Some albums don’t just invite you in - they pull you under, like the force of a storm rolling over forgotten landscapes. U Kronakh’s Archaic Dance of Winds is one such record, an uncompromising blend of black and death metal that doesn’t adhere to rigid formulas but moves with an elemental will of its own. Artem “Voidger” continues his relentless exploration of sound and spirit, this time with the formidable vocal presence of Vitalii “Wormwood,” adding an even deeper, more primeval dimension to the band’s evolving identity.
From the first moments, the record conjures a place rather than just a sound - an expanse of wind-lashed ridges and shadowed groves, where time itself seems to bend and stretch. The production achieves a good balance: clear enough to let the details breathe, yet still carrying that raw, unpolished energy that gives the music its organic ferocity. Guitars weave between spectral tremolo passages and crushing, death-laden riffs, while drums - courtesy of session musician Lycane - shift between ritualistic weight and unrelenting attack. The result is an album that moves not in predictable patterns but in surges, like the shifting moods of a mountain storm.
The black metal elements remain as windswept and hypnotic as ever, but the death metal side has grown heavier, deeper, less tethered to conventional structures. There are moments of stark beauty, where melodies emerge from the chaos like sudden glimpses of light through mist, but the album never lingers in comfort - it is always moving, always shifting.
Above all, Archaic Dance of Winds captures a sense of place. These songs don’t feel like compositions so much as echoes of something ancient, unearthed rather than written. The Carpathian landscape looms over every note - not just as an influence, but as a presence woven into the very fabric of the music.
With this record, U Kronakh has crafted something that resists easy classification, existing outside of trends or expectations. It is an album that feels lived-in, weathered, timeless. A howl through the pines, a whisper over stone - fierce, fleeting, and unforgettable.
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Thanks to Grand Sounds PR.