Raven Throne - Viartannie (Chroniki Źmiainaj Ciemry)

Key Facts

Country: 🇧🇾

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Release Date: 18th September 2020

Record Label(s): Independent

Band Members

Chernotur - Guitars 

War Head - Bass, Vocals, Programming 

Raven Throne - Viartańnie

Review

Rating (out of 5🤘): 🤘🤘🤘🤘

Favourite Track(s): Viartańnie, Niabačnyja Nici Zimy, Uładar Ściužy, Miortvaja Spadčyna, Spyni Serca Vosieni

An album that takes me, I believe for the first time, to the cold heart of Belarus. Hailing from the historical, northern city of Polotsk, Raven Throne are a dark and cold act fusing conceptual elements of mythology, pre-Christian archetypes and Belarusian poetry into raw, bleak yet captivating atmospheric black metal. Inspired by an eternal winter and the Norwegian black metal classics, Raven Throne has all the hallmarks of a band steeped in black metal tradition but without fear of breaking the boundaries. I don't hear of many bands from Belarus but with it being wedged between Poland and Russia, I am sure it is set to be a black metal power house in the future with Raven Throne leading the way.

Musically, the first thing that stood out to me about this album is the programmed, electronic elements that weave their way throughout the album, giving it extra depth and atmosphere. These sections have a very industrial feel to them, heavily distorted beats and grinding sound design add a sinister undertone to the bleak and raw riffs. Although this is an unusual feature in black metal, could this be a sign that the genre is evolving? I like to think so as it adds a wholly different kind of darkness to a song. In terms of musical influence you can definitely hear the old Norwegian classics seeping through in the riffs, especially in Uładar Ściužy with it's relentless and uncompromising riff that has an old school feel to it. With this in mind, I'm also reminded of Polish black metal giants Mgła, in terms of song structure and sound. The overarching despair and blackness in the atmosphere takes me back to the first time that I listened to 2015's Exercises in Futility. Some of the more atmospheric tracks, such as Spyni Serca Vosieni and Miortvaja Spadčyna have a coldness to them that has my imagination thinking of arctic landscapes and snow capped mountains with no life around for miles. They are both followed by a completely different style of song, in the form of the album's closer, U Dałoniach Zimy. The distorted beat snaps you back to the grey and bleak urban landscape in where pollution cloud smother your lungs. It is a highly atmospheric album closer that has a cliff-hanger feel to it, could there be a Viartannie part two in the works? Who knows but I'd welcome it if it followed on from where U Dałoniach Zimy left off as you're left on edge waiting for the big riff to drop but it never comes. This album is also one of  close contrasts, staying true to the Norwegian aesthetic with raw riffs whilst incorporating more industrial electronic  and sound design elements in the background to expand that morph the atmosphere into something I've not heard before. Overall, this album is perfect to listen to on a cold, dark day, a well written, intriguing and complex album with a multitude of layers that every black metal fan can enjoy. 

The production follows the traditional black metal template of distorted rawness found by maxing the levels on a tape recorder, which of course is what we all love! Adding to the bleak atmosphere created by the music the treble-y, fuzzy distortion of the mix harks back to the cold fjords of Norway. The only downside to me is the drums don't quite have enough power behind them, I believe they're programmed from what I'm hearing, which isn't a bad thing it just lacks a but of oomph in the low end for me. The snare does have a nice snap to it though as the cymbals blend into the fuzziness of the mix. The guitar tones are cold and unforgiving, loads of distortion and sit in between the mid and high frequencies. The bass and sound design elements seem to compensate for the lack of power coming from the kick which gives it that low end push. Overall, sonically it is very reminiscent of early Darkthrone and Mayhem which is probably why I enjoy the mix in the grand scheme of things. 

If you fancy venturing to the cold north of Belarus, do so with Raven Throne in your ears! Listen to Viartannie now.

Raven Throne - Viartannie (Chroniki Źmiainaj Ciemry)