly listenable. Apart from the traditional metal/rock instruments we also find a great variety of folk slavic instruments, flutes and violins that make the music sound beautiful and makes you feel that folkloric spirit that this band wants to convey, but unlike many folk metal bands; they do not sound cheesy nor corny but amazing and glorious. Keyboards are also excellent since unlike many symphonic metal bands, they're NOT the main instrument. This was in my opinion the main mistake in Nokturnal Mortum's previous album “Goat Horns”, but here they have supposedly noticed that mistake and have corrected it : keyboards make a wonderful, melancholic and magic atmosphere along with guitars, folk instruments and backing vocals. Musically, we can also find progressive rock elements that remind me of classic bands like Pink Floyd or Grateful Dead; let's take for example “Valkyrie” (one of my favorites), in the middle of the song begins a progressive part accompanied by a guitar solo which is amazing. All the musicianship on here is very talented and have a high quality.

Overall, musically I describe this album as “the soundtrack for victory”. Just listening to it, it makes us dream and travel through space and makes us imagine to be a warrior. When it sounds, it makes me feel instantly happy and gives me lots of hope and strength. This is the music I would put in a movie battle scene, since it fits with battles perfectly. It's the soundtrack for victory, for hope and for glory. Most lyrics sing about heathenism or folklore. The song “Ukraine” should be Ukraine's national anthem for sure, it is one of the most epic and emotional songs I've ever heard, it's a song dedicated to the band's fatherland. The rest of lyrics are wonderfully written and are beautiful poetry. All lyrics are sung in Ukranian, the band's native language which is something I truly appreciate.

The production is PERFECT. Unlike previous Nokturnal Mortum's albums on which production were poorer, on here they have highly managed to achieve their sound. Every instrument is suitably balanced in the mix; however, as I mentioned above, sometimes guitars are too far distorted and drown other instruments in the mix but if you get used to the sound it won't hinder you.

Less importantly, the cover is beautiful. It shows a heathen god (I suppose) forging a great magic sword with a hammer surrounded by fire. Some women and valkyries also appear. The red-orange tones makes it look amazing.

So, this is one of the greatest albums ever recorded not only in metal, but in all kinds of music. It is an everlasting masterpiece that will be remembered for years and decades and will never be forgotten by metal and music fans. Few things surpass this. Buy it or die (unless you do not want to support the band).

Trying to describe a masterpiece such as "The Voice of Steel" is a difficult task. Such a magnum opus can only be grasped in full and appreciated through several, careful listens, although obviously its grandeur will result clear since the very first time. Nokturnal Mortum have always went through important sound changes with each of their albums' release, and "The Voice of Steel" makes no exception. The starting point is the formula adopted with 2004's "Weltanschauung", but with several innovations. The songs lean towards an even more epic as well as experimental attitude, granted on one side by the use of majestic choirs and orchestrations and, on the other, by the record's eclectic musical influences.

Indeed, "The Voice of Steel" takes Nokturnal Mortum's trademark symphonic black/folk metal assault, infusing it with even more bombast and then combining it with a progressive/atmospheric vein. The result is simply outstanding, as fully displayed by tracks such as "My Dream Islands", "White Tower" and "Valkyrie", capable of sounding both evocative, epic and charged with pathos in their (at times) almost Pinkfloydesque approach. More straightforward yet complex epics are obviously present, namely the title track, "By Path of the Sun" and the unforgettable "Ukraine" (which probably stands as the best song the band has ever written), featuring huge choruses and a wider use of the folk instruments. Such stellar levels of songwriting are obviously backed by the incredible mastery of the musicians, fully displayed by the fantastic performance of each band member.

Astargh provides stellar leads, stylish leaks and wonderful, technical solos, complemented by Varggoth's rock-solid rhytms; the drumming is tight and precise, featuring powerful blast beats, intense double bass drumming, solemn mid-tempos and dreamy beats that match each of the countless shades of the compositions, accompanied by original bass lines that add further depth to the music. Saturious does a fantastic job with the folk instruments and the keyboards, providing highly suggestive, epic and at times dreamlike atmospheres, cementing the whole instrumental department and furtherly adding cohesion to the whole lot. On top of this, we have Varggoth's trademark screamed vocals, and let me say that this is his best and probably most passionate studio performance to date. A final mention is needed to describe the production, which is much cleaner than ever before, thus letting every instrument and element breathe and find its own space in the mix.

In case this wasn't clear enough, I'll say it once again: "The Voice of Steel" is Nokturnal Mortum's magnum opus and one of, if not the, best folk/black metal albums ever conceived. It's original, unique, flawlessly composed and executed, it features an unmistakeable sound and it's a fluent listen despite its almost 70-minutes duration. This record is a real joy to the ears, a must for any folk metal and black metal aficionado.
If you still haven't listened to it, do yourself a favour and pick it up now!

