REVIEW- Litourgiya by Batushka

Have you ever heard something so haunting, creepy and evil that you were caught in a mesmerizing spell by it? Well that's how I felt about Polish black metal outfit Batushka's Litourgiya from 2015. The enigmatic black metal band has nothing really known about it's members and the track names and lyrical go to show just how incredibly dark this band is. The tracks are all labeled Litany and a number, followed by, what I could figure out through translations, a word.
 Instrumentally, this band is definitely for fans of DSBM bands, as well as the bands Behemoth(think to their demos) and Impaled Nazarene. The intense tremolo picking combined with the fast paced drum patterns are nothing short of beautifully dread instilling however I could say that the guitar tone is too heavy to be considered really melodic, at least on most tracks. The basstone is gnarly as well, and adds to a great feeling in the tracks throughout. But what I really want to focus on is the lyrical material and vocals.
 This band deals heavily with themes of Blasphemy, and other religious themes in a serious, theological manner as opposed to the satanic gimmick that many other bands do. So much so that, through some digging, Russian religious extremists have given the band trouble in the past. I find it interesting that on top of the harsh vocals, which are phenomenal, the chanting which is done in Old Church Slavonic takes a lead vocal role as well. Those chants are really what make this record special, it's haunting, and soul crushing.
 As an aside, I find it interesting to note that the theme of Eastern Orthodoxy is used here, while chants and such are a common theme in black metal, this is interesting as Orthodoxy itself has not been used before in black metal. I think that the use of these Byzantine style chants is refreshing and far less gimmicky than other bands and this is why I think this record deserves a solid 9/10.

Score- 9/10
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