Three years after The 5th Harmonic Of Death debut album from this Ukrainian duo it’s a welcome return for them with follow up Duality. Multi-instrumentalist Master Alafern is also a member of Thunderkraft and played live in Dub Bak as well as a violinist of The Academy Symphony Orchestra of Kharkov and here he joins up with vocalist Dromos Aniliagos and combines the work that he has orchestrated in both metal and classical spheres forging an intriguing blend of symphonic black metal in the process. I really enjoyed the debut album and read here that work started on this follow up almost immediately after it was written, right back in 2010. Apparently the release has been delayed drastically due to the fact that three designers could not come up with the goods and deliver the cover art for it. It seems like rather a poor reason to delay an album for so long really as it is the music that is the most important thing but I guess they were striving for perfectionism all round. Luckily they finally got the desired results via Russian designer Al Ex, shame that is pretty much wasted in these days of digital musical delivery but there you go.
Woodwind and strings takes us into things with the prelude and there is a sense of mysticism straight off before the barraging cleave of ‘The Secrets Of Victorious Decisions’ sees everything piling in. It’s brash and bruising as the drums batter away and the music sweeps ever forward with melody at its heart and a great dramatic sense of atmosphere. Vocals are austere and theatrical and you get the feeling of eccentricity as the orchestral and black elements contrast each other but ultimately gel perfectly. Some of the flourishes here, particularly pompous brass parps, remind a bit of Sigh and there’s that Emperor type surge to the music too, it’s all pumped up and infectious. The fact that the pair keep things compact really helps, most of the songs hit in a 4-5 minute mark rather than sprawl beyond their limits and there’s something about each and every track here giving it unique definition. There is a battle at heart, maybe a bit futuristic at times, with songs like ‘The Infinite Dance Of Numbers’ flying off into space and citing the likes of Arcturus and Dimmu Borgir in their grand architecture. Whereas back down to earth a medieval sparkle flourishes over ‘Sparks Of The Glorious Fire’ which could be the soundtrack to mighty armies just about to embark on an epic Game Of Thrones battle.
It’s pretty obvious the drums are programmed but they constantly go like the clappers and the pace of this demands that you keep up with them head banging furiously away to the whirlwind tumult. The underlying brass, strings and woodwind add to the dashing dervish and the fantastical elements are brilliantly composed reminding a lot of countryman Munruthel. ‘Inversion Of Reality’ is a particular stand out number with the mad pummelling fury duelling with an excellent devilish repeated violin concerto which once heard will be demonically embedded within your head. Vocals definitely rise to a clamour as though they are commanding an army to attack and throughout the album listen out for the odd explosion, sword thrust and horse whinny (that is if they were not in my head). I think it sounds like a theremin etching ‘Destruction Of Galaxies’ with its witchy call, it could be from an old episode of Space 1999 as far as my imagination is concerned, the baddie is evident with particularly deranged vocals too. There’s a huge wealth of ideas going on throughout the album and it really keeps you on your toes. The final moody part is a sax instrumental at odds with everything else we have heard, perhaps it is already setting things up for the next instalment and hopefully that won’t be so long coming
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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