BloodKMy first introduction to the work of Roman Saenko (and by extension, the Ukrainian Black Metal scene) was the debut demo from Hate Forest, ‘Scythia’ that saw the light of day back in 1999-2000. This 25-minute recording showcased a unique approach to black metal, one that gravitated around a numbing percussive blast, relentless vocal roars and scything, insistent riffage. It was hypnotic but different, the melodies present, certainly, but enshrouded within a claustrophobic, oppressive atmosphere. The band’s obscurity and potentially dubious politics only contributed to the unsettling ambience of the release.

Hate Forest went on to record several albums before Saenko called it a day and chose to focus on the more melodic, pastoral (and let’s face it, far more popular) Drudkh but many of us still hankered for Hate Forest’s more brutal style. In answer to these prayers, Saenko – alongside Drudkh cohort Thurisaz – formed Blood of Kingu in 2005, an occult-themed project that resurrected the driving and aggressive soundscapes of the former band.

‘Dark Star on the Right Horn of the Crescent Moon’ is the third full-length from what is effectively a Ukrainian black metal ‘super-group’ and is without a doubt their most intense and uncompromising to date. The debut (‘De Occulta Philosphia’) was decent but the lack of defined vocals was a weakness, the only voices being distant babbled chanting that burbled quietly beneath the riffs. Album number two ‘Sun in the House of the Scorpion’ was much stronger – more dynamic and with Saenko’s trademark roars leading the charge. ‘Dark Star…’ therefore picks up the baton and runs with it – almost literally – blasting frenetically from the off with the ferocious and sinewy riffs of ‘Crowned Scarlet Moon is Waiting for Eclipse’.

For all the occult trappings and occasional moody interludes, this is a shockingly aggressive record. The drumming is relentless, a palpably savage assault of the drum kit. It isn’t subtle at all – it’s almost always blasting or providing double-kick laced fury – but it really lends a sense of ferocious momentum to the material. The timpani hits that accent tracks such as ‘He Who Is Not To Be Named’ and ‘Sigil of the Watcher’ add a sense of Babylonian melodrama to proceedings. It’s a small touch but a really effective one, bringing a genuine sense of ancient violence to the black metal maelstrom.

The riffs are strong, centering on searing single-string cadences with occasional bursts of frantic down-picking which demands attention – the juddering motif in ‘The Nethermost Lairs Beneath the Ocean’ is frightening in its controlled savagery with Saenko’ vocals reaching almost inhuman levels (much like Hate Forest at their most visceral and merciless).

Yes, there isn’t a lot by way of subtlety on this album and there’s little to distinguish one track from another – nevertheless, what Blood of Kingu may have sacrificed in dynamics is made up for by way of a focussed and intense barbarism, laced with atmosphere. ‘Dark Star on the Right Horn of the Crescent Moon’ is perhaps a little one-dimensional but it mines the furrow of this one dimension with aplomb.

(7.5/10 Frank Allain) 

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