Nokturnal Mortum is a band that has been shrouded in controversy. I could go on and on about their NSBM roots, less than culturally-sensitive lyrics, and more recent reform; but I'm not. I'd prefer to stick to the music, and damn that music is good. Despite not agreeing with the content, I enjoy the music of all of NM's output, from the schizophrenic Nechrist to the more straightforward To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire. The union of black metal and folk has always been pretty unique in the execution. But with Voice of Steel, Nokturnal Mortum not only topped themselves, but in my opinion the entire genre.

Once again, I find myself struggling to grasp the right words. From the introduction's use of insect noises and bizarre horn call, to the resulting shindig of various folk instruments and hand drums; no one does atmosphere like these Ukrainians. This ultimately explodes into sounds of blacksmith hammers, a raucously catchy fiddle melody, and crushing power chords. The end result is quite possibly my favorite folk metal song ever, “Voice of Steel.” Haunting backup chants, perfect fusion of various heavy and traditional elements, and a vocal performance channeled straight from Valhalla. 10 minutes isn't long enough

And that's just the first song. If “Voice of Steel” is the call to arms, “Valkyrie” is the battle. This blastbeat-driven piece of symphonic madness sounds like 10,000 horses galloping through the enemy like a warm knife through butter. I don't know who we were even fighting, because the opposition was decimated before I had time to put my helmet on. Think Emperor meets Bathory and Amon Amarth.

It's incredible just how many styles get crammed into this album while still flowing together into one progressive masterpiece. “Ukraine” has one of the most infectious singing parts that would have been cheesy as hell if anyone else had done it. Both “My Dream Islands” and “By Path of Sun” absolutely nail upbeat melodic portions with a trifecta of keys, flutes, and guitar. But even at their most canorous, these compositions maintain an unmatched heaviness that kicks like Sleipnir. It's a black metal Renaissance fair.

But enough words. Just press play. This is one of those “two kinds of people” situations: those who like Voice of Steel, and those who are wrong. Find out which one you are and then spare some gold pieces to add it to your collection. I loved it so much I paid premium to have it shipped from the Russian Federation. It was worth it.

Review courtesy of Metal Trenches (metaltrenches.com)

Nokturnal Mortum has always been consistent in releasing amazing music throughout their career. To this date, I have yet to hear something from this band I don't at least like. Sure, "NeChrist" was a bit of a misstep, but even that record has some memorable songs and overall is fairly decent. "The Voice of Steel" was released in 2009 and currently is their most recent studio offering, not counting the live album they released in 2011. So, compared to everything the band has released prior, how does "The Voice of Steel" hold up? Truthfully, I believe this is their best release to date and the guys were at the peak of their career during this point.

After an instrumental opening track which sounds exactly like the beginning to the "NeChrist" album, the band goes into their title track. This song shows a very dense sounding guitar tone and, of course, Nokturnal Mortum's signature implementation of traditional Slavic folk music. With this album, there really isn't much going on in the black metal department. That sound for the most part is absent. Is that really at all surprising? Honestly, no, not at all. Especially beginning with "NeChrist" and taken to a whole new level with "Weltanschauung", Nokturnal Mortum began to lessen their black metal atmosphere in favor of a more pagan/folk metal approach. Gone are the days of corpsepaint and much welcomed is a recognizable, unique folk metal sound. This would prove to be an extremely successful change of style in my opinion. The folk instruments are really what make the album what it is. The guitars seem a lot heavier here and the tone is just amazing. Aside from folk music and the still present but less obvious black metal influences, there is even a blues influence to be heard. Take the song "Valkyrie" for example. This song contains a melodic break with solos and basslines that sound extremely bluesy. Upon first listen, I really wasn't expecting to hear something like that. It is completely unique and extremely effective. Really, there are no bad songs anywhere on this album. "White Tower" contains some catchy, groovy riffs, and how about that insanely catchy chorus on "Ukraine" with its epic use of folk melodies? The music is truly epic throughout this album, and you can really feel the Slavic pride.

In terms of production, the job here is nearly perfect. The instruments are all there in full force and nothing falls behind in the sound. Hell, the bass can even be heard during some various sections, such as the aforementioned blues-influenced solo on "Valkyrie", which actually sounds fairly spontaneous. The drums are absolutely tight, and the guitar of course has this amazing tone that stands out from anything Nokturnal Mortum has done in the past. Because all of these instruments are produced so clearly, this album has a very theatrical, clean sound. This is the only reason I didn't give the album a perfect score. Sure, it sounds great, amazing actually, but one thing about metal I love is the raw energy behind it. While this is not a black metal album, I still would have enjoyed it a bit more if it sounded slightly more organic. This is, however, only a minor flaw that really doesn't affect the music all that much.

