Stribog - U Okovima Vjecnosti (2010)

Directly from Croatia today we have Stribog, a very impressive Folk/Pagan Metal band. The band’s first full-length album “U Okovima Vjecnosti” showcases a perfect balance of aggressive Metal sections and ethereal Folk passages that not every band can pull off so gracefully. There is no shortage of epic songs in this album that have high replay value.

Since the first song “Ancestral Skies Of Gold” you know you are for a special ethereal ride with the combination of Folk elements, melodic distorted guitars and angelic female vocals. The band’s songs vary between melodic Folk passages and very aggressive (but melodic) Black Metal-like sections, the intertwining of these two genres is done very well and most of the transitions in this release are done seamlessly.

With most songs clocking over 5 minutes a piece, you can quickly understand that Stribog is a quality band that knows how to write solid songs. The band never gets boring or induces the traditional ‘violin/flute coma’ that most Folk Metal bands put their listeners under. Songs like “Morana” show that the band seamlessly merges every element they have and create a powerful and catchy song that will stick in your head for quite a while (the flute/whistle section paired with the ethereal choir section/transition is on constant repeat on our heads).

Musically, the band is very well rounded up with tight drumming, a pounding bass guitar line, the whistle player is very energetic, and rounding up the Folk elements mix we have Robert the keyboard player. While we appreciate bands that have more actual instruments with them as part of the band, Stribog’s sound is very compact and effective as it is.

The female vocals on “U Okovima Vjecnosti” are top notch, with a very angelic ring to them. They are never over used and sound just right. The Black Metal screams are equally effective; they contrast perfectly with the beauty and melody of the music. None of the vocals ever get old and keep things fresh by providing a nice ‘BM beauty and the beast’ approach.

In general, we loved “U Okovima Vjecnosti”. The band manages to create the perfect balance of aggressiveness and melody paired up with brilliant folk highlights. The ethereal atmospheres created by layered vocals and mesmerizing keyboards give this album a very epic feeling and make it instantly one of our favorites of the genre. We must say that we are greatly impressed by Stribog and will keep an eye out for any future releases of this band. “U Okovima Vjecnosti” is definitely one of the must have releases of 2010.

Release: May 1st, 2010

Country: Croatia