Temnozor - Сумерки на Похоронах Зимы (2010)

Temnozor may not be the last great hope for serious minded Slavic folk metal, but they are certainly one of the forerunners, and a package like Сумерки на Похоронах Зимы (Twilights at the Winter Funeral) does not arrive every day. Just how many of these folk/black metal artists get the opportunity to release a live CD/DVD double package, and with such great quality in the areas of production and design? This is probably the first I've seen, but I hope more will follow, since it's an attractive release that should delights fans of Temnozor, or their peers such as Kroda and Arkona.

The only reservation some might have is that this is in the PAL broadcasting format, so it's unlikely most people here in the US would be able to play the DVD on their localized player, or their PS2/PS3/XBox gaming system. If you've got some good open software on your PC, that might be the choice environment to watch it. I've got a 28" monitor and ran it there. The picture transfer is quite phenomenal, and the audio is among the better live recordings I've seen, possibly post-tracked. The band barrels through an hour of material, with the core guitars, drums and bass joined by flute, baritone vocalist and a cloaked 'guest' vocalist who appears near the center of the set. It's a good show, though like many Slavic bands, Temnozor remains fairly still on stage, all eyes focused on their pagan intensity. The baritone vocalist in particular is captivating, with an animal hide tosses across his shoulders. His presence reminded me a lot of Masha (Arkona), who can also strike a powerful chord without much movement.

To some, this very straightforward live delivery might lack some of the energy they are used to from extreme metal entities, but since I'm sick to death of my local area and all its 'jump the fuck up' metalcore and grind jocks, it made very little difference to me. Just pass me a vodka and enjoy the show, I say. If there's any just complaint, it's more that Temnozor's music can often feel somewhat monotonous, with all too simple flute melodies and guitar riffs that often follow along or simply don't offer much in the means of innovative chord progression. However, if you can shut down your expectations slightly, they do a pretty fine job of translating the studio work into the live setting. They look prepared, professional and very proud to be on the stage, sharing glimpses of their peoples' history with the crowd through through the passionate storytelling of song.

The set is the same on both the DVD and the CD, and it draws from over a decade material, hitting on all four of their studio albums. From the debut Sorcery is Strengthening the Black Glory of Rus' (1998), they've included "Did-Dub-Snop" and "Maslenitsa". From Horizons (2003), they offer "Werewolf", and Folkstorm of the Azure Nights (2005) is represented by the title track, "Watch the Falcons Fly" and "When the Lazure Skies Tear the Hearts Apart". From the new album Haunted Dreamscapes, released at the same time as this DVD, they've drawn upon "Evilgod's Ravens", "Silent Be the Wind" and "Sunwheels of Solstice". There are a few other tracks I didn't recognize like "Ravenscreech" and "As the Night Slowly Fades", but in all, the set flows consistently, with a mix of mid to faster paced material.

The artwork is beautifully laid out on the DVD case it comes in, the CD faces and the booklet, but Temnozor is no stranger to such an aesthetic, having used some superb art on their past albums. There are some full color and black and white photos from the performance contained within the booklet, and in all its just very tasteful and attractive, sure to please the band's fans. The level of professionalism here is proof that the Russians are prepared for bigger and better things in their career, so it's a shame they've had performances rescinded by paranoid PC types in Europe that fear the band for their connections to right-wing ideology acts, even though Temnozor's lyrics deal largely with nature and folk history and should probably be excluded from such persecution. This is a job well done by Gorruth of Stellar Winter, who is also the lyricist for the band, and any fan of Russian and Ukrainian black/folk metal should give it a glance, and they'll get some use out of the audio CD component, which sounds superb in the stereo.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.temnozor.com/

Temnozor - Haunted Dreamscapes (2010)

The latest album from Russia's Temnozor arrives hot on the heels of another pagan metal album, Nokturnal Mortum's The Voice of Steel. Perhaps unfairly it is impossible not to think about that triumphant record while listening to this one. A counterpoint to the bombast of The Voice of Steel, Haunted Dreamscapes flirts with speed and rock-influenced riffs, but ultimately settles into a very mellow and subdued mode.

