Country of origin:Belarus

Location:Gomel, Gomel Region

Status:Active

Formed in:2006

Genre:Atmospheric Black Metal

Lyrical themes:Cosmos, Nature, Spirituality

Current label:Stygian Crypt Productions

Vietah [ve'tah] is Belarusian for old moon.

Felix 1666, February 12th, 2017
Written based on this version: 2016, 12" vinyl, I Hate (Grey vinyl, Limited edition)

There exists an unwritten law in my personal metal universe. Debutants have the right to show their influences. "Antarctis", the head, the heart and the hand of Vietah, is seemingly of the same opinion. "Zorny Maroz" is my first album from Belarus, but its opener sounds like Norwegian black metal. To be more precise, Antarctis has been inspired by a dude called Varg Vikernes. Guess you have heard of this guy before, either in a musical or in a criminal context. However, Vietah's first track pays tribute to "Det som en gang var", the opener of Burzum's masterpiece "Hvis lyset tar oss". It contains every component of this classic: the desperate screams, the repetitive melody lines, the hypnotizing guitars, the hovering keyboards, the rather slow drumming. Last but not least, the cold yet emotional atmosphere must be mentioned. Admittedly, those who always intend to find the fly in the ointment will scream "copycat", but I say that "Zorny maroz u dalinie zimovaj imgly" marks a great beginning while relying on its inner strength. But Antarctis has more good tracks under his belt.

Melancholia takes an important place in the work of the lone wolf. Do not expect brutal outbursts. Antarctis is not interested in delivering the second part of "Hvis lyset tar oss" (the track). He stays loyal to his non-rapid rhythms without being at risk to bore the audience. Sometimes the keyboards take control and in view of the Burzum inspiration it does not surprise that the closer delivers ambient black metal. Acceptable, but not very exciting. The downer of the album is another track. The short instrumental at the beginning of the B side is rubbish. The guitar plays the same line again and again and nobody knows why. Anyway, the three regular pieces of "Zorny Maroz", which impresses with a very good, clean and appropriately powerful production, reveal the real potential of Vietah and the noble artwork reflects the atmosphere of the music very well.

One of the best sections of the album is the double bass driven verse of the fourth track, because it combines a metallic fundament with the rather soft keyboards. Antarctis takes the best of both worlds, so to speak. The result is not an outstanding, but a clearly structured work which implements the musical vision of its creator exactly. One does not find any kind of inadequate sections on this debut and this fact mirrors an unexpected maturity of the non-fickle artist. By the way, he avoids to integrate folkloric elements and I think this was the right decision, because doing this would not have been authentic in view of his longing look to Norway. Antarctis from Burzumus... sorry, from Belarus just realizes his form of wistful, sustainable metal and he does it in a convincing manner. 70% from my side. People who do not accept the unwritten law which I have mentioned at the beginning will probably say that 60 or 65% are enough. But, and please forgive me for being egocentric, this is my review, not theirs.

autothrall, April 6th, 2016
Written based on this version: 2016, 12" vinyl, I Hate (Grey vinyl, Limited edition)

Zorny maroz is a first time exposure for me to Belarusian one-man act Vietah, thanks to a series of slick new vinyl reissues through I Hate records of Sweden. Black metal solo outlets these days tend to run a wide gamut of particular sounds, from the most raunchy and undercooked to feats of instrumentation and craft that would leave most full line-ups bewildered, but Antarctis tends to live up to his name as a purveyor of isolation and cold majesty. This is achieved through fairly minimalist sound structures that involve raw but brazenly produced rhythm guitars, wistful synthesizer lines, bare beats and the sort of harrowing, over the top style of rasped vocal most find commonly inhabiting the sphere of suicidal and/or depressive black metal, from which torment is wrought at the expense of most other elements in the mix.