The lyrics on this album are all done in the band's native Ukrainian language. This truly helps to show how proud the band is of their heritage, and they should definitely be able to express that in their music. I can't understand a word of it, and I need to rely on the translations of the song titles to even reference what song I'm referring to, but that's okay. This helps add an atmosphere of pride and power in the music. Varggoth's vocals are perfect on this album. He doesn't perform the clean vocals, but only the harsh, black metal screams. We do get clean vocals, probably most notably on the song "Ukraine", from a man going by the name W. Angel. His cleans are absolutely masterful and fit the music perfectly.

"The Voice of Steel" is definitely the best album from Nokturnal Mortum yet. Usually a band doesn’t release their finest album so late, in my opinion, but that's not at all a bad thing. Nokturnal Mortum has aged like a fine wine because of this, and I am highly anticipating something new, whenever that may come.

I tend to hold in contempt reviews that open with some longwinded mise-en-scène, or flowery imagery meant to convey the writer's impression of the music. In all but the best cases, fancy dialogues telling stories or painting pictures seem like vain attempts for a reviewer to rekindle their failed creative writing career; at its worst, it passes me as a timid way to enter a review without begging dissent or controversy, with the help of tired metal cliches that can and should make their readers cringe, provided they're not freshly out of middle school. Generally speaking, these prefaces do naught but add flab for the reader to sift through before getting to the substance of a review, and I hate them for it.

Yet here I am, hypocritically entreating you, the reader, to imagine a dialogue between Richard Wagner and Quorthon, up there in Valhalla. Imagine what it might sound like if they were writing music together, discussing music as far-between as folk and progressive metal, finding mutual consensus on a lot of the topics they'd bring up together. Now, imagine Quorthon and Wagner found a way to transmit their creative force back down to the material plane somehow, and those psychic waves found their wave into the heart of Ukraine. Yes, this preface is complete bullshit, but it should offer some indication as to the sound and scope of Nokturnal Mortum's amazing Голос сталі (The Voice of Steel). Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if the influence of Wagner or the Bathory mastermind himself had directly informed the making of the album, if not as Valhallan ghosts, then certainly, at least, in spirit.

Call it black metal. Call it folk metal. Both terms alone don't stand to encapsulate what Nokturnal Mortum did here. What is important is that so few other metal albums released in recent years have so consistently been regarded as modern classics like this one. Голос сталі is the most recent (currently, that is) work from a symphonic black metal band that plugged away at the well-regarded fringes of their style for years, and it was only with this album they ever conceivably 'made it big.' As much as their debut Goat Horns and demo magnus Lunar Poetry are each monumental in their own right, Голос сталі is a different breed entirely. With this album, Nokturnal Mortum essentially tied all of the strongest threads occurring in pagan black and folk metal together in a revelatory package that warrants the term 'epic' as much or more than all else I've ever heard. They merged the Eurasian pagan bite of their core with a style more closely associated with Moonsorrow; the only band, coincidentally, that have channelled this sort of music as brilliantly as these guys did here.

To say Голос сталі sounds like as its album cover looks would be a good starting point in describing it. The smithing clang heard at the beginning of the title track ties it in perfectly; the proudly mid-paced guitars and boisterous violin makes a pitch-perfect soundtrack for conjuring images of a grizzled war god refining metals in his forge. Unsurprisingly, there's a great deal musically in common here with many from the Viking metal crowd; Bathory and their countless disciples are felt in the chantlike backing vocals, and their use of folk instrumentation is used to complement, rather than compete with, the metal contributions. While the music often veers towards a swift blackened gallop, Nokturnal Mortum sometimes prefer to walk rather than run. Add to that, the sort of folkish jig they're prone to evoking, as heard on the opening moments of "Україна" (Ukraine).

A lot of these ingredients have been tested to death by would-be pagans for over a quarter of a century by now, and in most cases, the effect's long since worn off. I'm of the mind that pagan folk metal is often better in concept than its execution, but Голос сталі has be forgetting about my cynicism. They are singing (or, more often, growling) about a long-lost, mystical Ukraine, and for the passion they've brought to the music, I actually feel their message. I've never visited their country, but I hear an undertone of immense cultural pride that carries through every minute of music on Голос сталі, regardless whether or not folk instruments are being used at the time.

The cover seems to reinforce every expectation one would have towards pagan metal, and the music makes it work. But the thing that makes Nokturnal Mortum stand out further still with this album is the fact that they're by no means limited to that one palette. I mentioned progressive metal in my opening paragraph, and labelling Голос сталі as such wouldn't be inaccurate, though it would leave just as much of the sound unattended as the more typical black and folk labellings. "Валькирия" (Valkyrie) has a slower part buried in its composition that sounds distinctly influenced by Pink Floyd. "Небо сумних ночей" (Sky of Saddened Nights) is an acoustic piece that sounds like a Paganization of one of Ennio Morricone's film scores. The first few minutes of "Моєї Мрії Острови" (My Dream Islands) sounds like Enslaved paired up with Floyd.

