Year of release: 2020
Label: COD Label / Der Schwarze Tod
Rating: 8 / 10
Today we will talk about a very interesting release, which, with a good coincidence, could make a splash, although this is unlikely to ever happen. Behind ARCHAIC SILENCE, quote, is Evgeny Nikitin, world famous opera singer (bass-baritone), a soloist of the Mariinsky Theater. According to eyewitnesses, this eccentric character was once fond of Nordic Black Metal, even got himself tattoos with swastikas (which frightened his German colleagues). For the sake of interest, after reading several interviews with Eugene and looking at his Instagram, I discovered a striking mental similarity with our one and only Voist. Artists, what else can you say?
“Страна, где прошлого не жаль” is, perhaps, Evgeny's magnum opus, a concept album of eight parts, stretching for almost 80 minutes and being created from 2006 to 2011. The legacy of BATHORY shines through all the cracks here. To some extent, this is a more poetic, romantic and “professional” look at the great “Hammerheart”: the same scenes of farewell and sailing, shores in flames, images of unfamiliar lands and songs about homesickness. The designers did not forget to place the poetry of Eugene and his brother Oleg in the booklet, but for some reason they forgot the commas. I understand that in metal it is oftenly acceptable, but here we have a work of fine art for fuck's sake!
Besides, it's not metal. The album is constantly balancing on the very edge, holding on to the fingertips. It's very easy to imagine it in BATHORY sound and that would be great, but Eugene deliberately stays on the other side, preferring moderate distortion to the roaring Viking iron. The guitar is played not by him, but by certain Vitaly Borisov. The rhythmic riffs and solos are quite consistent with Quorton's style, and sometimes even quote him. Most often, the guitar works in one line, leaving a huge scope for orchestral parts. The booklet does not say anything about the orchestra - either Eugene performed the parts on his own, or they are synthesized. But they sound very real. Of course, in addition to the orchestra, we quite often hear acoustic guitar, bass, synths, organ and other traditional (in a broad sense) instruments.
Interestingly, the album, made by a person from an academic background, does not sound too academic. It is beautiful and sublime, in places formidable and exciting, and all this, undoubtedly, is partly calculated, but only partly. It is felt that the musician really lives by the Nordic theme, is deeply imbued with it, and his songs are exactly songs, not a soundtrack. There is an impulse in them, and the sound has not been brought to lifeless perfection. Paradoxically, my only complaint is about the vocals. Eugene shares his duties with Anna Mironova, also an opera singer, and both of them sing obscenely correctly, strictly in their register, or tone, dunno how is it called. Whatever happens in the text, Eugene is strictly buzzing from point A to point B and Anna hovers somewhere under the clouds. There is serious lack of moments like “Shores in flames, oh-o-o-o-oh, shores in flames…. FIRE !!!!” on this album.
“Страна, где прошлого не жаль” released in jewel case with 6-page booklet on matte paper. Texts and images are printed in gold. Thematical design by Leiptrfar Art. Looks expensive, stylish and beautiful. The video won't upload, so you have to trust my word.
English (UK) 
Крыўская