Year: 2022
Label: Werewolf Promotion
Rating: 8,5 / 10
In 2022, the Polish STWORZ celebrated its, scary to say, 15th anniversary. Having a very rich discography, Wojsław has prepared a two-disc anniversary compilation, which I would call exemplary. "Ziemia śmiercią śpiewa" is divided into 4 conceptual parts, which I should describe separately.
MIECZ
The first 5 tracks are 4 unreleased songs for the period 2020-2022, as well as a song that Wojsław recorded in 2022 for the collection “Polska Scena – Braciom Z Ukraine” in support of Ukraine. Among the unreleased there are two tracks characteristic of modern STWORZ (I do not know for what reason they were not included on any split or album), a re-recording of the old ”Miecz I Pług" from the debut album and a metal version of the Polish highlander folk song.
PIEŚŃ
3 of the 4 tracks in this section are songs from the actual splits of the period 2020-2021, but in an ”original" acoustic form. Obviously, they were originally planned to be released in this form, since they are not some kind of rehearsals, but full-fledged studio recordings with arrangements and percussion, but at the last moment they were brought to metal form. Interestingly, they sound clearer and deeper in the acoustic format. The fourth track is an acoustic version of the song "Ziemia śmiercią śpiewa", which is present in its metal version in the first part of the compilation.
OBIATA
The 5 tracks in this part are rare recordings that were either included on other compilations or previously existed only in digital form. "Za wezwaniem młotów" is a cover of “Звоном молотов зови”, recorded for the Blaze Birth Hall tribute by Der Schwarze Tod, which still isn't released (yes, Nikolai, we are waiting!!!). As with the cover of “Лей, кровавая пена”, Wojsław played the FOREST song to the last little bit, but this time he did not give it his signature sound, at least not that much. "Sny Przodków" is a cover of NOKTURNAL MORTUM, originally released on the compilation "22 Years Among the Sheep” in 2016. "Dziad-Dąb-Snop" is a cover of ТЕМНОЗОРЬ (2013, has so far been only as a digital single). "Kołysała ryba wodę" - a rehash of a folk song (digital single, 2017). “Dokąd tak tęskno..?" is one of the first tracks created for the 2014 album, but so far it has been released only on the rather weak compilation “Heathen Renaissance: Volume 3".
PŁUG
The final part, in turn, is divided into two sections of 3 and 5 tracks. The first 3 were originally released on the magnificent Split "Śnij ziemio moja ..." (2012) with FALL, which is now almost impossible to purchase, and the remaining 5 are taken from a rare tape "Brzask-Reh 2009"; this is a recording of an important rehearsal (when STWORZ was still a full band) from 2009.
The value of ”Ziemia śmiercią śpiewa" is doubled, which is extremely rare in the case of compilations. Firstly, due to the fact that all sections are united by certain concepts, and on the first disc by the sound as well, it can be perceived as a set of four mini-albums. Secondly, the compilation fulfills its task, covering the entire period of STWORZ's activity, but at the same time it consists of rare and unreleased material. Which, you must admit, is a thousand times better than another useless "Best of...". Of course, this is not the best option to get acquainted with STWORZ, and therefore in this review I deliberately do not describe the music; for this, refer to my previous reviews, where I examined almost the entire discography of the band. But for those who have been following Wojsław's Wojsław Voislov's work almost from the very beginning, it is very valuable.
The physical embodiment of the release is pleasing: this is a double CD jewel with a high-quality booklet of 12 pages, where all the necessary explanations and thematic art are present. Details on a video.
English (UK) 
Крыўская