Considering the length of the album (almost ten minutes past an hour) the fact that weird associations of this sort could be drawn from each and every song past the intro practically demands repeated intent listening in order to really understand it. I'm sure the same could be argued for all music, but it's doubly true for Голос сталі. This is the sound of a pagan metal band who decided to embrace their modern inspirations alongside the ancient, throw everything they had into one album, and stir the pot until evenly simmered. In nine cases out of ten, I don't think a project like this would have worked. Luckily, Голос сталі did, and I don't doubt it's an album that will only continue to nurture a 'classic' status as the years plod on.

I'm a bit new to Nokturnal Mortum. I have been taking a break from metal lately, listening to a lot of industrial/noise and powerviolence/crust type stuff. Metal was my first love and I always seem to be coming back to it. So after listening to some other albums in black metal (specifically the new Leviathan record) I got excited and decided to be adventurous. I took a chance and turned on this Nokturnal Mortum record. The band does a very sugary, very power metal-esque style of music, seemingly a mix of viking era Bathory and... Helloween. When I say Helloween I am talking like Eagle Fly free, Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2 type stuff (the only Helloween I ever bothered listening to). It can be pretty tiring.

What really annoys me about this Nokturnal Mortem record is it doesn't really have much grit. I feel like when Viking metal and power metal is done right, it can feel really spine tingling and exciting. On track 2 particularly, I found it to be very exciting, I felt like it was pretty much outright schooling Bathory at their own game. It wasn't really very power metal-esque. Track 2 was probably the lowest tuned track on the entire album. It had a really primal and exciting feeling, lots of really well timed and epic screams. Sort of a choir sound in the background, really sounded like a badass track to imagine vikings going to war to. It had violins, really heavy pounding drums, a repetitive guitar riff. It was heavy, it gave me an rush of energy. There's a fine line between being moving and being melodramatic. Nokturnal Mortum crosses that line, their music starts to feel like diabetes after this track (I've never had diabetes but you know what I mean).

I feel very much like I am watching a high budget movie. I never quite liked bands that mix their traditional folk style music with their metal. It's a very bizarre mixture, considering the roots of metal are very nontraditional. It seems like bands like this almost have an identity crisis, very few can actually pull off the style in a way that doesn't feel uninspired. I'm not saying it can't be pulled off, but these guys do a sort of sappy job of it. If there is one thing I can give Nokturnal Mortum though, it's that the way they arrange their music doesn't sound like a hodgepodge like Sigh - In Somniphobia which I though was just a tremendous mess of a band with no stylistic direction. Nokturnal Mortum can put stuff together that sounds coherent, but that doesn't mean it's good. It has too much of a soaring sound to it. Whether it be the tremolo picking, the synthesizers, the flutes, the weird flanger sounding effect on their guitars (or synthesizers). They add so many bells and whistles, but it doesn't really add anything to the music, it just makes my head hurt. I just wish it was heavier. I feel like I am being caressed by a bunch of wanna be vikings.

There's not really a moment where Nokturnal Mortum deviates from the formula of just sounding as melodramatic as possible. The fucking chimes and airy synth sounds on "White Tower" were just dumb. This was meant to be the soundtrack to a viking movie, not a bonafide metal record. I'm not saying the effects they use are inherently bad, a lot of great classic black metal uses synthesizers and alternative effects for the genre. I think this band was trying to pull out all the stops on this record, that's commendable. It sounds like they put a lot of effort into this album, they probably deserve a lot of the praise they get. Musical enjoyment isn't based on effort though, or how many fans you have. For me this record just didn't work. There's not many albums in the black metal genre that just completely flop for me, like there is in other metal genres. Then again it would be a stretch to call this black metal. If melodic death metal is to death metal, then Nokturnal Mortum is to black metal. I strongly dislike melodic death metal, figure out the rest. It's ultimately boring, but it has some good moments.

Nokturnal Mortum is one of the original bands that paved the way for black and pagan metal in the Slavic nations. I was introduced to its work via its unremarkable contribution to The Night and the Fog Volume II, an NSBM compilation tape. However, some years ago, friends informed me of the group's most recent album--Voice of Steel--and when I listened to it, I was immediately hooked.

One of the high points of Голос сталі is its use of the violin and other instruments that rarely see their place in black metal. Keyboards are well appreciated, but the guitars cannot be neglected. They provide a rhythmic blood flow for the rest of the music, and Knyaz's vocals are a powerful salute to the pagan heritage of the Slavic peoples. Each song neatly flows into the other, but a few motifs reappear constantly.

Guitars are frequently used as a rhythm instrument instead of letting it take the limelight. Simple, playful violin sections stand just a little bit before the guitar part. Whereas many black metal artists use keyboards to create dissonance and depressing ambiance, Nokturnal Mortum's keyboards are used to create an ethereal, almost mystical presence about the music. They've got a ton of effects to them, no doubt about that, but it's my understanding that NM uses keyboards live, so I am not unimpressed at all. Drum work that isn't typical in black metal. It's not ultra-fast or ultra-aggressive. Plenty of tom and cymbal work help to continue the pagan feel of the album. Vocals are screamed rather than growled. This is pretty important, because I doubt Голос сталі would work if Knyaz used a death growl, or if he did a harsher shriek. The current vocal use keeps the album accessible to a wider audience of metalheads.

