KROLOK / TEMNOHOR - Split CD

You may have discovered the Slovakian black metal commando Krolok via their full length debut “Flying Above Ancient Ruins”, which is a fantastic slab of old school atmospheric black metal while concentrating on the most important factors. These lads started their career with a split release with Temnohor, and while the original date of this one is 2013, Hexencave Productions took the chance to put it out once again as a stunning digipak edition.
Compared to the aforementioned album the material here might be a bit harsher, but you can already see the trademark elements defining Krolok as special outfit. The guitar riffs found in this one aren't too complex or fast paced, but they still manage to keep a memorable tone and add to the stellar melodies accompanied by the steady percussions. The lead harmonies are always there in the background, providing a lot of haunting harmonies and lending the whole music a sinister and moody overall feeling. Krolok are not afraid to go full dark with their black metal influences, but they also make sure to create a bleak and captivating atmosphere. The guitar work is excellent, and the often monotonous and brooding main themes are accompanied by some remarkable lead melodies.
The riffs of the songs contributed by Temnohor are hitting hard and furiously, and while it might be open for discussion if the world needs more songs in this particular style the quality is out of question. The main riffs have been forged with a lot of precision, combining rapid and fierce attacks and more laid-back and stoic chord progressions. You can clearly see that these guys are a) fans of the classic Scandinavian black metal school and b) great musicians, knowing exactly how to deliver this traditional sound in fresh and convincing manner. The vocals here are especially fierce and offer kind of a unique selling point.
The different feeling created by these two bands is further underlined by the production choices, with Temnohor going for a raw and quite straightforward sound, while Krolok has put a lot of hall and reverb effects on top of their music, lending it a very distant character. In the end both bands act as a side of one coin, giving curios black metal fans a lot to discover over the 36 minutes running time and offering a first taste of two promising bands, both featuring members of MALOKARPATAN.

6-panel digipack CD

Hexencave Prod. / Into The Night 2019