Fortunately, Vietah is clearly enough produced that this isn't so much the case, although the listener will take some warming up to Antarctis' style unless he or she is quite used to the stuff. Others might find it a hangup that the guy creates such simplistic song patterns, in which even the barest of synth melodies sheds all notion of challenge or complexity to create a spacious, lulling effect. Added to the aforementioned vocals and guitars, I was most reminded of Burzum here, in Vikernes' 'prime', the Filosofem era. One man carving his sorrows into the flesh of the universe, with no pretense towards musical proficiency beyond his limitations, and no concern for user friendliness when it comes to that bloodcurdling, native tongue, wrenching delivery. Lyrics are ponderous of spiritualism and nature, par for the course of many similar acts, translations including in the packaging, and well enough written if you're a fan of such drifting, nebulous queries into both the lighter and darker halves of being.

The first couple of tracks run on a little long, which is also a staple of this niche, but that doesn't hold true for the remainder of the material, in which Antarctis flexes the creativity a bit with a folksy, pure electric guitar instrumental, and then another pair of tunes which didn't drag on whatsoever, and were coincidentally catchier than their predecessors. I actually really dig it when he's using the cleaner, more conversational vocal, it's like sitting around the fire with some cautionary storyteller, face reflected in flames and moonlight. He also picks up the intensity there a little with more hammering double bass patterns and a heavier feel to offset the atmospherics, and superior synth work. And that is really where appreciation for Zorny maroz is going to fall: in the atmospheric mood sought out by its potential audience. Do you like your black metal to rove across misted moors, eschewing things like progression and originality for bleakness with a few rays of sunlight? Then this might be for you. I didn't feel too strongly one way or the other with this debut, but it's hardly ineffective.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

I love black metal, but I almost exclusively shun the now-so-popular subgenre ‘depressive black metal’. My experience is that it’s more than often built around a few simple riffs, an unpleasantly (in all the wrong ways) dissonant guitar sound, ultra-repetitive drum beats and utterly annoying high-pitched howls. And it gets even worse when dealing with one-man bands, seeing as the drums are almost always obviously programmed, and the bastard behind the project is often just a whiny kid who thinks his keyboard based ‘depressive black metal’ should get him positive attention. So, it’s safe to say I wasn’t overly excited to give Zorny maroz a listen, seeing as it’s a one-man band doing something relatively similar to the previously mentioned style of black metal.

Luckily there’s actually some talent to be heard on this album. The riffing is far from repetitive, and really manages to deliver a wicked melody. Most enjoyable is probably the riffing in Tliennie, as the guitar lead takes on a very pleasant melody, which really sticks. And luckily, once again, the keyboard doesn’t flood the music with redundant melodies, but actually pushes the tunes forward and gives the atmosphere an extra boost. Going back to Tliennie again, which is a fine example of this, where we can hear the eerie keys lurking in the background, only to occasionally take on a more prominent approach. And when it does, it still doesn’t flood the sound or feel redundant. Vocally it’s most definitely inspired by Burzum (obviously so is the music), with a similar howling scream. But whereas most bands going for those type of vocals just sound annoying, I have to say this is quite effective. The short and tortured outbursts of vocals gives it a gloomy effect. I’m pretty sure the drums are programmed, but damn well-done as I didn’t even notice it at first. It wasn’t until my second listen that I started paying close attention to the drums and noticed it was just a little on the rigid side of the matter. But I don’t mind it, ‘cause it is so well done.

I’m shocked I’m saying this; but this is a good album. Vietah sounds much like many other bands, but possess what others lack. Sure, I wouldn’t mind more variation in the vocals and a live drummer, but the atmosphere is effectively haunting and the music not repetitive. While I can’t say it’s a classic, nor that I might listen it to death, it certainly delivers the goods.

Originally written for http://www.mylastchapter.net

Perplexed_Sjel, July 3rd, 2008

One man projects aren’t out of the ordinary. Society suggests that we humans are doing more and more on our own and for ourselves. The concept of helping others, or doing things together is lost in the fast, free-flowing modern world. There is no reason why the music industry should escape this surge of selfishness. Or is it intelligence? Instead of filling the position of such instruments as bass and drums with other people, why not just learn how to do it yourself? That way the creative freedom is solely in your hands. Sounds like a fantastic idea. No one but yourself to answer to is, in many respects, people’s ideal situation to be in. Whether that be in the form of their love life, or in a working environment, being your own boss is the ultimate goal so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that more one man projects are springing up. Black metal musicians though have become accustomed to leaning on things like drum machines which sound unprofessional and too dainty for such a genre that requires extremely dark atmospheres. The repetitious drums don’t deter the positivity and considering bands like Abyssic Hate have conquered this growing scene with a drum machine, I don’t believe it ever will deter the majority of listeners.

