The wooden mask-wearing twins from Siberia have returned. Emerging once again from their moss-covered, impenetrable homeland, they have made their way back into our living rooms—this time, once again, bringing along the Bayan (a Russian accordion). Now, the use of unconventional instruments in Atmospheric Black Metal is nothing new; over the years, we’ve heard saxophones, trumpets, horns, and even sitars. But an accordion? That’s something different.
As with all their previous albums, the instrument is once again handled by Sergey Pastukh, who fills the record with a touch of folklore straight from the icy forests of Siberia. And the brothers take great pride in their homeland. Not only have they seemingly chopped down half a forest to craft their masks, but they also incorporate Siberian themes throughout their music.
Nightside is an album that evokes mixed feelings. It is, without a doubt, an Atmospheric Black Metal record, but one with a strong Folk influence—an aspect that is, of course, heavily reinforced by the Bayan. The album also takes its time getting started, never truly building towards a climactic moment. Just when things finally pick up during Flight of the Silver Moon, the momentum quickly dies down with the surprisingly calm Skull Gatherers. I even found myself adjusting the volume knob to see if that would help—but no, it’s just the way the album is.
I’m not quite sure what it is, but I find myself missing the more furious and aggressive sound they displayed on Frostbitten. I understand wanting to evolve and occasionally slow things down, but this record just doesn’t quite click with me.
There’s nothing wrong with the production—the guitars sound great, clear and well-defined, the drums hit like an avalanche crashing down to suffocate you, and Vilhem’s (Gleb Sysoev) vocals are just as powerful as on the previous albums. The solos are seamlessly woven into the music, and everything is well-balanced.
So, if you’re looking for Atmospheric Black Metal with an emphasis on Atmospheric rather than Black Metal, this album might be for you.
75/100
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