...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

HERUVIM are a Death Metal act from Odessa, Ukraine, that launched in 2019.

The band released a demo digitally through Bandcamp in 2021 entitled The Riddle of Steel and began playing live and working on their follow up. I came to discover the band around the time Russia invaded Ukraine in February; at the time the band began streaming the first song off of their upcoming EP Shadowheart. After contacting the band in order to hear the rest of the EP before it was released, I was blown away with what I heard.

HERUVIM’s approach to death metal is completely refreshing and unique. They borrow heavily from the 90’s Death Metal scene, but not the typical bands one would expect. The biggest influences heard in the majority of this EP come from early Pestilence, Morgoth, and even Atheist at times. The vocals provided by Nefarious are extremely intense and powerful; they really stand out amongst Death Metal vocalists of the day. Of course, the band have much more important things to deal with as their country has been invaded by their powerful neighbor to the East.

The band are doing everything they can to support their county’s defense, including donating all digital profits to the Ukrainian Army. In addition, vocalist Nefarious works with a team of journalists who call themselves Fryed Pin Family. They have been creating a series of mini-documentaroes in collaboration with the UMBS (Ukraine Must be Safe) Volunteer Organization. We will provide a link to one of the mini-docs below. Recently reviewing the EP, NO CLEAN SINGING had to say: “Delivered with a clear yet powerful production, the songs combine harrowing, spine-tingling roars and ruinous howls, bone-jolting grooves, kaleidoscopic guitar work that introduces moods of dread, despair, and grief, as well as freakishness, frenzy, and ferocity, and constant tempo shifts whose changes are executed with technical precision.

The music is heavy as hell and often mauling, but also frequently intricate and mesmerizing. Some riffs drag and become oppressive, but the fretwork is just as capable of becoming fleet, fiery, and inventively adventurous, and the soloing is eye-popping. And thus it will likely appeal to fans of technical death metal as well as lovers of unchained aggression, and the evocative melodies create an enticing intersection with melodic death metal as well.”




As Death Metal evolved from its seed sawn in the 80's, the genre walked far away from the early form and gained a proper life (or, in other words, became far from its embryonic influences). Of course the name 'Death Metal' evokes and ample range of musical subgenres, but it's common to depict bands that stay in the limits of classic Death Metal. But the Ukrainian quartet HERUVIN shows a different way on "Shadowheart".

Their musical work is based on a classic model of Death Metal, but using a good technical appeal (where, sometimes, Thrash Metal touches and hooks can be heard), and some unusual features (as some subjective melodic touches, as can be heard on the song "Shadowheart", and introspective parts as heard on "Oppression"). Their musical work is really something different from the common models and even with the difficulties that they have to deal with (being an independent band, and the war that is ravaging their country), the quartet presents something good, hooking and aggressive. It could be compared in some ways to the early works of AMORPHIS, IN FLAMES, EDGE OF SANITY and AT THE GATES, but with a particular approach.

The sonority is very good, indeed (and to think that they don't a label to give them support is something astonishing), with everything sounding aggressive, defined and clean, what enables the fans to understand what they are expressing with their musical work without efforts. One can check that "Shadowheart" (a long song full of rhythmic shifts and a very good technical work, based on a very good work of the guitars with technical arrangements and hooks), "Oppression" (that bears a classic outfit, but with personal touches inherited from Thrash Metal, and what good work is shown on bass guitar and drums), "Empire Falls" (another long song full of shifts and arrangements, what keeps the attention of the listeners and evades the boring feeling; and what lovely arrangements and good grunts), and "Hyborian Age" (another very good set of tempos, but in a song with a simple Death Metal appeal, with many hooks and charming parts). As one can check, they prefer to use lyrical themes based on the work of Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan, the Barbarian. Yes, the band has a great potential to explore in the future, so expect great things of HERUVIM. But why in the blazes "Shadowheart" isn't a full album?


'Metal Mark' Garcia



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Shadowheart 08:38
2. Oppression 03:24
3. Empire Falls 07:55
4. Hyborian Age 04:25



..::OBSADA::..

Vocal, Rhythm Guitar - Nefarious
Lead Guitar - Kick Flis
Bass - Vyacheslav Babienko
Drums - Nick Skindrummer



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gsLM2YhBXw



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