By Bona Pjarren
Perhaps laying in wait, below deck on a cursed coffin ship, a vampyric entity stirred and soon spread its black-leather wings in the autumn of 2021: Krvna’s debut demo, appropriately titled ‘Long Forgotten Relic’, introduced the Australian black metallers. However, that demo was but a mere two songs, and a few months later did the band’s debut album follow. Titled ‘Sempinfernus’, Krvna’s first full-length unveiled the full fathom of mainman Krvna Vatra’s vision. Now, like (cursed) clockwork, Krvna return a full year later with second album ‘For Thine is the Kingdom of the Flesh’…
Well that’s the blurb from the label, so what is the album like?
‘For Thine is the Kingdom’, the title track, starts off in classic church style harmonised chant before launching headlong into massive black metal riffs. It is tight and heavy with black metal screams permeating the darkness. The melody is provided by frantic guitar work. It fades out to clean vocal mixed with extreme chants.
‘Gethsemane Ablaze’ has a slightly more measured but still heavy and driving approach. The extreme vocals have an airy feel to them. The drums are frantic as are the trem picked guitars which again provide all the melody. ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’ starts with an interesting picked guitar before again launching into slabs of black metal brutality with a waltze feel to the guitar work. The dark extreme screams are again to the forefront. It is very measured in its approach and does give the listener a bit of a rest with its breakdown.
The Flaming Hordes of Basarab is next up and starts with loads of ethereal ambience. It then explodes into more black metal mayhem delivered with their usual tight sound driven by relentless blast beats from their accomplished drummer. It fades out to some dramatic piano playing. ‘In the Absence of God’ begins heavy and foreboding before the drums cut in. It is still a slower track to start in comparison to the other songs. It does, however build into something more frantic. It has a fade out with some nice soulful guitar work.
Album closer ‘Death Shall Have No Dominion’ enters with some great guitar work which flows into the heavier frenetic section. Brooding slabs of fast paced black metal drive the track forward. Again the guitar solo is accomplished and skilful. The breakdown is used to introduce a new theme, which works quite well on the fade out.
Krvna are a very talented band, tight and driven by excellent guitar and drum work. All the tacks are well crafted and delivered with attitude. But it didn’t really grab me, it didn’t really offer anything that I haven’t heard before. Don’t get me wrong, it is a very good black metal album and if that is you’re taste you will probably like it. Personally I thought it was a good album but not a great one.
- ‘For Thine is the Kingdom Of The Flesh’ is released on 12 December. You can get your copy HERE.
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