MALOKARPATAN - Stridžie Dni LP (Red Vinyl)

Well, these guys are either too modest or self-unaware, because this album is so much more than just another "old school black metal" release. While the smell of Becherovka is present everywhere, the songwriting was treated with great seriousness here. There is no shortage of interesting guitar leads (that sound really original) to be found here, alongside damn catchy riffs that totally rock. In general, the guitar has an awesome raspy tone (very reminiscent of early Venom) and the album's cavernous production fits the music style perfectly.

To make the atmosphere really obscure, a lot of reverb was used here. There is no such thing as "too much reverb" and this album is a great proof. The folk interludes and some speech samples from old local movies that are used here, make the track-list sound quite diverse and well balanced, but even without them - there would be no lack of variety and tempo changes here. While the vocals (well executed "drunken caveman" screams, combined with spontaneous "wifebeating shouts") disclose the great impact of alcohol on this recording, these tracks don't sound happy, but rather angry and full of tension. Just like Hades Archer's "Penis Metal" is an extremely solid piece of black/thrash, so is Stridžie dni much more than a drunken, "fun" album