There is a suspicion, given the rigidity on the drums, that Antarctis could use a drum machine himself. Bands of this nature (depressive black metal) usually aren’t against the use of drum machines and considering the size of the scene in Belarus, it isn’t difficult to imagine why Antarctis would opt for a drum machine as it might possibly be his only option. The drumming, though an integral part of the metal cog, isn’t what usually grabs a listeners attention in this particular sub-genre and Vietah are no different from the rest in that sense because it is in Antarctis’ use of keyboards and guitar that really catch the eye. However, having said this, the material present here won’t set the imagination free. It’s very much inspired by Varg and his ventures with Burzum, particularly the likes of ‘Hvis Lyset Tar Oss’, an album which springs to mind constantly throughout the course of this debut. The use of the keyboards and guitars in conjunction with one another is definitely inspired by Burzum. The guitar distortion is certainly weaker than that Varg uses on his album, but the point of the music is driven across well enough.

With this in mind, is ‘Zorny Maroz’ worth it’s weight in gold? Yes and no. For a number of reasons, I am apprehensive about this act. First, due to the similarities, there is no doubt in my mind that this band will receive the “Burzum clone” treatment, despite the extent to which it is warranted. Vietah’s music combines the efforts of albums like ‘Hvis Lyset Tar Oss’ and merges that with ‘Filosofem’, though the production doesn’t quite have the strength to match the biting riffs and ambiance of either of those albums. The similarities to Burzum are far too obvious for anyone to class this as an original piece, though it never seems to strive for that despite songs like ‘Vietah Dy Samotnaja Zorka’ which features a lone distorted guitar playing out a very unmemorable riff in a “nothing” song. Ofcourse, the songs on this record aren’t a like-for-like copy of the songs of the aforementioned Burzum records, they do sound alike. ‘Zorny Maroz U Dalinie Zimovaj Imgly’ is a prime example of this as it builds incredibly slowly, as Varg does on ‘Hvis Lyset Tar Oss’ before drawing out the vocals and heavy distortion through the ambiance.

The vocals are very similar to that of Varg’s though they are not as strong, but when worked against the background of the distant keyboards and dissonant riffs, the vocals work well and have character. The album consists of generally long songs, which play out at varying speeds, from slow to fast-ish, so the vocals fit into the mix nicely, without ever really excelling. The keyboards play a very important role in the soundscapes, which are stunning in many respects, often depicting destruction of beauty or pain and sorrow. The difference between Vietah’s use of keyboards and Burzum’s is that Varg used the keyboards as a driving factor throughout the ambient songs, not the songs with vocals. Vietah, on the other hand, use the keyboards consistently which is more pleasing to me than what Varg decided to do with the keyboard sections of his songs, something which newer bands like Lustre do well, too.

In terms of the other aspects of this record, apart from those Burzum similarities which even pass on to the drums, the lyrics are not supplied so we’re left to decide what those are by ourselves as the vocals are indecipherable, and perhaps in another language to my native language. Lyrically, one would imagine that Vietah express the same ideologies as most black metal band’s and depict the same emotions too. Raw anger, subtle pain and unadulterated sorrow all seem to flow through the vocal expression by the band’s leading man. Considering the lack of information on Vietah, it is damn near impossible to give any sort of opinion on previous material, as this seems to be the only material that exists in the public eye and it’s even more difficult to give any information on the man behind the music because his identity is very well hidden. Considering those things, one must appreciate the high standard of material laid out for us because, for a debut, it is good. Though the Burzum influence is too noticeable and the percussion is controlled by a drum machine, or so it seems, the material present on the debut is solid and strong. Although it won’t compete with any of the top acts out there, it will be pleasing to those die hard fans of depressive black metal.