This is a very impressive album, and it's historically significant too: it came out just around the time when people were really pushing the limits of black/pagan/folk metal, and Nokturnal Mortum's connections to more radical bands--and its own past--are perhaps an indication of black metal's continued evolution. I highly recommend it to all metal heads, and my only complaints are that there aren't enough dark moments or clean vocals to round out this otherwise perfect album. The creativity at play here is something that a lot of pagan bands try to pull off, but Nokturnal Mortum really hit the nail on the head here.

If you follow recent happenings in Ukraine and are rather indifferent to this situation, listening to this album may change your stance. What has started in Norway and spread all over the world, found a very comfortable place in Ukraine, as bands from this country keep on setting new milestones in terms of quality and atmosphere of black metal art. I delayed listening to Nokturnal Mortum for almost two years, because I expected nothing else but "true" and rather raw black metal. What I found here was a contradiction of my expectations. In times, when new albums strike with lack of originality, quality, atmosphere and fresh ideas, one may wonder if he's getting old, or just music gets crap. Maybe both, but it's a great relief to madly fall in love with an unknown release after first listen. This is Голос сталі's case.

Without further poetry, this is a flawless album. Four years of preparation are fully justified. Everything is just as it should be. There is no single element, which might feel out of place. Production is exemplary, all instruments, riffs, vocals, lyrics are fully distinguishable. It's not clean and polished, but it's very fresh, still maintaining the black metal aesthetics. Against complaints made by listeners, that Nokturnal Mortum's keys are cheesy, which is kind of true for their older releases, this time they hit just the perfect spot. And it's not just bunch of simple, burzumish ambient layers. Varying from subtle, atmospheric fillers, ending on actually electronic arpeggios in the last track, they add another dimension to these already perfect tracks. Also melodies are one of the aspects, which is a huge upside. Everything is highly memorable, without being cheap and most importantly, it's highly sensible. Vocals are also full of diversity. They are mostly powerful, yet subtle growls. Occasionally, we can hear clean, backing male choirs, as well as spoken and even sung passages.

There is a huge amount of different, real instruments, rendering this release incredibly folkish. The most notable folk track is, without a surprise, Україна, which from the very beginning takes the listener on the epic journey, with a big, tasty cherry on top of it, which is the incredibly catchy and moving chorus, sang with clean vocals. It doesn't mean, that other tracks are not packed with folk elements. Each track has something else to offer. Each track is an entity on its own, yet they are all fully consistent as the album. This is not a release, when listeners are left with much occasions to wonder "what is this for?" or "when it's gonna end?". It starts mysteriously, achieves full force during Валькирия (hail Ukrainian blackened Pink Floyd) and Україна tracks, then regresses into subtler, atmospheric and even non-metal territories, to end with another masterpiece, which is Біла вежа - exemplary track how to be amazing in progressive black metal, using all possible means to achieve godlike atmosphere.

Голос сталі is a perfect example of (pagan) black metal release. Whether you pick production, compositions, diversity, atmosphere - everything is top notch quality. 100% rating isn't an exaggeration by any means. There is no single thing on this album I could complain about. Masterpiece.

More than four years after the release of their previous LP, 2005’s Weltanschauung, Ukranian symphonic black metal band Nokturnal Mortum have presented us with The Voice Of Steel, an album which is both insanely varied and rock-solid. The amalgam of traditional eastern-European folk music, symphonic black metal, and touches of genres like blues and hard rock make Voice Of Steel easily the most bold release of Nokturnal Mortum’s career. The black metal portion is less keyboard-centered, instead going for numerous guitar solos which draw influences from a wide array of musical styles and a good emphasis on the bass guitar. This styling really helps keep the one hour and twelve minute album from growing stale, and also shows a giant leap in songwriting progression for the band.

Save two tracks, each song clocks in at over eight minutes, going to upwards of twelve. This leaves a lot of room for a vast array of different riffs and transitions which make the ending of each song sound a world away from the beginning. Take, for instance, the third track “Valkyrie”: the song starts off right from the get-go with intensely heavy black metal laden with tremolo picking and blast beats before it breaks into a symphonic bridge before transitioning to clean chanting vocals, only to move to a slower guitar solo which brings to mind influences from 80’s metal to hard rock, before slamming you with more black metal. It might sound crazy, but Nokturnal Mortum somehow makes each and every song enjoyable despite countless different sounds flying around. The pristine production helps facilitate such a strong atmosphere, with each and every instrument audible at all times.

