Genre: Martial industrial/Neofolk/Dark Ambient
Track Listing:
01 Мир Как Свет
02 Пламя Возмездия
03 Очищение Ч. I
04 Тень
05 Очищение Ч. II
06 Млечный Путь
07 Моя Свастика
08 Очищение Ч. III
09 Новая Песня
Video Споры Страха, Семя Тьмы
Black Sun(translated from Russian) is the first “official” full-length album by industrial/neofolk apocalyptic poets Majdanek Waltz, originally available on CD-R, and now released on CD by Strely Peruna productions in a special limited edition including their first ever promotional video, directed by friend and collaborator, Wolfsblood.
With regular live shows, these guys have been making quite a name for themselves in the eastern dark music scene, and it’s a damn shame they aren’t more widely known in the west due to language barriers. It’s too bad, because this wonderfully talented and unique band deserve much more recognition outside their home front.
One contrast you may notice between this one and their other output, specifically their Hamlet’s Childhood album, is that this one’s much less folk-driven, and while that album was an exercise in beautifully sad ballads casting a regretful glance at a lost childhood, this one is a demonstration in darkness. Quite so, the later releases drew on a lot of the best of Current 93, folk and industrial eras, for inspiration, while lacking the same amount of anarchic madness, over-the-top theatrics, or cryptic Biblical/Crowleyan references.
Quite the contrary, as far as influences go, this one draws power straight from the Blood Axis/Laibach school of thought, as a disciple of a doomsday cult draws strength from his mentor’s chosen ideology. This is definitely an industrial album, but one that takes on a shape of it’s own. It borrows from folk and dark ambient as it pleases, uses some martial rhythms if it suits the purpose, but keeps on its own path, as it forges it’s own niche in the mind of the civilian listener, as a stage for them to present mankind’s epitaph, the final achievement of our modern age.
In fact, this release just OOZES that “Russian sound”. It’s a dark, tragic, and utterly oppressive atmosphere I rarely find in bands from regions outside eastern Europe. It’s a sound, difficult to describe, that reflects the utter tragedy of mankind’s failures and catastrophes, while at the heart of it all is an ever-continuing struggle for survival, and all the ugliness of human conflict that comes with it. You can hear it across the whole spectrum of Russian/Slavic music, be it the “volk” metal of Temnozor or Arkona, the heartbreakingly twisted dark ambient of Bardoseneticcube or Lucisferrato, the darkwave of Altera Forma, Russian folk music, Russian composers, or the martial execution music of this band.
Living in a country with a history always shadowed by constant struggle and conflict such as Rus, it’s no wonder that spirit of bitterness wouldn’t leave it’s mark on your artwork, and produce some beautiful results in the process.
On to the music, there’s generally two kinds of songs, one being the melodic, vocal driven pieces, which include instruments such as acoustic guitar, violin, cello, and piano, and these are separated by tracks of chaos which could be described as dark ambient, like someone narrating events as they happen.
I should say this music would be more appealing to those who speak Russian, but even if not, the mystique behind this unit makes their grim aesthetic all the more pleasing. He really does have an excellent grim voice, with his stern rolling tones, commanding us to stand and fight in this age of decadence.
I don’t generally do track by track reviews, so I’ll summarize the first half of the CD: The first song begins in such a manner, a sad, weepy violin backed by folk instruments and backing ambience, with some reverse effects, while the vocalist recites his grim tale. The second track is one more step into darkness, being slower and sadder, and more driven by acoustic guitar, and a dark ambience that never completely leaves, as it ends with only the violin and the haunting voices of ghosts leading us into track three, a building ambient piece of tension and despair, beginning with the sound of ghostly wind and building on a slow deep cello melody before being interrupted by a sudden piano line which comes in to lend its antiquarian accent of loneliness.
The third song is an apocalyptic martial industrial piece of funeral poetry in the vein of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, the verses being driven by a death march and repeated orchestral sample, while the bridge is joined in by cinematic violins and a broken robotic voice. The next song is a dive back into dark ambience, building fear, reverse crashes and almost vocal noises, a definite representation of the destruction and death that serves as this CD’s grim undertone, here crashing through to the surface.
The rest of the CD, I won’t give away, but it never let’s up in its transitions between textures and shades, going from the powerful, to the melancholic, to the epic, and back to the eruptions of dark tense horror. A sample of Modest Mussorgsky makes an appearance as well!
This CD is like reading a cynical poet’s epitaph to our modern age. Some sensitive folk may not like the references to the Swastika that crop up in one track, but what better symbol to describe the turning of the age? The age of the Black Sun coming to devour us all? Sensitive folk put off by something as small as symbolic references are depriving themselves of loads of great music! The bonus music video is an interesting montage of slightly off-focus imagery, including life footage, and various shots of children, forests, and underwater organisms, which is done with some interesting camera techniques. Not essential, but nice to see this band does do videos from time to time.
This CD has it’s obvious influences, but retains Majdanek Waltz’ distinctive oppressive quality and atmosphere, while there is plenty of diversity to keep the listener on their toes as well.
Recommended for all fans of industrial music, dark folk, or dark/gothic music in general. Oppressive and overshadowing as a Black Sun in a white world.