Felix 1666, March 7th, 2017
Written based on this version: 2016, 12" vinyl, I Hate (Clear vinyl, Limited edition)

Vietah from Belarus is my first discovery of the year 2017. The elegiac anthems of lone wolf Antarctis find the way that leads directly to my metallic Pantheon. I cannot say that each and every of his songs leaves me completely fascinated, but some of the tracks outshine almost everything else that I have heard in terms of somewhat depressive, mid-harsh black metal. The opener of "Smalisty žah" belongs to these songs.

Its first guitar tones pay tribute to Greifi Grishnackh and I see some guys in the last row who are flying the flag with the logo "imitator". But firstly, this musical approach is no private property of Grishnackh and secondly, it does not mean that Antarctis is an unimaginative copycat. "The Lifeless Landscapes Through the Pitchy Glance of the Raven", to use the English name of the opener, develops fantastically - despite or exactly because of the fact that it lies in close proximity to the most impressive winter anthems of Burzum. Profound melodies reflect the grandeur of ice-cold territories and evoke great feelings. The keyboards and the guitars stand shoulder to shoulder and the easily accessible harmonies embrace the listener in a matter of seconds. The double bass is another main actor and ensures the necessary degree of heaviness. I enjoy wonderful twelve minutes of art that deliver, inter alia, the perfect balance between copious instrumental parts and sections where the vigorous voice of Antarctis occurs. Varg will cry out loud when he gets in touch with this frosty monument for the first time, because it would have been the perfect sibling of "Det som en gang var". Okay, he will probably say that he did not intend to write the same song twice, but we know that this would be a lie in view of the strength of the here performed opener.

The glory of the first piece fortunately does not obscure the fact that "Smalisty žah" has more exciting compositions under its belt. You ask for examples? The harsh, comparatively short and compact title track is convincing as well and the same applies for the third track. The last number of the A side relies on a configuration which is similar to that of the opener. Its guitars add this touch of sadness that draws the audience into the song while passing unnoticedly the point of no return. Even the only ambient instrumental which is performed without any guitar is by far not as boring as some other pieces that march sedately into the same direction. To my own surprise, I really like "Paslja paūnocznaja ciszynja" due to the interesting (little) variations of its melody. Moreover, the second (quasi-) instrumental is doubtlessly very interesting in view of its mantra-like sections and its gloomy, autumnal vibes.

The album's mix is fully aligned with the artwork. A frosty mood is omnipresent in view of the atmospheric keyboards and the neither polished nor very harsh guitar sound. Rather clear than burred or filthy, the production matches the intention of the artist very well. There is a certain beauty in this songs and any form of dirt would not have been helpful. This is not to say that Antarctis has put the focus on mild tones. He has just tried to find the right proportions of melancholy and rigour; and from my point of view, he has been largely successful. Without doubt, this album is better than the debut and this is how it should be. I am quite not sure whether it was a good idea to cover Darkthrone's "Quintessence", because from my point of view, it does not deliver new facets of the original version. However, this debatable closer does not determine the weal and woe of this strong output with six great tracks - I don't want to ignore the coherent, partially double-bass driven "Zdzjajsnieńnie" - which have been written by Antarctis himself.

autothrall, April 6th, 2016
Written based on this version: 2016, 12" vinyl, I Hate (Clear vinyl, Limited edition)

I'm as enamored of the winter landscape photo as many of the musicians who use them as album covers, but certainly the novelty of the practice is long since diminished from the 90s when it had started to become commonplace is in the fields of black and folk metal. This, coupled with the lukewarm reaction I had to the debut record, didn't exactly set expectations high for Vietah's sophomore outing, and yet I enjoyed this considerably more than Zorny maroz. Invigorated, better produced, better capable of fleshing out its more bulky song structures with solid riff choices that build anticipation for what will follow them. Coincidentally, this is a more varied record, and it's moments of instrumental beauty were quite nice touches to the raging but straightforward storm around them.

