Ruiny Vekov "Balady Čierných Noci" CD

RUINY VEKOV is a one-man project (although the album insert lists five musicians and, unfortunately, I’m not sure whether they are session or full-fledged artists in this band) that oscillates around atmospheric pagan black metal. I already had a chance to get acquainted with it while listening to the split 'Ešte jedle rastú…’, in which the participation of Krajina Hmly’s band was most to my liking. I took quite a long time to listen to 'Balady čiernych nocí’, because already the word 'ballads’ in the title put me off a bit. On the other hand, there is no need to get fixated on the title and judge only on such a basis.

When the disc is into the player, the Intro appears with soft and melodic music, but after jumping to the second track it gets harsher and more devilish, which calmed my fears. True, it is melodic, but the compositions here are not overdone, as they do not drip with sweet sound. The disc consists of six tracks with a total duration of more than twenty-six minutes. 'Balady čiernych nocí’ is a debut album, but one can immediately hear that the musicians working on it have mastered their craft. In addition to a few acoustic interludes, quite strong guitar riffs with dynamic kick and cool-sounding distortion run through most of the compositions. Of course, there is a lot of melodic and catchy strumming, so if you like the combination of extreme sounds with an interestingly developed melody, this CD will catch your ear, from the first number. Fast drums add dynamics and a good dose of aggression. The vocals are harsh, dark and do not escape into melodiousness, which contrasts well with the music, so that nothing here is exaggerated. Be sure to check out the latest material from this band.