YGG - The Last Scald review

YGG - The Last Scald

Ashen Dominion




YGG are a Ukrainian black metal act who I got into years ago via their self titled debut from 2011. Of course I moved towards them like a moth to a flame because they had two former NOKTURNAL MORTUM members in their line-up. Hey I'm a fan but also on this latest one, nine fuckin years later, there's still certain aspects which are still around.


First off who the fuck starts off their black metal album off by playing a vargan (aka: a Jews harp)? Yeah well that's what was on their first album and it's starts things off here as well. Bassist/vocalist Vrolok plays that vargan up, with some tribal drum work by Odalv. And then boom it's black metal time. Vrolok proceeds to utilize the vargan as well as some sort of flute throughout this release. There's your folk element.


YGG are glorious in their way of pushing the familiar. Think of the characteristic Ukrainian black metal sound. You've got those layers of atmosphere wedged in-between the melodic cascading riffs and drumming which propels everything forward. The icy sheen of the riffs brings to mind BURZUM. Once in a while the vocals also add to it especially the tortured howls and screams.


Listening to this, especially on a cold cloudy afternoon like today, is like welcoming an old friend you haven't heard from in a while. These four lengthy cuts bring about that whole dissonant sound of the genre re-enforcing that air of majesty that other Ukrainian acts of past and present have. Albeit this band does contain an identity all their own. A great return for YGG.


http://www.ashen-dominion.com/

https://yggmusic.bandcamp.com/album/ygg-the-last-scald

https://www.facebook.com/YGGofficial/

GOATREICH - Godfetor review

GOATREICH - Godfetor

Ashen Dominion




Well if you have "goat" in your band name I'll be interested in you. If you're Ukrainian black metal with band members who've also played with some other cool extreme acts from that great nation. You've got me in your corner. Of course that's the precept because in the end it's all about the music.


So far as the extreme goes GOATREICH's debut full length does reach that peak of black metal/blackened death. Most of this release is a relentless attack on the mind and body reminiscent of bands twenty years ago. That was a time when the underground portion of the genre screamed foul against the softening of black metal. So the bands just got meaner.


The band's description of themselves consists of being a new infernal horde. Well I'll agree to that because they do convey a hateful blackened attitude on all of these songs. We're talking vile spitting filth for vocals. Musically it's mostly familiar sounding fat bludgeoning riffs. No problem with that because I like that kind of stuff. Finally there's the machine like punishment of the drum work. 


GOATREICH considers the songs on Godfetor as hymns written in the name of the horned, perverted cults and violence. Like I mentioned before it's similar to stuff from two decades ago. There are times where a few cuts have a trudging death cadence which does add some variety. Otherwise if you're into some blasphemy which holds no bounds then here you go.
  

http://www.ashen-dominion.com/

https://goatreich.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/goatreich/

KHORS - Beyond The Bestial EP review

KHORS - Beyond The Bestial EP

Ashen Dominion




I'll file this one under "holy shit I remember this band and I've got some of their past stuff". As for the rest of you well here ya go. KHORS is a black metal act hailing from the Ukraine. I first got into them in the late 2000's with their third full length Mysticism. Yeah I was late to the party since they were around for a few years but hey I considered it at the time to be a great album and still do.


A couple of years later while thumbing through the $1.00 cheapo and not for sale (but they were) promo CD bin at a local record store I found the band's Candlelight Records debut Wisdom of Centuries. It had a sticker on it which read "Ukrainian Black Metal for fans of DRUDKH". By the way KHORS never sounded like DRUDKH. I just figured that Candlelight Records was just trying to cash in on the fame of them by signing their own Ukrainian BM act. 


By the way I never found Wisdom of Centuries, which came out in 2012, nor it's follow up Night Falls onto the Fronts of Ours which came out on Candlelight as well in 2015 to be that great. I picked up Return to Abandoned also that year (which originally came out in 2010) and was so impressed that I figured their greatness was behind em. So with this new EP am I correct?


Beyond The Bestial features three new cuts, one being an instrumental, and (wait for it......) three re-worked cuts from Mysticism. The songs in question are "Winterfall", "In the Cold Embrace of Mist" and "Red Mirrors". Now I'm not going to knock em because those songs are great. As for the new cuts well to me the instrumental is a throwaway cut so forget it.


The opener and title cut, "Beyond the Bestial", is dark melodic, somewhat symphonic and is definitely representative of the band's more modern progressive take. Ever since Jurgis, who also plays in NOKTURNAL MORTUM, joined KHORS the band has really dived deep into a more depressive atmospheric BM style. Their other new cut "Through the Realm of Unborn Stars" is a perfect example. As far as the re-recordings go, well since Jurgis has taken over the band it's easy to guess what happened to them. Oh well I guess I'm just pining for the pagan vast-lands.


http://www.ashen-dominion.com/

https://khors1.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-bestial-ep

https://www.facebook.com/Khorsband

GREYABLAZE - Self Titled review

GREYABLAZE - Self Titled

Label:  Ashen Dominion

Released: 2016

This is a side project by Astargh the mainman from the Ukrainian band ELDERBLOOD. Now while his main gig is fairly symphonic, blackened and decent, GREYABLAZE takes a more tranqual, melodic and very somber approach. The latter effect comes from the added delicate piano accompanments and pleasent guitar lead work. Yeah there's some harshness which blends in well with the overall depressive mood of this five song release. 

Since I have a miserable cold right now, getting my head pummeled by anything audio, like ELDERBLOOD, is not part of the program. GREYABLAZE's self titled debut is the right prescription for today. Although I see this as an EP with just five tracks. Also since the tracks lack titles, only using numerals to define each one, I wonder if this was Astargh's throwaways from ELDERBLOOD's Messiah full length which also came out in 2016. His band's drummer, Odalv, is also in GREYABLAZE. At least the second track could've made it. Then again this could be Astargh showing us his deep sensitive side. Ah I'll stick with his symphonic stuff.

Rating: 3/5

https://www.facebook.com/greyablaze

https://vk.com/ashen.dominion