The comparison to Burzum retains a tenuous grip, but it's been supplanted by a more epic-tinged Bathory style, specifically from the Blood, Fire, Death and Hammerheart era, which is manifest through the synths and guitars when used in tandem, and the more corpulent beats used below them. Antarctis has also improved vocally, shifting from the suicidal, loud rasps of the debut to a deeper, harsh drawl which falls in comfortably between the black and death metal genres. It might not sound as unnerving, nor is it super unique, but it's mixed in with the music much better and never stands out too much for its own good. Otherwise, a lot of structural points here are similar to his earlier material...the wayward, repetitious guitar lines that are often given space to breathe where the percussion falls out, and the riffing is exceedingly simple, though he definitely rips out some more traditional mid-90s patterns that smack of the Scandinavian scene of the time (with the title track here in particular). Some early Enslaved, Immortal. But those spacious, drift-scapes of the first album still thrive on several pieces here, and come across as more poignant.

The guitar tone is bold with an underbelly of raw, especially on the slower grooves which trace their lineage back to Darkthrone and Hellhammer, but will also remind some of Satyricon's mid 00s black & roll style. The contrast of the substantial piano/keyboard interludes to the harder hitting cuts might be too jarring for some, but I had no problem with it, even though I could listen to the former by themselves in many situations without requiring the rest. Translations for the lyrics are once again included with this I Hate Records vinyl reissue, and they maintain the sturdy introspection of the debut, only this time they've got better music to accompany. Whereas I stretched out my listens of Zorny maroz over several days, not particularly inclined to marathon it repeatedly, Smalisty žah definitely had some moments that I immediately wanted to revisit. Vietah was still some distance from establishing a truly distinct or exceptional style here, but this is more than worthy of its predecessor and a clear sign of growth and maturity.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Phuling, June 14th, 2011

Wow, this is really not how I expected the follow-up to Zorny maroz to sound like. The 2008 debut album surprised me by being really good, despite lacking uniqueness, and despite the fact that the Burzum influence was blatantly obvious. So I assumed the follow-up, Smalisty zah, would continue down the same path. Well, I suppose it does, but still quite differentely.

The Burzum influence is still clear for all to hear, but the music’s taken a step away from the typical howling side of depressive black metal, and opted for a slightly more aggressive style. Vocally I definitely don’t miss the howls, a type of vocals that in nine out of ten cases will just annoy me like crazy. Here, Antarctis (the one-man army of Vietah) have gone for a much harsher and raspier growling set of vocals, sounding somewhat typical eastern European in style, where I can’t help but think of North and such for comparison. Despite not understanding a word he’s screaming, I love the fact that the pronunciation is so audible, adding that ultra-aggressive touch that only similar languages can. On the previous album I was uncertain whether or not it was a drum machine, but in the end figured it probably was. Here I was even more confounded, since the bass drum sound is so warm and life-like, but the snare sounds pretty much exactly the same throughout the entire album. If it is programmed I have to say it’s one of the best works ever in that department, sounding so life-like it’s hardly noticeable that it isn’t.

For songs like Zmjarcvielyja krajavidy praz smaljany pozirk krumkacha and Pavolny paljot pa-nad ljasnym kurganom the repetitive style of riffing that earlier Burzum works relied upon is all but too damn obvious. And despite not minding it at first, in the long-run the repetition becomes a bit tedious. That’s why a track like Smalisty zah is so refreshing in its blasting approach. The riffing’s still repetitive, but it goes by in a much faster tempo, the drumming’s faster and the song, albeit still extremely reminiscent of Burzum, is much more aggressive and brutal, and has an even more prominent eastern European styled black metal touch.

The downside of the album is definitely the instrumental interludes Vosienskija spadarožniki u nocz and Paslja paunocznaja ciszynja. Despite being very atmospheric and effective, they’re too long to be placed in the middle of the album, since over six minutes of ambience kills the natural flow of the record. It would’ve been much more fitting as an intro/outro, since it’d been a mellower start and ending rather than a sudden halt. Instead, the ending track of the album is a cover of Darkthrone’s Quintessence, but translated into Belorussian. The original lyrics was written by (surprise surprise) Varg Vikernes, once again stating the obvious influence from the guy.

