Catching Up: 2020 Pt. 10

METAL CHURCH: FROM THE VAULT

My first memory of Metal Church is seeing their albums really close to Metallica's in stores.  I always noted they were also on Elektra Records, so their albums looked very similar.  Yet, I never checked them out, something I wish I would have taken a chance on early on.  Metal Church's sound is much closer to US power metal than thrash metal though, so any similarity to Metallica is superficial.  This release is a compilation of rarities, live songs, covers and other randomness.  It is by no means an essential listen, but there are some pretty strong tracks on it.  Most of the covers and live stuff is skippable, but the first half of unreleased stuff is well worth it for fans of the band.  Metal Church is a massively underrated band, and their abilities are on full display with this release.  It's not a necessary release, but that doesn't mean it is not worth at least checking out. 

VEXING HEX: HAUNT

It is inevitable that when a band strikes it big that there will be copycats.  A lot of bands have looked at the success that Ghost has had and attempted to replicate some part of that.  There's a lot of really shitty bands that have tried the mask and anonymous members approach (looking at you Sleep Token), but I have not heard too many bands try to replicate the sound.  Vexing Hex is one.  While their sound is not exactly metal, they sound like they have tried to capture the same 70's hard rock-isms that Ghost used particularly in their earlier albums.  It is much closer to Blue Oyster Cult than Black Sabbath, not that that is a bad thing.  There are some damn catchy songs here, particularly closing track "Rise From Your Grave".  

COUNTLESS SKIES: GLOW

I am a little bit out of the loop on the trends in metal of late.  I know generally the bands that Liquid Metal is in love with and some of the mainstream crap, but finding the underground stuff has been more difficult over the last few years.  I do still come across stuff.  This is kind of a weird way to get to the fact that it seems to me like melodic death metal of the type that was popular in the mid 2000's (Dark Tranquillity, In Flames, Soilwork and the like) seems to be not as common.  And I am speaking more of what those bands sounded like in the mid 2000's, not the Gothenburg sound popularized by Slaughter of the Soul.  This is probably somewhat natural, there are always trends.  So I was kind of surprised when I heard Countless Skies.  This is the second release from the band, and their last one to date.  This one went a little too far in the direction of the aforementioned sound, and I don't like it as much as their previous album New Dawn, but it is still a decent enough release, particularly for anyone who loved that particular mid 2000's melodeath sound, which I really did.

BATUSHKA: CARJU NIEBIESNYJ

Batushka made some pretty big waves with their 2015 debut, which was a rather stunning album where everything went right and sounded like a black metal mass.  And the band had an impressive visual aesthetic, looking like an Orthodox mass gone very very wrong.  But that's where the good times ended as the band splintered with two members forming bands with the same name and claiming they had rights to the name.  I can't remember which iteration created this release, but unfortunately this release comes across as more of a pale imitation of the original band, despite featuring some of the elements that made that band stand out.  It just does not feel as authentic.  The music is decent enough, but it is not as memorable.  It's a shame what has happened with this group, their first release was one of the best black metal albums of the last 20 years. 

VADER: SOLITUDE IN MADNESS

I feel like I have been too negative in this post, so it's time to end things out on a steamroller.  The long-running Polish death/thrash mavens in Vader released their 15th album in 2020.  This thing clocks in at less than half an hour in length and is just a bludgeoning, pummeling experience of the best sort.  With no song exceeding the four-minute mark, there is very little time to waste here, making this one of Vader's tightest and punchiest albums, just a short, sharp shock to the system.  The band is at the top of their game despite their long career.   

Batushka: Hospodi (2019)

This is the third different incarnation of a band called Batushka that I have reviewed now.  The first one was a unique group combining Orthodoxy with their particular brand of black metal.  Then, there was a schism and each of the members of the band claimed he kicked the other out of the band.  And then both members attempted to move on, using the band's name.  The last one I reviewed was the one belonging to Krzysztof Drabikowski, who is largely considered the creative force behind the defunct band.  His further effort was an intriguing continuation of the ideas present on the sole release by the band.  This review will cover the band formed by former vocalist Bartłomiej Krysiuk, who was the first of the two to release new music.

Right off the bat, I can tell you there is a different feel to this release.  Whereas the debut was something of a solemn and eerie affair, this release is much more immediate and aggressive.  There is also a significant difference in production, mostly as a result of this album being released by Metal Blade Records.  There are elements of what made the prior incarnation so intriguing present, but by and large, they are not as important to the overall sound.  For instance, there is still chanting at times, but it is generally used as an introduction to the song, or in the backgrounds.

