Year of release: 2018
Label: Decadence Within Records
Rating: 7 / 10
The next addition to Belarusian scene was provided, if not mistaken, by the musicians of BONEHAMMER and VOX MORTUIS. The debut EP from the Minsk band is positioned by the publisher as “metalpunk”, but I didn’t find punk here. I can't consider a few rhytmic patterns and choruses, also characteristic of old-school metal, as punk.
The message of PINEBLOOD is as straightforward as the name of the band and release. This is canonical “natural” metal in the vein of the old Scandinavian necromantics possessing at the same time a little Germanic flavor. Not Krywian, definitely. Slightly awkward, but very poetic English-language texts (they even have rhyme!) are full of dark imagery and reverie. And they don't hesitate to mention Odin directly. Guitar parts offer a very beautiful and old-fashioned spiritual melodies that never turn into sugar syrup. Coupled with excellent acoustic fragments and several samples with sounds of nature, all this clearly refers to the early works of ULVER. The vocals, however, work in a completely different range: no scream, only a moderately aggressive growl.
The second song, which tells a fascinating story about an unfaithful wife, which, when she tried to run away from an angry husband, was killed by angry boar (despite the obvious reference to the plot popular with the northerners, I'm sure that piece is dedicated to a former girlfriend of one of the musicians). The music of this song really possesses an embittered punk enthusiasm, though not such strong to call it “metalpunk”.
It remains to add that, despite the modest circulation - 50 copies on cassettes - and absolutely underground status of the release, the EP is recorded in Minsk Studio 9, therefore it has a high-quality modern sound, where every instrument is heard very well. Considering the type of music, I would prefer a less fashionable studio ... but how cool... or warm... is the bass sound! The group has already released a new EP, very similar in content, so I think in the future the release of the compilation on the CD is likely. In the meantime, take the tape - it possesses very high quality and sounds delightful. See more details on a video.
English (UK) 
Крыўская