It’s a good album, it is, different, yet similar to its predecessor. I’m not exactly sure which I like the best, since both albums have its positive and negative attributes. So I think I’ll settle with them both being equally as good, but in different ways.

Originally written for My Last Chapter

Perplexed_Sjel, June 8th, 2010

Bands of Vietah’s mould tend to produce scores of albums in short periods of time that all sound alike due to the fact that they all share the same resounding influence -- Burzum. So, to my surprise, I was pleasantly looking forward to this sophomore effort after I read that the direction had been altered in several different ways, though the extent of which was unknown. Alas, having played the album over and over again to get to grips with it and those changes I mentioned, I can conclude that the style of the band has altered, but not drastically so. Antarctis has opted for a similar sort of stylistic approach by conceding that Burzum-esque guitar riffs and ambient touched courtesy of the keyboards are still the way to go. In terms of evolution, Vietah have progressed but, personally, I’d say backwards. More individualistic touches have been added to the album in an attempt to give it definition and depth, but Vietah’s sophomore, entitled ‘Smalisty Zah’ lacks quality in almost all areas of its approach.

The vocals, for instance, were the first thing that I had noticed which have been altered. Antarctis has seemingly changed his vocal approach to add an extra sense of individualism, something which his debut lacked in all areas. Having said that, the debut was as likeable as it was familiar given the enormous influence Varg Vikernes had over this Belarusian act. Antarctis’ vocals have become deeper and though they still conjure up the same sort of emotive feelings, they don’t quite match the music the way in which they used to. Instead of being of a rasped variety, something which perhaps allowed the beauty of the Belarusian accent and language to pass through the dissonant style, the vocals are now performed as a low, deep growl. These are far less appealing and, given the huge influence Burzum still holds over this small, relatively obscure act, the vocals don’t match the type of style that Vietah have chosen to adopt.

As I previously stated, the alterations that have been placed on this sophomore are not drastic. The vocals are somewhat different, though they still play upon the same emotional fields as the previous ones -- pain, anger, loneliness, solitude, dissonance, that sort of thing. The vocals were adept at doing that before, though they lacked the originality to really become memorable. They were also not as impacting as Varg’s vocals. His voice resonated in many millions of disgruntled, angry black metal fans throughout the years, but Antarctis is a far reach away from performing to the same sort of levels as Varg had done in the mid 1990’s. The vocals here, though they express a willingness to try new things and experiment, really don’t shine. However, Vietah are keen to expand on the experimental factor by moving to merge different eras of Burzum’s career together, such as his ambient works with his black metal ones. Songs like ‘Vosienskija Spadarozniki U Nocz’ are a good representation of this as they float suspended in the air through keyboard driven ambiance and a solitary plucked string instrument. ‘Paslja Paunocznaja Ciszynja, another instrumental song, is just as disappointing.

The occasion vocal does pop up, but these whispered words bare little importance to someone like me since I don’t speak the same language. In fact, the entire song is rather dull, just like Varg’s ambient works. The best part of Vietah’s approach was never in the fully instrumental works. These plays upon Burzum’s ambient pieces are unnecessary as they don’t flow well with the rest of the album. If it had come at the beginning, or possibly the end then maybe my view would be different, but to place a tedious, overly long ambient track in the middle of a black metal record really throws off the cohesion of the material, which was flowing well enough, despite the mediocrity of a number of the repetitive riffs -- a theme which is repeated once the regular songs pick up again in the uneventful ‘Zdzjajsniennie’, a song which really hammers home a slow paced Burzum feel until it picks up and shows a bit on invention by introducing the drums which may, or may not be produced by a drum machine, which once again sounds hollow, especially on the odd cover of Darkthrone’s ‘Quintessence’.

