Olhava - Memorial (2026) Review

I never quite ventured into Olhava's earlier works, and my introduction to the Russian atmospheric black metal duo came through the arresting artwork of 2022's Reborn, which was the reason that led me to discover their horizon-reaching interpretation of the genre. By 2024, the band had signed with Avantgarde Music and released the conceptual album Sacrifice, an album whose thematic touch appears to be further elaborated on their latest record, Memorial. 

Tracing back to Ladoga (2020), the "Ageless River" series of interlude tracks have functioned as connective tissue across the three albums, incrementally numbered throughout with Memorial advancing from X to XIII. In between these pieces, are four monumental compositions of elevated atmospheric black metal, injected with generous quantities of post-black and blackgaze sensibility, as well as ambient passages that appear frequently on the surface. The prevailing intensity of the record is of a kind more attuned to post-rock or post-metal fans, rather than to the freaks that dwell in the dungeons of black metal. Main tracks span from seven to above 20 minutes in duration, a structural approach entirely aligned with Olhava's established modus operandi, and in many aspects, cleanly mirroring Sacrifice in its presence.

"After I'm Gone" emerges perfectly from the introductory "Ageless River X" unfurling atop a bedrock of ambient and post-rock texture that demonstrates the band's contemplative nature, and the album's incandescent energy. The track gets dreamier and dreamier as it progresses through fast-paced, cyclical motifs emblematic of Olhava's identity. The 20-minute colossus "When the Ashes Grow Old" sustains the post-black metal radiance before submerging into purer heavenly ambiance in its middle part. Memorial's riverine flow of sound exhibits fluctuation only when the "Ageless River" interludes appear - the same signature sound of blackgaze psyche is strongly maintained all across the album.

At nearly 80 minutes, Memorial's length fits both the genre's and the band's scale. Compared to Sacrifice, I noticed a tiny improvement on the more balanced sound of the drums, but other than that, the album delivers a form of post-black metal strikingly similar to its predecessor, perhaps a bit too much. For adherents of Olhava's state of expression, however, there is little to resist here.

Release: February 27th, 2026 | Avantgarde Music
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Drakon - П​р​о​б​у​ж​д​е​н​и​е (2022) Review

Hailing from Russia, Drakon released their debut full length album П​р​о​б​у​ж​д​е​н​и​е (= awakening) last year after a five year gap between their first two EPs in 2017 and as a first complete introduction to the sound of the band. The record contains seven tracks and is delivered completely in Russian, with a total of 35 minutes of new music that didn't get the traction it should have since its release.

Drakon are well rooted in black metal, with traditional influences but fairly more modern approach in terms of art and sound. The production of П​р​о​б​у​ж​д​е​н​и​е is clean and feels full, giving wide space to the guitar lines to form the identity of the band. It's also frequently paced in middle speed tempos and only sometimes a bit faster, with numerous epic riffs constructing the main body of the record in a characteristic way: classic BM riffs from the 90's, coated with a more recent playstyle and undulating between grim intensity and drawn atmospherics of melodic black metal. 

Lyrically, П​р​о​б​у​ж​д​е​н​и​е discusses the elements, darkness and the divine, with a handful of moments where the tracks become quite thrilling, for example in the middle sections of "Во Мраке Ночи" or the more aggressive closing piece "В Объятьях Смерти". Really pale, current state Rotting Christ riff structures can be discerned sparsely here and there, and a potential a essence in some moments like during the lines of "Ода Северу". You will pick up several parts that feel familiar while listening to П​р​о​б​у​ж​д​е​н​и​е, but Drakon manages to present their own cocktail in the end.

With this promising start, the band offers a record that proves quite appropriate for re-listening and without significant weaknesses. Influences on their sleeves, interesting tracks and nice lyrics (if you are a native Russian speaker, probably even nicer) makes the record worth it, especially under this wonderful cover art. Looking forward to the follow-up steps of this group.

DAMAGE: 4/5

Listen:

Bandcamp

Release date: 28 Oct 22 (Independent)

Aborted Fetus - Private Judgement Day (2014) Review

Album | Private Judgement Day
Country | Russia
Genre | Brutal Death Metal
Label | Comatose Music

I found out about Aborted Fetus from an old forum I once frequently visited in a random conversation about metal genres, back then I was into such bands mainly because of the titles and the artwork, more than the music itself. It is true that I prefer other Russian bands when it comes to brutal death metal, like Abominable Putridity and Katalepsy, but these guys also come to mind now and then. Therefore, I was looking forward to listening to this album, even though one knows what to expect from it, especially when one has heard a band's previous material.

As most of the bands alike, Aborted Fetus are all but slams, groovy riffs, blast beats and guttural vocals. Coming with a delicious and artistic cover, which represents the usual chaotic gore apocalypse we know, it's title and song titles are not extremely disgusting this time, compared to some of their past namings (if you can't stand these ones, don't go anywhere deeper into brutal death, really). Of course, there are "Fuck in the Pesthole" and "Malignant Pregnancy" which suggest of something, but the average title choices are ok. In fact, Private Judgement Day could be any band's album title. Even though most bands go as gross as possible, Aborted Fetus keep it close and stick to their brutal music.

Fans of the band and the genre are probably going to dig this hard, because of the same reasons they enjoy that style. Aborted Fetus know how to hammer tasty grooves in your face and it's heavy as it needs to be, at it's comfortable and cozy DR4 production, the most common outcome of the whole genre. For that, the production is pretty jammed but nobody would even care to notice. Private Judgement Day has a relatively riotous sound, without being the unbearable kind of noise necessarily, similar to their previous full length Goresoaked Clinical Accidents, and slightly worse than Fatal Dogmatic Damage.

Musically, the band is just pure brutal death metal. There are a couple of screaming / horror samples in various songs, as in the very beginning of the record with "Savage Dominance", and also in "Private Judgement Day", "Brown Totem" and "Morning Inferno". Such samples have always appealed to me a lot, sometimes more than the rest of the songs, and I expect to hear one or two in every record like that I get. The drums go quite fast and repetitively throw several combined hits, while the guitar work uses the absolute basic characteristics of the genre to build compositions. The vocal range includes guttural, growls and often pig squeels. Don't expect to understand the lyrics, if there are any.

Private Judgement Day contains twenty five minutes of what Aborted Fetus do best and it's not expanding anywhere further that, to be sincere. It would be an enjoyable listen and a really good album for die hard fans, or people who can keep up with just brutality in their music. I like my brutal death from time to time but I consider it somewhat inferior to actual straightforward death metal, so an average or even a considered good band won't move the earth at all over here. Still, it's a legit album as a whole, quite attractive to a certain kind of fans.

DAMAGE: 6.5/10

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