Yes, it was Para Bellum, but as there’s quite a few of those in existence this longstanding Saint-Petersburg band (formed 1995) changed it intentionally with the placing of a v, and I gather the album title is ‘Book Of Kings’ but couldn’t find any English translations of the songs so your pronunciation will be as goods as mine when it comes to those, which is exciting. The point about discovering bands from overseas is always the way they do things you may not be expecting. That’s what discovery is, the end reward for exploring in the first place, and the only mind worth having is an enquiring one.
Given the fiendishly tough melodic thrust of ‘(Ãäå òû áûë) Îäèññåé’ you start nodding along with the chorus second time around. They’re gritty from the first raw guitar encounter and the bass is well shady, as they stick close together like a compact bomb in a studio, and yet the male vocals are curiously precise without exactly being delicate, but they’re immaculately groomed in a hostile environment. If you know the stunning Polish band DHM we’re on that kind of scary ledge.
‘(Ïóñòü òàíöóåò âìåñòå ñ íàìè) Öàðü’ is almost secretive, keeping well back, the vocals stepping ahead of gloopy drums and then vengeful guitar moves through the twilight like a snooty satellite, as some electronic weirdness also circulates. They all retire from the room, leaving muted vocals mysterious and fading…. ‘Êàïëè Êðîâè’ reminded me initially of a rosy version of very early Bauhaus, and then on top of that falls a great slab of sound, while vocals look on disinterested and distracted, the weird rhythmic scrape and resonating guitar making curious bedfellows. It’s a fascinating, open blend of dignified vocals and orderly sounds but with elements you wouldn’t expect to unite well which actually create a sparse and compelling atmosphere.
‘Òåëî Õðèñòîôîðà Êîëóìáà’ is vigorous, itchy rock at the off, with whispery words, and dual guitar lines that enhance the mood combining to slow and beguile, and all the while it threatens to explode, tense while semi-frenetic. ‘Êàìåíü’ is much prettier as it starts, then transforms into lunging scalded rock with the vocals still in flames and there’s nothing Metal about it either. ‘Äåâà Îáìàíà è äåâà Ëþáâè’ is a bit weird, drifting along, with a minute surge and then trickling out, with the spasmodic urging inside ‘Îíà íå ëþáèò òåáÿ’ keeping it prancing along other than the irrascible chorus, which is bizarrely catchy.
‘Âûøå ñòðîïèëà, ïëîòíèêè’ is quite formulaic dark rock as the riff pushes things morosely along with a staccato pulse but there’s icy synth twirls in the background to spice up the taste. ‘Îáëàêà’ has a mean stamping, stormy approach although the vocals tend to swamp things and don’t seem demanding, making it fall down into vague rocky territory, the only dull track for me. ‘?’ is a weird sonar dance bonus which achieves the effect of leaving us with further mystery.
Mick Mercer