One positive I did find at the beginning of the record was the bass. Unlike the first album, this sophomore recognised the benefits of allowing the bass to become an audible asset. Up until the ambient song, the bass is often in the foreground and though it doesn’t tend to vary too much, mostly played to a tremolo style, it was a nice, competent addition to the more bombastic styled sound, one which perhaps highlights a finer production style, too. The bass, during the second half of the album, does fade however. It becomes a lesser aspect and gives way to the repetitious, monotonous guitars and lacklustre percussion until the unusual cover of Darkthrone’s ‘Quintessence’, a somewhat uninspired addition to the albums uneven feel. Perhaps the vocals were changed with this song in mind? Since Varg’s vocals, which were a clear inspiration on the debut, are nothing like that of Darkthrone, perhaps Antarctis felt the need to alter the entire performance just for this song so he wouldn’t come unstuck? Ironic that his vocals are actually less appealing in this form then. Generally speaking this is an average album with not too much going for it -- a lack of memorable guitar riffs, a one dimensional sound, indifferent structures, mediocre vocals. Best steer clear.

autothrall, July 18th, 2017
Written based on this version: 2017, 12" vinyl, I Hate (Limited edition, White vinyl)

Tajemstvy noczy ('Sacraments of Night') is the third Vietah full-length seeing a vinyl reissue through I Hate records of Sweden, and it continues the Belarusian's solidification into a professional and consistent one-man black metal force, without adding any sort of dramatic mutations or progressions to the style he honed over the earlier albums. Surely, this is the crispest, cleanest of recordings he had released to its point, with a great rhythm guitar mix, audible if subversive bass lines that cling loyally to the procession of chords, and a more subtle but effective use of drums which don't seek to supplant the melodies with brutality, but to remain a driving background element to support them, thus allowing for a more hypnotic, rustic sense to the repetition rather than a thundering blast furnace you expect out of a lot of traditional North European black metal.

Vietah is no stranger to longer tracks, with a handful populating the previous releases, but for this record it's the rule and not the exception...four tunes, 41 minutes, each ranging from 9-12 minutes individually. Now, I've gone over this many times before, that bloating up a song structure is by no means any sort of guarantee for success, and I'll say up front that Tajemstvy noczy suffers a little from this, since the riff composition isn't always so fresh or inventive that it sticks to you, and there are not nearly enough dynamics happening within the bounds of each of these behemoths, nor any sort of meandering randomness, epic ascension/descension, or any other distraction. They remain all too consistent in pacing and in being purely riff-driven works that exist on a dry, level plane, without creating a lot of tension or emotional impact. That's not to say they're all scrap-worthy, since a lot of the guitar patterns are of the caliber you might have expected on an earlier 21st century Satyricon disc, but there's no real escalation here, or any surprise lurking anywhere.

But that's not in itself a massive flaw, since there are points where the album really does work, in particular the closer "Kałyhanka dlja njabožczyka", which is no more complex than the other tunes, but has a much warmer, more addictive flavor to the melodies that most effectively captured the melancholic intentions of the material, and didn't seem to have any sort of lull in my enjoyment. I do feel that Antarctis could work a little more on the range and rasp of his vocals, here they are sparse and workmanlike, not unlike Satyr but less venomous or vibrant; but the songs might be better suited to a protracted sort of scream, or echoed effects that create a greater sense of urgency, suffering or poignancy. As it stands, everything is a little safe and dependable, and that's ultimately the reason I didn't feel like this one was as cold and affecting as its predecessor Smalisty žah. Still, it's a solid effort, and if Vietah can dial up its atmosphere, take a whetstone to its guitar lines, and maintain this level of production, then the next level could really be attained.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Felix 1666, January 1st, 2020
Written based on this version: 2017, 12" vinyl, I Hate (Limited edition)

Some things never change and the music of the dude from Belarus belongs to these phenomena. Vietah’s fourth full-length is another lesson in dragging rhythms, dramatic melodies and emotional states which mirror desperation, loneliness and melancholy. Yet even though there is nothing new in the portfolio of the lone wolf, we can identify a minimal change. Unlike the first albums, “Czornaja ćviĺ“ refrains from any form of keyboard-dominated ambient tracks. Good decision in view of the fact that the full-length consists only of four tracks (with an average length of eleven minutes – if you like to consume musical fast food, you can stop reading right now).