Indeed, the increased use of melody really makes The Voice Of Steel an enjoyable listen and more than just an album which you will listen to once every few months. In both the verse riffing and the multiple guitar solos which show off a huge display of technicality which Nokturnal Mortum was, for some reason, hiding for so long, you will find excellent songwriting and a keen ear for harmony that helps to keep things constantly fresh. The atmospheric tracks like “My Dream Islands” and “Sky Of Saddened Nights” provide both an increased synth display as well as a calm, almost beautiful side to the music which even further displays the daunting array of different sounds displayed here. The heavier tracks, as well, often showcase extremely heavy mid-paced black metal which never overstays its welcome but almost always adds a solid base on which to build the remainder of the song.

It’s really impossible to fully describe how exactly The Voice Of Steel sounds. It’s a unique album which most certainly deserves a spot in the top black metal releases of the year, as well as yet another affirmation that Nokturnal Mortum are one of the most consistently good symphonic black metal bands in the scene. Their music, as it is displayed here, has matured to a sound which sets this band apart from any other in the world. The raspy scream of Varggoth to the hugely atmospheric cleans of guest musician W. Angel provide engaging vocal arrangements on top of the impressive musicianship, and as a package The Voice Of Steel far and away surpasses fellow Ukranian band Drudkh’s latest album Microcosmos, probably the only other release which sounds even close to what is displayed here. Four years was a while to wait for this album, but with the quality displayed on The Voice Of Steel, it would have been worth the wait even if the album took another four to complete.


originally written in http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/34227/Nokturnal-Mortum-The-Voice-of-Steel/

Nokturnal Mortum are a critically highly acclaimed underground metal band from Kharkiv that performs some sort of epic blackened folk metal with Ukrainian lyrics. This basis is already rather intriguing and original and makes this record an interesting exotic gem for any black, doom or folk metal fan. After several overwhelming critics I was curious to try their latest output out. Among many positive things, I also found some negative facts.

Many songs are simply too long and start to sounds somewhat redundant to my ears. The whole record would sound more coherent, emotional and fluid if the band would be able to cut off some unnecessary instrumental parts and focus on song lengths somewhere between five and seven minutes instead of having tracks that almost crack the ten, eleven or even twelve minute mark. The songs are mostly not atmospheric, original or progressive enough to be that long in my humble opinion.

Apart of the introduction, the shortest track happens to be "Небо Сумних Ночей" which is one of the most haunting tracks. The music reminds me a lot of the old band The Moody Blues with some Jethro Tull folk elements. This floating ballad convinces with its narrative style and develops a magic atmosphere in this relatively short running time.

While the musicians in the band seem to be quite skilled, they definitely use too many keyboard passages and sound samples in my opinion. They should also focus on more gripping riffs and elaborate on their good ideas. The musicians often come around with a magic melody but they keep on continuing playing the same chords all the time or these melodies often come back so that this certain kind of magic floats away like the morning dew next to a foggy river. The vocals have some good aspects. The calm parts entirely convince while the more blackened parts are very solid in general but could vary more. A perfect example for all the things mentioned in this paragraphe is the closing "Біла Вежа". It's not a bad song but there are way too many strange samples, the melodies are dumbly repeated and create a hypnotizing but not truly passionate atmosphere and the vocals sound strong at first try but always turn out to stay the same throughout the whole track. The band often happens to waste their potential in their long tracks and there are almost just epic songs on this album.

In the end, I can understand why many people describe this band as promising and talented. The magic moments are there but they are simply too stretched. The good ideas are present but repeated too much. The songs could be amazing but are almost all several minutes too long and I normally have no problem with epic tracks. Fans of atmospheric, folkish and mostly slow black metal or ambient music or even shoegaze will surely like this record. Anybody else might not share the opinion that this record is a masterpiece and it's sometimes hard to sit through the entire album. If the band decides to do some shorter stuff, I would be willing to follow them and try their future works out again but they definitely need some changes.

In the past several years, I have grown increasingly critical of music. My ears have sharpened, and I've listened to a broader spectrum of music, so it takes a little more these days to impress me. Well, as the 100 would imply, I am more than impressed with The Voice of Steel.

Nokturnal Mortum are a band that have been on my radar for a while, and while I dug their previous works, none of them really captured my ears quite like The Voice of Steel. From day one, I was completely hooked on this newly evolved style of black metal that fuses in psychedelic rock to go along with the traditionally ambient use of keyboards in the genre of minimalist melodic black metal. Here, such external influences abound, and sometimes get several minutes of airtime. I remember first listening to this, and though I was digging the title track, about halfway through Valkyries, the next song, I almost did a double take. "Grateful Dead? In my black metal?" I nearly pooped hammers on the spot. It doesn't sound like it will work on paper, but Nokturnal Mortum make it their own, and completely overwhelm your senses with passages of striking astral beauty, all replete with a smokin' clean (or mostly clean) guitar solo, followed by a bunch of open chords that were more akin to shoegaze rock of the mid 90's (if you don't know what shoegaze is, look it up) than to traditional black metal.

