Іду на ви!

'Idu Na Vy!', as it is rendered in the Latin alphabet, is the first full-length album of Ukraine's Dub Buk. No listener could be surprised by this fact: the collection bears many features of being a band's debut, veering always between the sublime and the ridiculous, and bursting to the seams with more ideas than is necessary for a single release.

I would describe the music as folk-metal with certain black metal influences - the most obvious of which are the vocals, which are performed very ably indeed. They give the impression that one is listening to a more extreme variety of metal, but this is not quite so. The music itself is usually fast, sometimes slowing down to mid-pace, and always reminiscent of several popular folk/pagan bands, such as Finntroll and Ensiferum. The guitars on this album are rarely outstanding; the melodies are carried by keyboards most of the time. This works more often than not. The atmosphere throughout is triumphant and energetic, and some of the key leads are genuinely glorious.

There are some moments, however, where the listener can't help but wonder: why did they put that bit in there? Putting a positive spin on things, these idiosyncracies are what makes this album stand out. But keeping things negative (or realistic), the effect on the bass for track 1's intro is clownish, and the female vocals at the intro of track 3 are horribly grating. Also, the intro (maybe they should just cut all their intros?) to track 2 is practically embarrassing. Thrice, a grandfatherly voice solemnly states 'Ukrainje!', to which his youthful audience respond 'SLAVA! [glory]'. I get that they're proud of their homeland and all, but this comes across as childish.

Once you ignore these awkward parts, you're left with some pretty good and entertaining music. A major problem is that I'm not always in the mood for such dominating synths; this album could really use more interesting guitar riffs. It's a mixed bag, all right (it even has a quasi-ska interlude for a few seconds near the end). The work of a band eagerly trying to make a name for themselves, but not quite sure what it is they're best at.

Dub Buk are one of the best Ukrainian bands. It’s just a shame they can be somehow underrated compared to bands like Nokturnal Mortum, Drudkh, Astrofaes, Hate Forest, etc. Still though, their second full-length Idu Na Wy is one of the best albums to come from Ukraine. I personally think it’s the best from all I heard.

While Dub Buk have that Ukrainian feel in their music, there are many things that discern them from such bands like Nokturnal Mortum or Lucifugum, two bands are probably closest to them in style. I like to think of Dub Buk as a more triumphant sounding, but less violent version of Nokturnal Mortum or Lucifugum. The theme of paganism is a bit thicker with Dub Buk, as well.

The vocals here are incredible, yet original for black metal’s sake. Pretty hard to describe them but one will see the roaring style is very masculine, barbaric, powerful, all at the same time. If you’re tired of the traditional black vocals, you will definitely appreciate Izwerg’s style if you want something new. They keyboards here are very impressive as well as they only add to the music! The problem with many bands that use keyboards is that they abuse them and use them too much. They cover up the guitar work and it may sound like a mess. This is never the case for Idu Na Wy. While on songs like Lisowa Pijwa, the keyboards are the most dominant accompanied by some flutes, but others like the title track have aggressive guitars accompanied by the thundering drums. They even throw in some weird techno parts throughout parts of some songs but also plenty of folkish parts.

Overall, there’s a lot to be found in the 8 songs on this album. Nothing is repetitive and there are plenty of changes throughout the music.

The standout song here is Ljut Naszoj Witczyzny, almost a 13 minute song. That may seem long for some people, but trust me this is easily the most diverse song on the album. The best part is the last 3-4 minutes.

Honestly I couldn’t find anything wrong with this album. There are plenty of songs, enough running time, plenty of variety, even the few “clean” parts were good. The production here is awesome as well.

If you want to hear one of the best albums from Ukraine, look no further, Idu Na Wy has everything you could ask for if you are a big fan of Slavonic/pagan black metal.

