Ethnic-Thrash outfit Concrete Age hail from the Stavropol Krai region of the North Caucasus, an area rich in culture, tradition and history. This strip of land situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea has played host to empires and kingdoms throughout the ages, forging its own unique identity and the now London Based trio, Concrete Age, are continuing this through the medium of music. Blending traditional and ethnic themed instruments and compositions with the hard hitting modernity of Thrash metal, Ilia, Boris and Giovanni have a large discography and a unique sound many have likened to the iconic Tengger Cavalry. So let’s go on a journey to where the Mountains meet the Steppes and hear the tales of history and tradition come alive. Let’s journey to the Motherland.
“Raida Rada” begins with an ethnic folk refrain before the surging guitars and fierce roar brings the track to life. Bursting with energy, it explodes with a furious storm of low register riffs delivered at breakneck pace and the lyrics are a call to those who may have left this locale to remember their home and rouse a sleeping fire in their blood to burn brightly again. The melodic compositions are delivered nicely and the seamless shifts from thrash heavy to folk are nailed perfectly, creating a fantastic opening track. “Battle For The Caucasus” keeps the pace up with another energetic track. It has a bright edge to its sound and an empowering feel which feels strange but right, given that the nature of the track is about the Soviet resistance to the Axis forces during their push for the oil fields of Baku, a brutal campaign from a brutal time. This then leads to things shifting.
“Mestizo” plays into the more folk and power metal edges of the bands song with big melodic compositions with that distinct flair often associated with the Slavic and Caucasian cultures. Quick and nimble winding melodies dance around a strong rhythmic groove which has its intricate percussion and bass driven groove to thank. “Nomads” pays homage to the regions past as being a wild frontier land which the mountain folk and people of the steppe came to inhabit with their nomadic lifestyle. The droning melody shifts to a crushing metal groove but still retains the rhythmic pulse and when the traditional styles and metallic elements combine, it all fits nicely. Think of this album as similar to that of The Hu but with more focus on the metal than the traditional and you’ll get the picture.
“Mouth Of Elbrus” pays tribute to the highest peak in Europe, the dormant volcano Mount Elbrus. With its building intro, blending a frantic folk edge and pounding bass, it erupts to life much like a stratovolcano. Delivered with explosive energy and the ferocity of nature blowing one out on a grand scale, the track is fast paced and its surging nature works well. “Kara Kol” tells the story of the sacred waters nestled away in the mountains, paying more reverence to nature. It’s empowering and uplifting folk and ethnic composition sections act as good bridges between the more traditional thrash sections with their raw vocals and crushing riffs. The ethnic instruments dance in intricate compositions and help create the powerful folk sound and it really works well on this track.
“Shalaho” is an energetic instrumental. Full of twisting sequences and lively percussion, it marries the virtuosic guitar skills with an infectious rhythm element fuelled by a bouncing bass and infectious drums. “Cossack’s Pride” tells the tales of the semi nomadic warriors with an unconquerable spirit who populated the steppes and frontiers of the lands which would become Russia, telling the tales of their martial prowess and how they were later betrayed by those they fought for. It’s blistering metallic opening surges forwards as the track builds with intensity. The drums are particularly great on this track and when it hits the mid-section of the song, it all changes. A lone drum groove with a tribal pulse leads to multiple vocal lines singing which in turn leads to the instrumentation joining taking on that ethnic flair displayed throughout the release so far. This persists, building energy and it eventually explodes back to the surging thrash from before but this time mixed with the folk flair. This would be excellent to experience live!
Wrapping things up is the final pair of tracks, “Adeghaga” and a cover song; “Hasbulat”. The first of the two is another dedication to ancestors who shared an unconquerable spirit and bravely fought for their culture and land. A track which shows that memories and ideas live on in those who hear them, it again has that titanic metal sound with plenty of folk and exotic flair. “Hasbulat” is a cover of Russian musician Magomed Dzibov. Its original is an up-tempo folk song with a heavy synth element underpinning it and the conversion to a thrash-folk hybrid works rather well and serves as an alright closing track.
In all, “Motherland” is a well-rounded album. It has a massive sound, plenty of heavy riffs and grooves and the way the folk melodies and arrangements are layered and woven into the songs is brilliant. It’s got an uplifting feel about it and it certainly does convey a pride in the culture and identity of a region and the band!
(8/10 Fraggle)
17/04/2024 at 9:57 am
Great review. And you have to see them live: The energy, musicianship and dexterity are just phenomenal!