These references to psychedelic/acid rock continue throughout this album. Indeed, this is one among few black metal albums I'd call "far out, man." For, as I've seen, Nokturnal Mortum are the masters of a key aspect of good music: balance. There are clean vocals (a lot of them) but they do not dominate, and are balanced out with really well done dirty vocals. The guitars are the same way, in that there are passages of beautiful yet, oddly enough, "groovy" clean guitar/synth passages, yet they are balanced out with passages of pure black metal fury. The drummer knows very well when to mix things up, because he's more than happy to groove instead of blast, yet moderates it and still gives us that trademark black metal aggression. This, by the way, is one of the few instances I'm cool with grooving on the drums. Like every idea presented on here, it does not dominate, and is balanced out with other equally well ideas.

I listen to this, and I honestly try to find flaws with it. I've had a bit of experience with the production/performing aspect of music in the last year or so, and it has trained my ear to pick out really minute detail. And, as much as I like to retain my composure and pride, I cannot pick out a single detail of this I don't like. Each one of these details are used very masterfully, with craftwork restraint and performer's confidence. I honestly cannot think of another album that I have liked more in the last 4 or so years. It's that wonderful.

The Voice of Steel is by far one of the best metal albums I've ever heard. This album took forever to come out - I remember hearing about its release several weeks after Weltenschauung was out back in 2005! Four years later, it begs the question of wondering what the hell Nokturnal Mortum's members were doing with their time, but as soon as I heard this, I couldn't care less that it took a really long time to come out. The wait was absolutely worth it.

What I like most about this album is that in addition to several areas reminding me of the band's other releases, it has its own sound under a layer of high quality and musical professionalism. Every track is completely distinct from each other. Some tracks are fairly normal for Nokturnal Mortum's standards, but others are completely off the wall - very different from anything else they've done, but far from gimmicky or being a novelty act. It's all great.

Fans of Weltenschauung and NeChrist will eat up tracks like Voice of Steel and By Path of the Sun....both have the standard Nokturnal Mortum feel - long, heavy tracks filled with a plethora of folk elements and growling vocals courtesy of Varggoth. The main difference is how melodic these tracks, oh, and if you thought Weltenschauung had too thick production which made for a dry sound, you'll be happy to know how clear the production is in all of these songs. Everything sounds so fresh, inviting, and lively.

Remember the band's Hymn of Ukraine instrumental from the old Marble Moon EP? Well, the track called Ukraine seems to be a great metal version of that. The song is catchy from the start and the chorus is something you could hum along too. The chorus also contains clean vocals which are indeed very well done. This is one of the more triumphant tracks on the album. Nokturnal Mortum also shows off its melodic side with White Tower - a fantastic closer to the album with outstanding riffs, keyboards, and very memorable ideas. It's tough to figure out what the intended mood of this song was, but it's a very beautiful song nonetheless.

My Dream Islands and Sky of Saddened Nights are where things start get even more interesting. The former seems heavily influenced by a lot of older proggressive metal bands...it's a twelve minute track that can be a bit repetitive, but makes very subtle changes in consistently smooth flowing manner. It creates a vibrant atmosphere that is relaxing. Sky of Saddened Nights is full of folk instruments and clean vocals that provide a curious background in a peaceful and blissful tone.

But none of this compares to the awesomeness found in Valkyrie. Valkyrie really brings the Voice of Steel up several notches. The main source of this greatness is in the middle of the song, where it's only a lead guitar playing with support from drums and bass in the background. This part sounds incredibly experimental and improvised - it was almost as if the lead guitarist recorded his part with no necessary plan and kind of just ran with whatever he wanted to do. It all lasts nearly five minutes and you keep getting fooled, thinking that part will end soon. When it does end, it's a fantastic transition when all the other instruments join in full force. Listening to Valkyrie was truly a unique experience.

When it comes down to it, The Voice of Steel is absolutely flawless. Every band member has given their best effort and there is great chemistry going on. The sound is clear, the music is entertaining, the songs are innovative and creative and the performance is highly professional. It doesn't matter whether you hate or love Nokturnal Mortum; this is a fine piece of music that should be listened to by anyone who considers themselves metal fans. I have no idea how their next album will compete against this!

Nokturnal Mortum has been one of the long standing staples of Ukrainan black metal; although their later compositions showcased a change in style, incorporating folkier elements than their previous releases, the overall quality of the material produced has steadily improved. Bearing this in mind, one should expect nothing short of brilliance in Voice of Steel.

This is Nokturnal Mortum's 5th album to date, consisting of 8 tracks and clocking in at a massive 69 minutes; what is more impressive than the length of the album is the fact that it is able to keep a hold on its listener right up until the end. The first track serves as an introduction; showcasing various folk instruments and a hammer striking an anvil among other things, it adequately prepares the listener for the next track. The musicians' scope and skill have increased since Weltanshauung. For example, the riffs are mindblowing as they were in that album; however, they all have a distinct progressive, "Pink Floyd" sound to them, which is especially prominent in the solos. The drumming is quite skilled, coping with odd timings with relative ease. Varggoth's demented shriek is still very much present in this album, although it is counterbalanced by very well-performed clean vocals. The host of folk instruments used in the album serve to provide an almost uplifting, upbeat atmosphere; however, this is far from being a party folk metal album. The production values are excellent, allowing the listener to hear each individual instrument with optimal sound quality.

