Belarus may not be the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of Heavy Metal bands, but after hearing Dymna Lotva, it will certainly not be the last. Steeped in enough struggle and persecution to lend them oodles of authenticity, Dymna Lotva soldiers on with The Land Under the Black Wings: Blood; their third full-length album released on August 4, 2023 via Prophecy Productions.
A band with something to say, the message in the music is offered by Vocalist Katsiaryna Mankavich, aka Nokt. She is a woman of many talents, going from clean vocals to wrenching screams to playing the flute. This sort of musical diversity augments the sound of Dyman Lotva. For example, “Buried Alive” features multi-tracked vocals, with the screams and growls in the background and Nokt’s haunting clean vocals. She takes center stage shortly after, screaming in her native tongue in such a way that the subtleties of the language come through. Guitar work courtesy of Multi-instrumentalist Jauhien Charkasau comes through in convincing fashion. There are folky parts and wintry guitar leads, making for music which is difficult to categorize but lovely to ingest.
Their avant-garde musings speak both hardship and reverence for culture. This is not something that is easy to fake, and the sense here is that Dyma Lotva is pouring all of these feelings into their compositions. That in mind, “Night Witches” is as replete with dream-like guitar leads as it is with Nokt’s disconcerting and bloody screams. In the midst of it, an ethereal hint of her lilting clean vocal is mixed in – this is reminiscent of the more experimental dungeon Synth / Black Metal style music that took shape back in the 1990s. The piano break is especially reminiscent of this, and the combined elements make for a mysterious cauldron of sound.
Moving forward, male vocals by literal political prisoner Lesley Knife on “To Freedom” help etch a different perspective into the album. Saxophone by Artur Matveenko creates an amazing atmosphere of pain and longing. That said, this is not a bunch of kids whining about their mean teacher… these are people who have experienced actual political persecution.
Furthermore, “Blood” offers another exceptional ode, lending a feeling of just before a battle in a losing war. Nokt’s vocals are darkly beautiful, and it would not be inaccurate to utter the name of ‘Lisa Gerrard’ here. The blending of her clean haunting voice with her screaming demonic one works wonders.
Then there is “Death Kisses Your Eyes” which features some of the heaviest material on the album; both in the vocal and blasting drum department. Overtop can be heard with a Therion-like piano lilt, which only adds to the whole. However, the most disturbing listen is the aptly titled “Hell,” with a child’s voice singing and a smaller child crying in the background. Music helps us come to grips with the ugliness in the world, but with the pummeling minor chords and echoing cries, it can also attenuate the pain others feel.
What this Belarusian collective has done is to strike at the very heart of art and mystery and longing, creating something harsh and beautiful which will add yet another layer to the growing tapestry of creative output that is Heavy Metal music. That is why Cryptic Rock gives The Land Under the Black Wings: Blood 5 out of 5 stars.
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