Well, here is a band I was completely unaware of its existence. This is the beauty of Music, and Heavy Metal in particular. Sometimes the best projects come from unexpected places, and the Eastern Scene, if we may call it that, is starting to cement their position as Black Metal Experts.
Otajstvo Strija come from Croatia, and delivers a Black Metal that touches more than one layer of the genre. It has the Raw facet, progressing into a more Doomish sensibility. It has this Burzum scent to it (like many, and many, and many more bands). Slow pace, dense nevertheless simple, melodic yet rough. It has, in my opinion, some of the elements one might find in Atmospheric Black Metal, without the eerie melodies that lay beneath the wall of sound. Wait, this has melody, and plenty of it, but it is a special kind of melody. As stated previously, OS’s sound is not fast pace; it is not Raw and Cavernous. Otajstvo Strija’s sound is slow pace, dense and sophisticated. The band aims for a sound where the listener is able to detect the crescendos, the downward spirals, and the melancholic moments.
All 5 tracks are over the 6 minute mark, and if you think it is a hard listen, think again. This is, in my honest opinion, a very different take on Black Metal. Do I hear Shoegaze? Do I hear Raw Black Metal? Do I hear Atmospheric? You can hear all these genres, and more. The core is… I would love to tell you that the core of this band’s sound is Black Metal, but after reaching the end of this album, I stand sort of confused on what is the preferable label for the band, truly. “Bljesak na Dubine (Dračon i Čempresima)”, come on, man! This is Doomish, Deep and Hard (Hail, Green Man)!
Ah, this was release by Knekelput, after initially released independently by the band. Go and check it. (DanielP)
