Gontyna Kry
Krew Naszych Ojcow
[Battlefield]
With Veles gone, Graveland pretty much completely out of the picture, and an overwhelming amount of thin, boring bands shallowly attempting to emulate their predecessors, if anyone is meant to carry on the torch of Polish NS black metal I'd give that credence to Gontyna Kry. Although the conviction and contempt pouring through their material is not on the level of those former monstrosities, their atmosphere is black and entrancing enough to compete with the best that can be offered, and to put it straightforwardly enough there is simply an immense amount of talent (proficiency-wise) in these musicians. Rarely is that an aspect which I hold singularly in high regard (there are innumerable groups with exceptional ability that can't create interesting songs or albums), but it really enhances everything here.
However, while Krew Naszych Ojcow is an excellent album in several respects, it directly just doesn't measure up to the awesome Welowie demo, despite being more in-depth. While Welowie concentrated on layer upon layer of thick, reverberating guitars and howling, dissonant screams, Krew Naszych Ojcow is much more orchestrated, and while it's still very absorbing and spectacularly mesmerizing, the battle sound-effects are overused as well as the attempted epic feeling. Keyboards are too dominant, the vocals appear much more conventional (sometimes narrated), and everything doesn't oscillate in the same sublime Sort Vokterish fuzz that escalated Welowie so well. The more ambient tracks also leave me longing the black metal ones again (like on Lugubrum's Gedachte & Geheugen, the band simply does black metal much better) and while they aren't bad by any means, they aren't on the level of the jagged, vicious sound which Temple of the Blood can produce. The drumming is still excellently performed though, ranging from very mid-tempo to blistering speeds throughout the transitional phases.
Overall I do love this recording, but of course there's always going to be a pinnacle. It's limited to 500 so you're better off getting a copy now than having to pay a fortune for it later. What Gontyna Kry lack in hatred they make up for in their spirited, obscure convey of malevolence and hypnosis.
© 2002 hando
However, while Krew Naszych Ojcow is an excellent album in several respects, it directly just doesn't measure up to the awesome Welowie demo, despite being more in-depth. While Welowie concentrated on layer upon layer of thick, reverberating guitars and howling, dissonant screams, Krew Naszych Ojcow is much more orchestrated, and while it's still very absorbing and spectacularly mesmerizing, the battle sound-effects are overused as well as the attempted epic feeling. Keyboards are too dominant, the vocals appear much more conventional (sometimes narrated), and everything doesn't oscillate in the same sublime Sort Vokterish fuzz that escalated Welowie so well. The more ambient tracks also leave me longing the black metal ones again (like on Lugubrum's Gedachte & Geheugen, the band simply does black metal much better) and while they aren't bad by any means, they aren't on the level of the jagged, vicious sound which Temple of the Blood can produce. The drumming is still excellently performed though, ranging from very mid-tempo to blistering speeds throughout the transitional phases.
Overall I do love this recording, but of course there's always going to be a pinnacle. It's limited to 500 so you're better off getting a copy now than having to pay a fortune for it later. What Gontyna Kry lack in hatred they make up for in their spirited, obscure convey of malevolence and hypnosis.
© 2002 hando