Nokturnal Mortum - Істина (2017)

With the release of 2009’s Голос сталі (The Voice of Steel), Ukraine’s decades-old Nokturnal Mortum seemed to step away from a past riddled with NSBM associations and to step ahead musically as well, producing a superb pagan metal record that integrated folk, progressive, and symphonic black metal in glorious ways.

Even as Varggoth brought different members into the line-up for that album, he seems to have surrounded himself with yet another almost entirely different complement of performers (aside from drummer Bairoth) for the new Nocturnal Mortum album, Істина (Verity), which was just released.

Because I’m far behind in listening to new albums (as I am in most things), I’ve only heard one track from Істина, and it’s the next track in this collection, the name of which is “Мольфа“. It’s a powerful song, a riveting blend of majestic grandeur, warlike fury, and a beguiling air of mythic otherworldliness thanks to the flute and other traditional instrumentation integrated into the music, along with a shimmering keyboard ambience. It’s a bone-breaker and a head-mover, but also entrancing in its beauty.

Tracklist:
1.Зустріну Тебе В Імлі Старій 02:39
2.Мольфа 08:33
3.З Чортом За Пазухою 06:04
4.Смерековий Дід 04:49
5.Пісня Хуги 08:23
6.Вовчі Ягоди 09:02
7.У Човні З Дурнями 06:26
8.Дика Вира 06:43
9.Ліра 05:08
10.Чорний Мед 03:42
11.Ніч Богів 09:14
12.Куди Пливуть Вінки Рікою? 03:43