The Moment of Storm

Diabolus Productions brought "The Moment of Storm" back in 2018 from a tremendous Ukrainian band: Three Eyes of the Void. This EP is almost 30 minutes of pure quality. And I must say, I'm giving this record an eighty because I'm judging it like a big boy, 'cause it is. If I ranked it as just an EP my rating would be higher. In this effort, you can find half an hour of the most furious, inspired, and crafted black metal.

The classic elements of the genre are everpresent, but I'm compelled to mention the absolutely amazing and super bass guitar work, it feels so fresh and deserved, this aspect shines in every song, not just the composition but also the sound which results really satisfying, the interpreter shows his talent but also his understanding of "when" and "how" to favor the music and each song. Dmytro Kvashnin is a talented man that is aware of his skills and he puts it all into his music.

Melody and the smart use of the tremolo lines, along with the music figures and solos, are paramount for the music "The Moment of Storm" wants to present. The vocals are a variant of growls and shrieks hopping from a death metal style, sometimes, to a more conventional black metal style. Melancholy and furious apathy are the motifs that move the music, while the lyrics seem to want to tell more than they really do they are effective and some lines are really successful to collide with the music behind them.

The music has the sound and feel of a storm indeed. The more sullen and capsizing moments get you like drops of rain in the middle of the tempest. There are four songs and an intro and even this one is good, like a premonition of what's to come and it delivers. However, the stronger song on this EP is "Face The Storm" which shines for its composition and aggressiveness, but it's noteworthy the bass line through the whole track, it is outstanding, rare in a recording of this genre, but also the guitars take protagonism in captivating and majestic moments. Now let's take a moment to talk about the drums, particularly in this song. Alexander Kasiarum, the only other member in this project, plays with such determination and passion that his drumsticks become hammers, it's not only the heaviness but the furor he puts on the music, always supporting the whole thing and making every riff, every tremolo line and even bass passage, stronger. About the latter, in this song, we are pleased with a moment for the bass guitar and the drums to shine; allow me to interrupt myself, but this is not the only song when the bass and drums shine, but it's my favorite, now, one element that permits this to happen is the production; what a nice production for en EP, I really hope they keep this sound.

"Perceiving the Ignorance" is a song that stands out for its themes and musical grandiose that are always attached to the classical elements of the black metal genre. It is refreshing and a moment your get lost in the music and forgets completely about genres or tags. Around the middle of the song, this perfect moment of quiet allows the bass to shine while the guitars play homage to the rhythm it brings, after that, a glorious melancholic chant speaks of existentialism, the abyss and the void, gold every second that passes, and finally towards the end the musical theme we heard before becomes violent and faster with the guitars supported by the unforgiving blast beat. The song closes with a clever guitar work fading to black.

This EP is solid and powerful, fresh and modern without sounding sterile. There is a lot of passion in this band and it shows, they have the storm by their side, and I can only say, I have high expectations for a full length. Keep fighting, be proud, and be strong.