Review: Dargonomel “Astazebian”

Dargonomel “Astazebian”
More Hate Productions

These months I received so many stuffs that I’m writing reviews with some delay. So Tatyana who sent me last stuff from the band from her home-town will hopefully forgive me that these words are publishing so late. By the way, it’d maybe be earlier, but CD which she sent me was impounded on the border coz of some law’s regulations. Actually I have no idea if it has something to do with sanctions against Russia, but if it has then this is a fuckin’ absurd in my opinion! Fortunately there’s XXI century and she could send me music of her buddies by e-mail.

The band was practically found in 2006. Well, under this name they exist since 2011, but I can clearly see common points (for example two of three band’s members) between SUBTERRA DE MORT and DARGONOMEL. Anyways, this home-city which I mentioned is calling Kirov. But this name is using since 1935. Firstly its name was Vyatka. Well, honestly this is more complicated coz this name had being in force since 1174 to 1457 and since 1780 to 1935. In meantime city was known as Khlynov. There’re some monuments, several cultural institutions (including rather huge number of museums) and four universities. It has also colossal meaning in transport. I don’t see anything strange in that since there live more than 500.000 people and it’s, of course, center of the region.

Astazebian’ is a third DARGONOMEL‘s album (but in general – fourth because SUBTERRA DE MORT released ‘Ultimatum’ in 2009). First two ones were entitled ‘Varkulama’ (2013) and ‘In Abyssum Diaboli’ (2014). Unfortunately I have no any opportunity to listen to creativity if Kirov’s residents, but I have to tell you that these eleven compositions really impressed me. Well, there’s nothing special in them, maybe. But this is good piece of Black/Death Metal and for me it’s enough! OK, but let’s talk about details. Just reviewing full-length guys released this year via Russian MORE HATE PRODUCTIONS in June 9^th. As I said guys serve us eleven songs of Black/Death Metal and I’ll don’t dispute if there’re more Death or Black elements here. They decided to describe their music like that and since this is what I hear I don’t care about order of these two words.

Music is mostly in middle tempo. Var (Valeriy Rupasov – bass, vocals), Shaks (Roman Kropachev – guitars) and Lux Mystherion (drums) run forward with their blasphemous brutality and that’s it. It absolutely doesn’t mean that we’re not able to hear some technical tricks. Riffs are short, broken and change quite often. Roman also plays some thin whistles and stuff like that what surely makes music more complex and interesting. It’s rather mission impossible to hear solos here. But if somebody’s very stubborn then probably will find them in some riffs. Lux who’s the only member who didn’t play in SUBTERRA DE MORT (he joined the band in 2014) beats variable as well. Passages seemingly are very easy, but it’s not what it looks like. Besides, drumming is not only about as complicated as possible passages. He plays never in the same way too long and from time to time gives us some blasts. I’d like to hear little more cymbals, but only a little – it’s not so easy to please me in this point. So don’t worry about freak’s opinion…

Track of bass and vocals are also like they should be in such music. Valeriy growls brutal and in the same time possessed, dirty.  There’s also some dose of aggression in that. I could use some names here, but well… You’ll have to check it out by yourself. I can only say that for me what I hear on Astazabian’ connotes with band which guys cover enclosed on the album, but also with some Brazilian one who released, among others, ‘Flagellum Dei’. But this is any fuckin’ copy and some other bands also come on my mind when I listen to DARGONOMEL. I invite to listen to it and headbanging!!!