Review: RAZÖRSCHRIECK – Tragedies

Year of release: 2021
Label: Dark East Productions
Rating: 7,6 / 10

RAZÖRSCHRIECK band from Ivanovo is hardly familiar to regular readers of Bagnik Zine, since at first glance everything in it falls into the “no-go” category. The creator of the project is a very peculiar punk who took up metal in the wake of the growing popularity of DS"BM" in the early 2010s and releases all his albums through labels like Depressive Illusions or by himself. That same wave of depressive stuff most of all resembled a wave of slop precisely because it was raised by people who knew very little about metal. More than 90% of them returned to their dusty bedrooms after the DS”BM” trend was over. RAZÖRSCHRIECK is still in service, but it is no longer about shallow cuts and whining. You may also remember the story with the burning of half of print-run of RAZÖRSCHRIECK / VANHELGA split (after which that pitiful CD-R skyrocketed in price). Many laughed then, but I understand the musician very well: making a split with the worst metal band on the planet is a shame, and you can only clear it with fire.

I got to know RAZÖRSCHRIECK around 2013 when Razör asked me to check out his new album. In aesthetic terms, everything there was sad, but the music turned out to be surprisingly strong. I remember quite sincerely calling it the best thing I've heard in this whole new wave of depressive stuff. Of course, this is not a big compliment since literally the entire DS”BM” of that time consisted of liquid diarrhea. But at least Razör tried to make compositions that were quite listenable. If there is talent, it will definitely manifest itself, even if the artist took a wrong way.

I didn't really follow the further development of RAZÖRSCHRIECK. And that development, it must be said, took place. Today's RAZÖRSCHRIECK practically does not resemble its own version of even 5 years ago, and that's good. On "Tragedies" it plays glorious dark metal with a lot of influences among which there was no place for any whiny faggots. “Tragedies” is inherently closer to the modern wave of Russian metal bands roaming around "chthonicism" and the darkness of extinct villages (TM). But these groups most often consist of hipsters who are guided by the Western rifless "atmospheric" shit and give out the corresponding result. Razör is still a punk, but I know that he also listens to proper metal. And you can feel it. The first track has a fairly strict Nordic character, as if it is something from Der Schwarze Tod roster. However, both on it and on the future tracks, 100% rocky guitar constructions play an important role. This style of guitar playing is rare in extreme metal, and these brazen solos are even more rare. The second track offers blast beats and large-scale melodic sketches with keyboards. When the main riff of the third song kicks off, I want to stretch my right hand from the heart to the spiral galaxy, because it sounds so sublime and pure. The fourth track is to be remembered for solos in the vein of early PARADISE LOST and curtsies to Death Metal. The fifth is even closer to the classic Doom Metal, and also includes a wonderful flute part. The final track is an eerie graveyard story, read to the accompaniment of synthesizer ambient.

The whole material is well-tailored and firmly stitched. Freed from fillers, the album fits into the standard LP format without allowing any slack. To my delight, Razör avoided the typical mistake most musicians make; if you're making a melodic album, don't shove evil chainsaw tremolos into it, it's like pouring sawdust into your porridge. There are a lot of heavy and aggressive fragments on “Tragedies”, but they do not disturb the smooth flow of the music in the least. The general atmosphere does not deviate from the theme of the texts. These are dark gothic stories with an elusive Russian flavor: about a dead princess, enchanted forests, ghosts and death. Written beautifully and tastefully. No busty vampires or dead grannies with Orthodox crosses at the ready.

Now about negative sides. There is only two of them. The first is sound. This is a modern “Russian standard” with all the consequences: everything is weighty, clean, but it lacks of character. I believe that technical parameters as such should not be the goal. Let the sound be somewhat dirtier or crooked, but it will get uniqueness. I won't say that “Tragedies” is hopelessly faceless in this regard, but you won't achieve the effect of recognition with such a sound. In addition, there are moments with the double vocal track on the album. It seems it was abandoned everywhere except Eastern Europe, and rightfully so. Leave this shit to metalcore. The second negative aspect is the decisions on the design of the booklet. I understand that it looks very cool, but the five photos of Razör in a shamanic image do not correlate with the lyrical content at all. With the CD that I received, there was a card with an autograph and an alternative cover: a dead princess on a horse, a moon, a forest, a full-flowing river - this is just on topic. I think that it was necessary to do everything the other way around - art instead of photographs, and to release the photo as a separate card. Well, at least the booklet has lyrics translated into English. Details on a video.

In the end, we have a strong and beautiful album. When talent is combined with diligence and the right aesthetic decisions, this is how it should be. I strongly recommend to get acquainted, although I note that “Tragedies” might not open up from the first attempt.