The music on this release is the biggest difference.  Whereas on the prior incarnation, the black metal was more on the atmospheric side, this is significantly more aggressive, more in the vein of a group like Uada or Mgła.  The riffs are much more apparent and fierce, particularly about midway through "Utrenia".  So this album loses some of its subtlety and becomes more of a standard black metal album, that happens to share some qualities that the earlier incarnation had.  I am not sure that is necessarily a bad thing, but it may not be what was expected in the band had been able to continue.

I see a lot of negative reviews for this album, essentially calling it a cash-grab and illegitimizing the band.  I guess I can understand the feeling somewhat.  The other member seemed to have more influence on the creative aspect of the band.  I guess the question then is, barring what happened here, is the album decent enough to stand on its own?  I think it is.  As I said, it is probably a much more standard-sounding black metal album, and if it were released under any other name, I do not think it would be met with as much hatred and vitriol as it had been.  I think what happened here, releasing this album under the name of a band its owner did not earn, is a shitty thing.  But I kind of like the album.  Maybe even as much as the other new one, though not as much as the original. 

Батюшка: Панихида (2019)

I am going to refer to this band as Batushka for the rest of the review.

I covered the previous incarnation of this band in June last year.  The debut was one of the more noteworthy black metal releases in recent years and the band's live show became a must-see.  Unfortunately, controversy reared its head when founding member Krzysztof Drabikowski and vocalist Bartłomiej Krysiuk each claimed that they kicked the other member out of the band.  Each member claimed ownership over the band's name and each one released a new album under the name Batushka (or rather the name in the title).  I am not going to get into all of that right now.  I might save it for another post.  This is the Batushka formed by Drabikowski and has been accepted for the most part as the more legitimate version.

What made the prior iteration of the band stand out was the blending of Eastern Orthodox liturgy and ugly black metal.  That element is still very much on display here.  Many of the vocals are delivered in a clean chanting style reminiscent of religious services.  There are also moments where the black metal falls away in favor of chiming percussion and choirs.  It should not work at all, but it does, maybe not quite as well as the prior release, but certainly better than I thought it could. 

One thing that I did notice this time around was how much more somber and melodic this release is.  A lot of the aggression has been stripped away, though certainly not all of it.  What results is an album that has a lot of doom metal to it.  A reason for this may be the subject matter of the release.  The title translated means "Requiem", so it is more of a remembrance of the dead which is obviously a much more somber affair.

This album is a worthy successor to the prior Batushka release.  I have also picked up the other band using the name and everyone will have to wait to see my thoughts on it.  This release does an impressive job of picking up where the prior release left off and certainly carries forward the spirit of that album.

One and Done? Pt. 14: Батюшка

Because I do not feel like copy and pasting the band's name again, I am going to refer to them translated from this point on.  This is Litourgiya by the Polish band Batushka.  Now, let's get started.

Man, the Polish black metal scene is absolutely on fire.  Mgła, Behemoth and Forest Whispers have all put out terrific albums recently.  Add Batushka to that list.  Unfortunately this will be the band's only album.  There were only two permanent members of the band and now there has been a split with both members claiming they kicked the other out of the band and then formed a new one.  Both bands are trying to claim the name, though they are now different groups and each are releasing their own music.  Maybe this is too early to tell, but maybe not.

Batushka made big waves in the extreme metal world with this release that combines traditional black metal with doom metal and drapes everything with an incredibly sinister atmosphere via the usage of Christian church ritual elements.  They use Orthodox chanted vocals, chimes, bells and more to create the feel of attending a church service, even if the underlying music is malevolent and dark.  It is an absolutely intriguing and spell-binding release that haunts the listener long after the album is done.

Even without the added touches, the music of Batushka is powerful enough on its own.  It is dark and atmospheric black metal that occasionally drags and oozes, combining a funereal tone with the blackened riffs.  Every once in awhile, a guitar solo shines through like a beam of light in the darkness.  The primary vocals are delivered in a harsh shriek, typical of the style.

It will be interesting to see what comes of the split of the two primary members of Batushka.  Some people have picked their sides already and each band has already released something.  I have yet to pick either one up, but I am anxious to hear what each one has to offer.  This album is incredible.