To put it in four words, this album is mindblowing. If you enjoyed Weltanshauung - actually, even if you didn't, and you hate this genre in its entirety - buy this album. I guarantee that you will find at least one thing about it that you will love. Within that hour and ten minutes is regrouped everything that makes Nokturnal Mortum one of the bands at the forefront of the pagan metal movement. Highly recommended.

Speak what ills you wish of the checkered past of the Ukraine''s mightiest band...their ideologies, their hostilities, their gimmicks, and their unshakable ability to develop an increasing cult following in the face of a world that defies just about every lyrical message they pen. Nokturnal Mortum are capable of some pretty incredible music when they set their minds to it, and The Voice of Steel is the best album they have produced since To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire, 11 years past. The sound is huge and swelling, and I would dare to say this is their most accessible work, sure to enthrall the masses of come-lately pagan, folk and melodic black metal as much as the band''s original fans. But make no mistake, the convictions remain firm, and this is no flighty journey into a friendly song, but a herculean effort of pagan metal that bathes in the glory of past fires and winds. It''s fucking unbelievable.

The lineup here is a little different than the previous Weltanschauung. Varggoth remains on the vocals and guitars, and he sounds intense here. Saturious handles the keyboards and folk instrumentation, and they are joined by bassist Vrolok, drummer Bairoth and Astargh on the other guitar. They are also joined by several other contributing guitar players for several of the leads, as well as former fulltime members like Odalv. Yes, you could consider this some grand woodland meeting of all a near army of Ukraine''s warriors, and the songs produced through The Voice of Steel shall surely become their anthem.

The horns and strings of the intro resound across the hills and copses like a narrator of ancient glories that speaks in winds, while the percussion of the earth rises to stoke the forge of our inevitable armageddon. "Голос сталі (The Voice of Steel)" arrives with thundering drums and drudging, barbaric guitar lines, before the strings conjure forth a bold orchestration, somewhat akin to Graveland if he was rocking a 30-40 piece orchestra. Vocal choirs, gnarled Varggoth vocals of Eld, and rousing flute bridges conjure one of the most powerful Northern folk metal tunes of the year, and for nearly 10 minutes you are savaged by this renewed, vital band. "Валькирия (Valkyrie)" marches across you like an entire army of risen warrior spirits, a solid block of symphonic black metal that recalls some of their stronger work of over 10 years back. It''s beautiful, graceful; never once does the blade dull for over 10 minutes...even when they pull out a blues solo over the tribal folk of the mid section. "Україна (Ukraine)" could not be a more fitting tribute to the band''s beautiful homeland, glistening with lovely strings and a powerful atmosphere that makes Arkona look novice (and I love that band).

The album takes a somewhat more progressive turn with "Моєї мрії острови (My Dream Islands)". It still maintains its incredibly dense atmosphere, but subtle synth rhythms and curious riffs burrow themselves into the walls of bristling spear-guitars that provide the brunt of the charge. "Шляхом сонця (By Path of the Sun)" is as broiling and catchy as the surface of the star it worships, with a glorious verse in which the vocals turn more cookie monster and manly, as the drums storm through the heavens. "Небо сумних ночей (Sky of Saddened Nights)" is a brilliant acoustic folk track, with amazing vocals and despite its brevity (well, 5 minutes if brief only when compared to its neighbors), it is one of the best songs of their career. But Nokturnal Mortum will hit you up for one more, 12 minute epic to close off this bold effort, and that is the brilliant "Біла вежа (White Tower)", which evolves through beautiful synthscapes and proggish folk wanderings into a savage majesty that calls the heart of every man to war.

Yeah, The Voice of Steel pretty much knocked me out of my seat and back through the centuries to touch my inner pagan. The sound on this album is just unreal, so much depth delivered through so many layers, and not afraid to incorporate a subtle touch of modern sounds into its rolling glories (soundtrack swells, even a little lush 80s New Age pop). This album is not quite so brutal and effective as To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire...that is to say, of the 71 minute playtime, there may have been 1 or 2 minutes in which I was not entirely enthralled. Which is not enough downtime to offer it less than the highest accolades. It''s a little less dark, quite bright and positive feeling than previous albums, honestly, and for this reason it may be a ''first'' for many who did not previously enjoy the band''s catalog. But Nokturnal Mortum lose nothing of their desperation, of their message, or integrity here...it''s just a stunning piece of music that honors both its influences (Graveland, etc) and its culture.

Highlights: the sun also rises.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com