Torrent: MALOKARPATAN - VERTUMNUS CAESAR (2023) [WMA] [FALLEN ANGEL] |
...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI.
Są zespoły, często uznane nazwy, na których nowe albumy jednak nie oczekuję jakoś specjalnie. A są zespoły, których premier wypatruję z niecierpliwością. Nie ma ich wiele, ale jednym z nich jest chyba właśnie Malokarpatan.
Strasznie lubię ten ich przyczerstwiony blackowy heavy metal i gdy już wyjdzie to słucham i słucham. Szczęście me – jestem redaktorem w poczytnym webzinie i zdarza się, że mam przyjemność wałkowania albumów na chwilę przed premierą. Stad też od równego miesiąca dzień rozpoczynam lub kończę albumem „Vertumnus Caesar”. I jest mi z tym wspaniale.
Bo to wspaniała płyta. Porównując ją do poprzedniczki, czyli „Krupinske ohne” jest chyba jeszcze bardziej heavy metalowa. I chyba jeszcze bardziej retro. Malokarpatan jak to Malokarpatan, inspiruje się muzyką sprzed czterdziestu, pięćdziesięciu i sześćdziesięciu lat – hard rockiem, rockiem, heavy metalem czy muzyką filmową. Do wszystkiego dodaje sporo black metalowego feelingu (rozumianego głównie jako pierwszą falę), trochę przestarzałych pomysłów na zastosowanie klawiszy i elektroniki – ot i mamy przepis na kolejny doskonały album Słowaków. Wprawne ucho wychwyci to multum smaczków, zapożyczeń i cytatów, również i z naszego Kata. Nie muszę chyba dodawać, że poszczególne kawałki zapadają w pamięć i można sobie je spokojnie nucić acapella? Brzmienie „Vertumnus Caesar” sprzyja z kolei zagłębianiu się w tę muzykę, bo wydaje mi się, że jest ona surowsza od poprzedniczki, jeszcze mocniej trąci hard rockowym feelingiem, co w przypadku Malokarpatan wychodzi mocno na plus.
Tak więc niby nic nowego tutaj nie ma, a jednak człowiek jest usatysfakcjonowany. Warto czekać na ten krążek, szczególnie jeśli podobały wcześniejsze produkcje. Nie zaprzeczam, że w którymś momencie ta formuła się im wyczerpie, ale to jeszcze zdecydowanie nie ten moment.
Oracle
When I was in high school we had a Czech exchange student. He was way into the Swedish black metal of the time, stuff like Marduk and Dark Funeral. He had picked Sweden as the country probably expecting Swedish high schools to be littered with corpse painted church burners that he could form a band with. Sadly that wasn’t really the reality in our school. Anyhow I saw him sitting alone in the cafeteria with a Burzum shirt and struck up conversation. I was excited to talk to a Czech metalhead because I loved Master's Hammer and was eager to geek out about them and Root. Alas he wasn’t much familiar with old metal and I couldn’t care less about Marduk. Anyhow, from one slightly awkward Czechoslovakian/Swedish encounter to another:
I've been a fan of Malokarpatan since the first album. The. dedication to their aesthetic and a genuine interest in how their work is presented make them stick out like a shining beacon in the field of overstuffed satanic posers and boneheaded neo-nazi bedroom warriors in the black metal field. The Slovakian’s 4th album centers around once Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. The eccentric, paranoid Habsburg king obsessed with fine art, magik and alchemy. His actions are said to have led directly to the Thirty Years War, the devastating conflict that plunged much of Europe into absolute hell. The aftermath of the war would see Swedish troops thoroughly looting Rudolf's kunstkammer of its vast collection of arts. Malokarpatan however seems to have flipped the script and gone ”reverse Viking”. From the cover artist, to the guest musicians, the mixer and even the new drummer have been looted from up North! Looks like Malokarpatan has been Sweded.