Antarctis, the man behind the project, follows his visions strictly and this means that mid-paced or even fast sequences do mostly not show up (the second track on the A side marks the exception). Thus, total speed maniacs will not enjoy broad parts of this album and the same applies for fans of songs that offer breaks in abundance. Vietah prefer the meditative facet of black metal. To put the focus on a small number of riffs per song in order to develop their hypnotic effect is a good idea – as long as the riffs work. Generally speaking, this is the case here, even it would have been fine if Antarctis had emancipated himself from the superior art of Burzum’s masterpieces. Some guitar lines of the closer lie in very close proximity to some of Varg, to express it mildly. Or am I just like Pavlov’s dogs and Burzum comes to my mind inevitably whenever I hear this kind of sound?

There is no filler on this album, but a little highlight. “Reflections in the Black Water”, the opener of the B side, puts the other tracks in the shade due to its mighty riff, its dense atmosphere and the invoking chorus. This song is like heavy snowfall at night, pretty monotonous and silent, but at the same time cold, relentless and unforgiving. A majestic opus, no doubt about it. It profits from the gloomy and well-defined production that emphasises the guitars and the keyboards simultaneously. The third element is the guttural voice, although Antarctis has to struggle in order to be heard. Maybe the sound engineers should have given the voice a more prominent place. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. The album does definitely not suffer from an inadequate sound and so it has enough to offer for friends of elegiac black metal. Only those of you who are tired of listening again and again to the sound that has been invented roughly 25 years ago are well advised to keep aloof from this work. Maybe it sounds predictable, but its solidity is out of question.

autothrall, July 18th, 2017
Written based on this version: 2017, 12" vinyl, I Hate (Limited edition)

I've really dug the rural minimalism used on the Vietah covers, and this one, Czornaja ćviĺ ("Black Mold"), might be the strongest of all, with its central figure disintegrating into the titular substance between the graying sky and bleak vegetation surrounding it. I think it truly captures the earnest sadness on exhibition throughout the music, and provides a window into proper melancholic escapism, which is precisely why I turn towards a record like this. It's a little hard to make such a dreary appearance appealing, but I feel this is a case where that works well. As for the rest of the album, it doesn't quite deviate much from its predecessor, but does so with a few key ingredients that actually worked out in its favor.

The structure here is laid out a lot like the previous album, with four lengthy tracks, immediately throwing up the red flags that it's going to be an uphill battle to succeed. The sound is a fairly stock atmospheric black metal, with slower, drawn own chord patterns that speak more of fell majesty and lost longing than they hell and viciousness and savagery, and this has been a hallmark of Vietah for years. Black metal for wanderers. Hermits. Erudites. You don't come here for 666 posturing and photo bombing horns over your friends' heads on social media...this is for psychic sponges that soak up the decay around them and channel it into diabolic grandeur. Antarctis takes his damn time with you and draws you slowly into each invocation, and this time out he does so with a rawer sheen on the guitars than the clarity of the last, an improvement that I acknowledge, even though I wouldn't say that the actual riff quality is far above its predecessor. It's simply a more potent, primeval feel here without sacrificing the other instruments.

Speaking of which, there are more light flourishes of keys here than on the third record, and in mid 90s Burzum way, or Lifelover on Konkurs; they help to add a strange sense of grace to the slogging epic-Bathory pace of the 10+ minute cuts. In fact, Czornaja ćviĺ attains a lot more atmosphere all around. The drums splash a little harder, which fits this rhythm guitar tone better, and the whole mix seems more resonant and resilient, like its crashing off the sides of valleys and peaks before arriving in your ears. The snarled vocals, although still very sparse and minimal, also seem more fluid with their surroundings. The record does have a tendency to focus on very slow, churning, roiling riff patterns, with some of the higher strings struck for ambiance over the chords, and also a little more of that primeval Hellhammer of their older material returns with some of the straight chugged sections. Overall, though, I think it rewards this patience more than on Tajemstvy noczy. Not enough to really justify the longer compositions, but we at least end up with a slightly superior, solid and dependable experience through the murk and fog and depression.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com