Непоколебимая вера

Nepokolebimaja Vera, apparently translated as "Unbreakable Faith" is the second studio album from the russian "NSBM" outfit, M8L8Th, who would most likely be exceptionally famous if it wasnt for their NS beleifs, as their past music (By The Wing Of Black (BTWOB hereafter) and Sturm) was exceptional quality, described as NSBM although to be honest, it's certainly NS, but it's not Black Metal. BM is simply a part of the diverse mix of genres and styles which influence this unholy russian horde, who mixed the energy of a hardcore punk on speed, the production of the most perfectionist deathcore band, and the raw, seething hatred of Black Metal.

From the crushing opening segment of the first track, Unbreakable Faith seems to be much the same as previous effort, By The Wing Of Black, although it doesnt start out with a reverb-added Hitler speech sound clip, the general feel is the same, although the distortion has been turned up and the sound is rather muddier, giving the album a much more Raw vibe, making it closer to it's "NSBM" tag than previous efforts.

Anyway, I'm two minutes into the third track of the album, "Buchenwald" and so far, so good. Exhibitioning the same level of technical excellency, melody pace speed and violence, the five years between studio releases has not blunted the metaphorical axe of M8L8Th's music, it's just as hateful and violent. The sweeping, soaring, searing, sharp, sorrowful and seething guitars pulse, squeal, chug and shred through some of the best new Russian NS... no, the best new NS since the band's own previous studio effort. The drums are just as technical, sounding like an artillery assault coupled with the thunder of an IL-2 Sturmovik air raid.

Track four, "By Thunder From Heaven" contains some of the best guitar work on the album so far, a truly epic and crushing "breakdown" at about 50 seconds giving a brutal and head-banging rythm before breaking out into a razor sharp and melodic tremolo riff which brings back fond memories of the astounding structure of their previous works, before it segues into track five, "My Native Land" which has the best intro of all the tracks so far, and probably since "Scent Of Blood" on BTWOB. It starts off with a bassy, melodic clean guitar part, with Alexey's haunting speech over the top, before it suddenly screams into life with a fucking destructive drum beat and a razor-sharp tremolo riff.

Anyway.... Seeing as I cant write an entire review of only positive stuff, here's some things that i'd improve on this album:

The first is Alexey's vocals. On the demo, and BTWOB and Sturm, they were the most manic, shrieking, painful, haunting and evil vocals i've heard in a long time. He genuinely sounded like a mental patient screaming his nationalism in pain, and it led to some of the most amazing, most sick moments in musical history. (his scream on the orchestral breakdown of "Scum" for instance, being my favorite moment in Black Metal ever). Now, on this album his vocals seem to take more of a back seat, they're less shrieked, less raw, as if they were made to go alongside the music rather than being a functioning and progressive part of it.

The second is this: Although this album is excellent, it's a definitive and worthy successor to BTWOB.... it's just not quite as good. It doesnt have the crazed shrieking, the same juxtaposition of beautiful melody and crushing rythm, and it doesnt have almost any similar epic moments apart from the intro to "My Native Land". This album doesnt have the head-banging hateful energy of "By The Fallen Leaves" nor the melodic fury of "Under The Falling Star" nor the ethereal beauty slipping into sheer sonic breakdown madness of "Scum" (by far their best track).

Overall, this album is definately not a dissapointment of any kind, and given the quality of the (most likely fake) EP from mid-2008, this album is a very very good slice of NS Black Metal-Core, and an excellent second slice of the Fury of this russian Horde, even if it does lack the extra mile which made By The Wing Of Black a spectacular album.

85/100

"Nepokolebimaja Vera" or "Unbreakable Faith" or "Непоколебимая вера"

1. Vedminskij Tuman (Witching Fog) [Ведьминский Туман]
2. Nad Mogiloj Velikana (Above the Giant's Tomb) [Над Могилой Великана]
3. Bukovyj Les (Buchenwald) [Буковый Лес]
4. Gromom Iz Nebes (By Thunder from Heaven) [Громом из Небес]
5. Rodnyj Moj Kraj (My Native Land) [Родный Мой Край]
6. V Nashich Serdcach (In Our Hearts) [В Наших Сердцах]
7. I Vse Zhe Budet Tak (And Still will be so) [И Все же Будет Так]
8. Voron K Voronu... (Raven to Raven) [Ворон к Ворону…]