Being Slovaks, the comparisons to Master's Hammer have always circled Malokarpatan. It's not surprising, they’re the most well known of the region’s black metal legends. But really beyond the similarities of the Czech and Slovak languages the specific influence wasn’t that pronounced. Until now! Tracks like ”Maharal a Golem” and ”Mnohoraké útrapy milostpána Kelleyho” feature swirling riffs that clearly recall the Prague legends (and do it well!). Necrocock and legendary MH timpani player Silenthell even lend their contributions to the latter. Here we have another connection between Czechoslovakia and Sweden. In that Master's Hammer was undoubtedly one of the very first bands to worship at the altar of Quorthon and Bathory, being an absolutely crucial stepping stone from them to Norwegian trendsetters like Enslaved, Emperor and Burzum. Surely MH's seminal gothic concept album "Jilemnický okultista" is a size-able influence on the ”Caesar”? Yes, evocatively cumbersome song titles like "The Carriage Moves Southwest Through the Dark-Blue Distances" almost guarantee it. The album proudly takes its place next to the aforementioned Occultist and a handful of other great works in the pantheon of twisted, archaic and blackened narratives like; Negative Plane's 'The Pact', Funereal Presence's 'Achatius' and Sabbat's 'The Dwelling'. The legacy of King Diamond lives on in its twisted corridors and mingles with the influences of classic progressive rock like Gentle Giant, Popol Vuh and Tangeringe Dream.
The 70's influence is much more than a gimmick here and does much to ground the album in the atmosphere of European folk-infused horror like the Popol Vuh scored Nosferatu from '79, or the gorgeous gothic horror of Czechoslovakian films like Valerie and Her Week of Wonders and Juraj Herz's Beauty and the Beast. Indeed the synths (mostly operated by the Templar of Hands of Orlac with whom they share drummer Axel Johansson) are a show stealer whenever they show up. Influences of dark progressive icons like Goblin or Black Widow aren't uncommon in metal these days but rarely do they fit as neatly into the sound and actually elevate it like they do on Vertumnus Caesar. I have no idea where the band will go next for inspiration and production, but given how successful the flirtations with Italy have been here, maybe further south? Just an idea!
Overall there’s plenty to love in all of the album’s eight tracks. From the sleazy Darkthrone-like groove that hits 5 minutes into 'Maheral a Golem’ to the lovely, fuzzy hangout vibes in ”Vovnútri chlácholivého útočišta kunstkamru” that makes me want to kick back with Rudolf and his alchemists and smoke whatever they were cooking up in those flasks. Perhaps my favorite track in their entire discography! The Mercyful Fate/Death SS-inspired "ooooooohs" 2:30 into ”Mnohoraké útrapy milostpána Kelleyho” leads into an absolutely lovely epic metal riff in the vein of Lordian Guard! I wonder if the influence of Finland's premier epic metallers Chevalier (with whom they also share drummer Johansson) is rubbing off? Another possible nod to epic heavy metal comes with the Manilla Roadian dreamlike atmosphere that kicks off the final track. It is absolutely gorgeous and segues into a triumphant pastoral riff that brings to mind fellow travelers like Hällas. The album is an absolute blast to sit through, no song ever overstaying its welcome and I’ve found myself listening through the whole thing several times in a row. The performances and production too are phenomenal, there’s not a note that sounds out of place here.
I am beyond excited that Malokarpatan has continued to grow to the extent they have and frankly it makes me think that this is a band of Darkthrone's calibre. For whom there's enough of a dedication to a core aesthetic (and tastefulness) that they're never at risk of their curiosity landing them in the excessive buffoonery of later era Ghost. It's not edgy, or hateful but instead incredibly effective at transporting the listener into a world of cobwebbed castle corridors, wherein the air is thick with alchemic fumes and outside the stained glass windows the Golem stalks the ancient dark alleys of Praha.
As for our exchange student, he did finally find a local black metal band to play with and he was gurgling blood and chewing down bible pages on stage in no time. All’s well that ends well!
Mechabarbarian
https://theoldcoffinspirit.com/malokarpatan-vertumnus-caesar-adv-cd-2023/
1. Na okraji priepaste otevíra sa hviezdny zámek 01:06
2. Kočár postupuje temnomodrými dálavami na juhozápad 06:15
3. Vertumnus Caesar 06:03
4. Vovnútri chlácholivého útočišta kunstkamru 05:52
5. Panstvo salamandrov jest v kavernách zeme 06:31
6. Maharal a Golem 05:25
7. Mnohoraké útrapy milostpána Kelleyho 04:40
8. I hle, tak zachádza imperiálna hviezda 10:11
Vladimír Moravčík - Vocals (lead, choirs)
Adam Sičák - Guitars (lead, rhythm, acoustic), Keyboards, Delicia, Glockenspiel, Stylophone, Melody harp, Lyrics, Songwriting (tracks 2-8)
Peter Szentpéteri - Bass
Axel Johansson - Drums, Tambourine, Bongos, Guitars (acoustic), Tubular bells, Mellotron, Keyboards, Delicia, Songwriting (tracks 1, 8 (outro))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f74wfgTODWA
SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!
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