Review Summary: Longer, more epic song structures than previously. However, Malokarpatan's signature blend of Black Metal, NWOBHM riffs and twin-guitar melodies remains present, leading to a new, but simultaneously familiar feeling and overall excellent offering.
Ever since hearing Nordkarpatenland I have become a huge fan of these guys. Being from Slovakia, like the band, where very little metal, let alone quality metal is produced, doesn't hurt that of course. Hearing a new album was due this year, it quickly became one of my most anticipated releases. However, like many, I raised my brow slightly upon hearing the first single, "
Filipojakubská noc na Stangarigelských Skalách". It was very different from the blend of black metal with Slovak folk interludes and Mercyful Fate/NWOBHM melodic riffage I loved so much on their last release, and hinted at another stylistic change. I decided not to make premature judgements, and waited anxiously for the full album to be released.
From the first minutes of
Krupinské Ohne's opener, a change of style is confirmed. It opens with sounds of fire, followed by folk instrumentation and a choir. Then the first riff kicks in, and an anthemic Hammerheart-era Bathory-esque epic takes off. The track breaks down into another few interludes, taking off with more anthemic black metal riffs. Towards the end, we get our strongest hint yet of
Norkarpatenland's twin-guitar melody leads and NWOBHM style riffs.
The album continues in the same vein, with aspects of their style on
Nordkarpatenland, but in a much more anthemic, drawn out and atmospheric setting than before. More focus is put on the folk instrumentation interludes, which is suggested by the song lengths having 3 tracks at 9:40+ minutes. They are least present in the fourth track, the single, which is a relatively straight-forward tremolo-picked black metal track, displaying the album's variety. The closer shows
Krupinské Ohne's strongest resemblance to
Nordkarpatenland, with less folky elements, and a soaring chorus, displaying the band's first attempt at clean singing. This might be the band exploring new vocal possibilities with ex-guitarist HV taking up vocal duties after past vocalist Temnohor's exit from the band in 2018. The change of vocalist is unnoticeable until this instance, and the clean singing sounds neither bad nor cheesy; fitting the track rather well. Although the change of style on the album might come as a surprise at first, I quickly got used to it. Due to the longer song structures on this album, it offers more new discoveries upon relistens than previous efforts. It also grew on me as I got more familiar with the new style.
Overall,
Krupinské Ohne sees Malokarpatan delve into new territory, exploring longer, more epic and atmospheric song structures. Although one might be surprised at first, the band quickly reassures the listener that their unique blend of Black Metal, NWOBHM riffs and twin-guitar melodies is still to be found.
Krupinské Ohne also sees the band's first attempt at clean singing with new vocalist HV, and wider use of folky interludes. Regardless of all these new features, the band still keeps its unique trademark sound well intact, resulting in a very different, but nevertheless excellent and familiar sounding album.
