Bartłomiej Krysiuk is a great musician. You maybe don’t like Batushka, but you can FUCK OFF AND DIE!
Batushka is been around since a while. We all have known or have heard about the dispute they are into since after the first Batushka release. The band split up and who’s right? WHO CARES! The point here is the quality Bartłomiej Krysiuk puts in Batushka’s music. A far different version of the previous band, this one has more dark, black metal and deep arrangements.
In our hands we have Царю Небесный / Carju Niebiesnyj and we can say that all the songs follow the same Batushka’s idea of just distinguish them by their number: “Письмо / Pismo” from I to VI and and they seem connected, specially the “IV” and “V”. We still have the choirs, the main element introduced by Batushka in its music that live makes a really good impression. You are in a cult. That is the idea, but in the album, what do you most like in a Black metal album? FUCKING BLACK METAL! That is what people don’t get it. This version of Batushka is the most BLACK METAL possible. And all in a beautiful slipcase, and a great artwork with high quality and details.
The album (EP) is around 27 minutes of a highly elaborated Black Metal with the classical Batushka arrangements and the choir with Orthodox chants and imagery, of course! One major issue is that this extended play rarely mixes black metal passages and Orthodox chants on a balanced level. ”Письмо II” for instance is a blistering black metal tune with stoic drum patterns, down-tuned guitar sounds and desperate screams that is missing the mysterious atmosphere that made the original group so unique.
”Письмо V” on the other side entirely focuses on the atmospheric side with mantra-like female chants, slow guitar sounds and mysterious whispers. Here we have that main Batushka characteristic. the atmosphere that envolves the Black Metal in its magnitude. When you listen to this album, you need to have the perspective that Batushka is evolving, adapting and creating his own identity.
The album comes to an end around 21 minutes, we can feel it in the songs and that was the real intention. With a slow pace and some Orthodox elements, this EP brings what is best in the band and in this new project. It has some Господи / Hospodi elements, and the heavy passages from Раскол / Raskol, that in my opinion is darker than this one, but it also has the main elements that made Batushka the great project it has always been since the beginning.
Rate: 666
You can get a copy of the album HERE!
