Third album released by Werewolf Promotion at the Winter Solstice 2022
The Slovak black metal scene is a small but very fine community that has been releasing very interesting works over the last few years. The integration of showing their closeness to nature and local folklore is often reflected in the music, which leads to atmospherically very dense overall results. One band that particularly appeals to me are Krajiny Hmly, who convinced me in 2021 with their second full length "Poza čierne hory". Surprisingly and relatively quickly, the gentlemen have now followed up with album number three, which is entitled "Cez ostrie skál" and picks up exactly where the predecessor left off. With almost 50 minutes of playing time, this long player is significantly longer than the previous one and thus offers an even more intense listening experience.
As it should be for an atmospheric black metal album with pagan influences, there is a mystical intro at the start, which slowly builds up tension. After a little over two minutes, the first hymnal guitar melody is heard, which also drifts into some playful soloing before the song really gets down to business. The way Krajiny Hmly take their time in building up the tracks and in creating the transitions between the various parts also partly explains the need for a longer playing time. Again and again the band makes short excursions and gives free reign to creativity. But they always manage to make the arch, back to the core of the respective song to complete the circle and keep things very stringent. The album as a whole has a great flow, as the music just grips you and the whole record flies by without noticing that nearly an hour is gone once the final note has come out of the speakers.
The greatest strength of the Slovaks is certainly their feeling for sweeping harmonies, which dominate the music over large phases. The basic framework is classic, cold black metal of the old school, extended by the sublimity of the melodic lines, which in the composition of the tone sequence sometimes give rise to slightly folky impressions. However, at this point I can clearly say that these elements are implemented in a quite subtle way and overall the music is essentially kept very traditional and reminiscent of the classics from Northern Europe. The way of combining to a certain extent loose melodies with the grimness and rawness of the genre and never coming across as cheesy is certainly a quality that Slovak bands in particular have taken advantage of. Above the great and often exciting playing guitars and the perfectly coordinated rhythm section we got the haunting voice of singer Wyrd, who screams the Slovak lyrics into the world. Ambient and acoustic passages are used throughout the album to further enhance the immersion, creating a dark tale of eerie times, forgotten places and strange and mystical creatures.
Those looking for innovation will have a hard time finding it on this album. As a rule, however, this is not necessary and black metal fans in particular are less interested in such a thing anyway - rather they want music that comes from the heart, is competently composed and performed and honors the traditions of the genre. "Cez ostrie skál" offers exactly these advantages. The production also fits perfectly, finding the right balance between raw authenticity and contemporary sound. Coming across clear and dynamic without sounding too sterile should be the goal for most bands, and Krajiny Hmly have definitely achieved this. All in all, I would say that they may not have surpassed the last album, but continue on their path at a consistently high level. For me, they are definitely not only among the most important representatives of the Slovak scene, but also among the most up-and-coming bands of the whole genre.
Sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkUsev58QHQ&t=612s