The second and fifth tracks "Ravens of Bus" and "Grace-cup of Morrow" include a lot of flute-driven melody which is very well done. "Solstice-Kolyada" features the strongest riffs on the album with a rock sensibility backed up by the flute melodies. Their work is at its best on these three tracks.

The album takes a turn for the acoustic with the slow, ambient fourth number. The clean vocals are nice and establish a definite folk atmosphere; it's just too minimal to warrant repeat listens. The last two tracks are slow-going although the album closes out with a catchy guitar solo. More of that would have jazzed up the excitement overall.

As it is Haunted Dreamscapes is worth a listen once or twice if you really love the genre, but its not something that is going to set the world on fire.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/temnozor

Temnozor - Folkstorm of the Azure Nights (2005)

Forget for a moment that this band has the best name and logo in pretty much all of metal music, or that they also have some really amazing cover art going on for this release. Temnozor are another of those 'notorious' bands loosely associated with the NSBM movement in Europe, but you require no involvement or investment in any ideology to appreciate their glorious hymnals to the sorrows of our fading, natural world and the honor of the ancestors who shed their blood in getting us where we live today. Two of Temnozor's members are native to this band (flutist Raitbor and clean vocalist Petr), but here we also have the involvement of Kaldrad, who sits atop an entire discography of great, raw black metal as Branikald, and his Forest/Woods of Fallen cohort Svyagir (also in Walknut). Kaldrad is responsible for the black metal rasps, but Svyagir actually composes a wealth of the material and performs the all the other instruments, quite a talented guy.

Temnozor is pretty versatile as far as folk metal, some of their demos are more experimental, but Folkstorm of the Azure Nights, their third full-length effort, is the pretty standard run and gun of black pagan aggression, with a little punk influence, a little folk, and a bunch of different vocals, from the snarls and cleans to male and female whispers. And since nothing is sexier than a female Russian voice (in either the native language or English), I found myself committed to its joys and sorrows.

This folkstorm begins with the title track, as tribal drumming and piercing synths roll across the aforementioned whispers, before the desperation of the metal rhythms commenses, and the vocals become louder and more panicked. Though the band avoid's any complexity of structure, the song is still rendered memorable by its passionate authenticity. "Vranakrik" is christened with a birds' cawing, but swifter and more straightforward black metal with the deep, gruff Russian vocals. The production is rather raw and barbaric, like a windstorm tearing at your flesh on a cold afternoon. "When the Lazure Skies Tear the Hearts Apart" brings tranquil, fine acoustic work into play, the vocals quite beautiful and subdued, power chords surging forward where required to grant an epic veneer. This is one of the most intriguing tracks on the album, fully worth the 8 minute investment. The flute of "Watch the Falcons Fly" lends a biting counterpoint to the churning, melodic black rhythms, and there is one particular discordant riff in there I enjoyed when it would appear.

"As the Autumn Razors Sing Above My Veins" (how is that for a title) is another song to make use of acoustics, these thick and plucky as they cavort about scales beneath the narrative vocal intro, which becomes quite epic as the vocals transform with some flute and synth choir. The mid section of this song is haunting and mesmerizing. "Arkona" is an anthem to the Slavic city of old, with some great Russian vocals and a building intensity betrayed by the rather steady, distant guitars. The final piece is titled "Tell Me, Ye Scarlet Dewscented Sunrises", and commences with some sweeping keyboards and choirs, before the dark, dual vocals in thick accent, drunken as if immersed in vodka. Flute and winds soon arrive to create a tension, and the track makes for a rousing climax to the album, as even more vocal choirs and samples of battle and bloodshed cap it off.

Folkstorm of the Azure Nights is quite an experience to take in, as few other acts have this level of glorious composition. The sound is quite good, lively and organic; not at the level of, say, Arkona, but better than most Russian black/folk metal you will come across. Temnozor is heavier here on the former than the latter, but the vocals make it a lot more interesting than your average snarlfest. This band still has plenty of room to grow. Folkstorm is certainly a worthwhile experience, but not the pinnacle of their potential.

And I stand corrected, the band has TWO of the best logos I've seen in metal.

Highlights: Vranakrik, When the Lazure Skies Tear the Hearts Apart, Arkona

Verdict: Win [8/10]

http://www.temnozor.com/