I think some of us take black metal from Ukraine a bit for granted. Sure it is an underground thing but many of us into the music look to the region for releases of a consistent high quality at least with a good album or two arriving every month or so, many of them courtesy of Svarga music. Perhaps there is going to be a lull in creativity from the region, I am sure many people there have much more to focus on with the unrest and political turmoil going on in the region to think about making music at the moment. I guess we will see what happens there but I am aware having been waiting for an interview back from one act for a while that life does get in the way of art.
As far as Striviygor are concerned this young act will have completed their debut album well before the turmoil in the country reared its ugly head and the trios atmospheric black metal is synonymous with what we have become accustomed to from bands in the Ukraine. Atmosphere is dished out in the instrumental intro piece ‘In The Icy Embrace Of North’ which oozes out some cold synthesizer and owl hoots exuding a sense of desolation and abandonment concurrent with what we would expect from the likes of Drudkh, Munruthel, Astrofaes and others. Having paved the way with this ‘Mysteries Of Darkness’ batters in forging ahead with fast paced strumming fury and a vocal roar from singer Dusk. As it develops it is evident he has a particularly gruff and growly stance which has plenty of anger and distemper behind it. As one would expect the melody is strong and if I had to pick faults here the one thing that does irritate a bit is the clattering drum sound, still that’s not impossible to get acclimatised to by any means. The caw of a no doubt very large black bird looms out as we go into ‘Wherever The Stars…’ obviously the band have nature at their heart as a muse and this number slows down into a glistening and glittering frosty weave with the keyboards really enforcing it and sparkling away.
The band keep things nice and compact and don’t overplay their hand with just one of the eight tracks here stretching slightly beyond the five minute mark. At times as on ‘Wings Of Sorrow’ the chiming sound is particularly evocative and has strength to send shivers down the spine reminding a bit of the feeling evoked by Dimmu Borgir’s classic ‘Mourning Place.’ There is no denying that ‘Forgotten By Ages’ is a solid debut but the problem I have and I guess it is a picky one is that it offered absolutely nothing new and nothing that wasn’t expected. This goes not just by the sound but by the album art which is very reminiscent of what one would have expected from the early works of Drudkh and even to some extent Hate Forest (yes we all are well aware that there are no shortage of trees in the Ukraine) and the themes of nature and spiritual heritage; there is the not unexpected song entitled ‘For Heroes.’ As I say nothing wrong about any of this and if you are looking for somewhat regressive Ukrainian black metal this will fit the bill nicely. I just can’t help thinking that many bands who started playing like this have moved on though, but there is still plenty of time for Styvigor to develop and do just that.
(7/10 Pete Woods)
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