Machukha is Ukrainian for Stepmother and the band fuse together elements of Post Black Metal, Post Hardcore and Punk (which is from their blurb) to make a quite magnificent sound. I would add that there are elements of Neo Folk in there as well but more on that in a while.
For some context, (I seem to be writing that a lot recently), I have been working for the last 18 months supporting Ukrainian refugees who have moved to the UK fleeing Putin’s invasion. As such the pain and passion portrayed in Mochari resonated loudly with me. I have heard the anguish and anger from those affected first hand. I have also worked with refugees and asylum seekers from other parts of the world and I also hear their voices and their pain in the seven tracks on this release.
OK with that sobering thought it’s time to hit play.
BAM! Straight in the face from the off! A tortured throat tearing cry is followed by manic blastbeats and razor tight riffing. Natalya’s vocals here tread the fine line between Ghost Bath style shrieks and post hardcore barks and bring all the passion and power of both styles without any of the extremes that can put some listeners off. The riffs are furious and yet catchy and the drums flit between old skool hardcore and blasts to keep the heart fluttering. The transition into “Dzhkay” sends the heart soaring – like a burst of colour across the night sky or maybe blood onto white bed sheets.
Looking for comparisons and FFO’s which are in demand these days, my ears and mind shoot to Svalbard for some of the riffs and melodies, the blend of black metal with hardcore vibrancy so prevalent in that bands Oeuvre is well evidenced here. Bezpliddya” is a fantastic example of this. It is heavy as an iron railing in the face but also feels like Natalya is simultaneously wrenching her heart out of her chest and her skin from her face (see the album cover).
I am also reminded of the beautiful crushing post hardcore of Envy from Japan throughout the album – the blend of soaring hope, crushing despair and frantic urgency runs throughout the album. “Kvit” especially is a track to spawn a dancefloor maelstrom.
There are eerie, contemplative and quiet moments on the album which hit just as hard. іноді падає сніг так лагідно krizʹ соснову хвою – which translates to” Sometimes it snows so gently that it touches a pine needle” is exquisite. It has at its bed a gentle guitar and a wood block for percussion and what sounds like the voice of an elderly woman in despair or perhaps even a spirit – wonderful emotive work again by Natalya. She disappears midway through the song and it seems as though she was an apparition, did I imagine that she was there. Honestly there is a strange cinematic quality to this track that played with my mind as I listened on headphones and the track segues wonderfully into” tsyu tayemnit·syu duzhe vazhko berehty” (This secret is very difficult to keep) and the sense of sorrow and loss deepens as the track builds into something larger and takes the bleakness into the world of Post Hardcore inhabited by the aforementioned Envy and Explosions in the Sky.
I have already mentioned the fury of “Kvit” (Quit) – it really is a banger that made even these old bones want to wiggle.
The closer is the 9-minute epic “Nezrushnist” (Immovability). It begins with woodblock percussion and some electronics that sound like a siren before morphing into horns. Again, this track has an eerie cinematic feel. I am unsure whether this is the calm before or after a storm the track builds into an expansive slab of post rock before Natalya bursts through the gossamer thin skin with her tortured voice to bring pain and sorrow to the beauty. Blimey! What an ending!
This album is a great blend of many “post” genres which will appeal to fans of them all whilst managing to transcend labels to create a unique and passionate heavy album.
(8.5/10 Matt Mason)
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