A lot stood in Raven Throne's way to make it to this point today. The Belarussian black metal band went through a litany of changes in their earliest days. Certainly, any band is susceptible to lineup changes, but to battle through and sustain for well over a decade now is nothing to scoff at. Add to it, the now-quartet releases captivating and atmospheric black metal in a vein similar to Drudkh. This is undoubtedly the case with their newest full-length record, I Miortvym Snicca Zolak. A loose internet search translates the title to Dreaming Dead Dawn.
This is Raven Throne's sixth full-length record. Still, it continues the band's transition from an outright Pagan form of black metal into something much more melodic and immersive. Rolling tremolo riffs become almost entrancing throughout the record. The guitars swiftly move across pitches and even take some time to revel in some somber melodies. Much of the record is a clinic in prototypical black metal, but the truly interesting elements of the album come from the lyrics and inspiration.
The band issued a statement in regard to their new album. They stated, "With this album, Raven Throne invites listeners from all over the world to immerse themselves in the space of Belarusian poetry. These are poems by Belarusian poets of the first half of the 20th century in a dark frame of atmospheric metal. The images of the unique Belarusian nature, the tragedy of the personality, the great Drama of History—all this combined with the music of Raven Throne is woven into a cohesive and conceptual work."
Find an exclusive stream of I Miortvym Snicca Zolak below. The album arrives Wednesday, May 2 on Non Serviam Records.