"Idu Na Vy" (I am coming for you), read the notice delivered by the messenger of Svetoslav's armies to the enemies that he would soon vanquish. This arrogant (though rightfully so) method was Svetoslav's trademark of waging war. He was the last pagan Knjaz' (duke) of Rus' (the ancestral land that is now Russia and Ukraine) before Christianity's foul grasp overtook the slavonic people and lands. This album is a progression of declaration of war, veneration of homeland and ancestors, and the coming conflict that would overcome the mighty kingdom or Rus'. It ends with the current Ukrainian national hymn, perhaps a testament that Rus' might rise again?

Thunder and rain begin the first track, a monumental declaration of war that, with its blistering and ferocious onslaught of rhythm/lead guitars, immediately sets the mood for "Idu Na Vy!" The production is surprisingly clear, and the lyrics are even intelligible during the majority of the tracks. Clearly, instead of serving as an inhuman wail, or a tortured shriek, the vocals are a harsh yet clear urging to war, told no doubt from the point of view of Svetoslav himself. Though the guitars, drums and vocals serve as the voice of war, some progressions obviously depicting battle, the album is heavily laden with keyboards (which may sound a tad articial at times) that often depict scenes of armies riding on horseback across vast grassy plains, all fanatically obsessed with the victory that they know they will achieve. A guitar solo, surprisingly well within the bounds of this album's achievement, makes its way into the first song. It is a fairly unique one, in that it seamlessly melds with the rest of the track, perhaps representing a successful strafing run through enemy infantry, or maybe my imagination is getting the best of me.

Of the next two tracks, the first literally means "Glory to Ukraine," which begins with a chant "Ukrainje... SLAVA! Ukrainje... SLAVA! Ukrainje... SLAVA! SLAVA! SLAVA!" and then a "folky" keyboard sequence that gives way to the rest of the song. It is similar as far as layering is concerned to "Idu Na Vy," but it's obvious that the theme is more joyful and venerable. The following track is a moody reflection upon what will happen to the Slavonic hordes, with Sautorius of Nokturnal Mortum performing a fairly impressive vocal performance. The part is spoken as opposed to sung, and the determination and conviction is conveyed flawlessly.

Of the next group of tracks, the most impressive is "Dym - Jego Znamja, Ogon' - Jego Kon'," a 12 minute epic that begins with a calm-before-the-storm sequence of ambient campfire noises. The sound of the flames becomes louder and louder until a spontaneous burst of a repeated melody signifies the beginning of the battle. The lyrics to this track, fittingly, are "Our army marches..." There are short interludes of relatively calm melody that obviously foreshadows a plunge back into the heart of battle. At certain points of the album, Izverg (vocalist) cries out to Perun, Veles, and Dazhdbog (the three Slavonic pagan deities).

A short summary: ferocious lead and rhythm guitars, fearsome vocals, and somewhat contrasting beautiful keyboard sequences make up this album. The production is fairly good, and there is not much repetition unlikely most other black metal.

Here, I should make the ubiquitous comparison to Nokturnal Mortum. It sounds similar, I admit, to NM, but only superficially so. In fact, I'd say this is considerably better than NeChrist and Lunar Poetry - it is far more relentless without sacrificing any melodic beauty, and contains a larger variety of moods and sounds than their compatriots.

Unrelentless melodic black metal from Ukranian band, Dub Buk. The band performs with the ferocity of fellow countrymen, Nokturnal Mortum, and the brutality of Lucifugum. The Slavic influence holds strong on most bands from the Ukraine, and Dub Buk are no exception. The music is utterly fast, and wickedly melodic, utilizing keys for suport, and folk-esque sounds sparingly, to add a cold, northern atmosphere to the music, without comprimising the overall evilness. The screams are excellent, and Sataroth of NM contributes with clean vocals on the third track, Wsjeboze. A lot of the bands coming out of the region are beginning to sound alike, which may pose a problem for future prospective groups, but for now Dub Buk doesn't quit - one listen and you'll understand. The NS tendencies run amok in the area too, which is overdone these days and getting kind of lame. Unless you speak the language, whatever messages may exist are not conveyed, so the music isn't weakened by childish rants. Good, worthwhile stuff!