Altai-Sayan is a mysterious atmospheric black metal band that recently released their first full-length album Sangke-Turem Najt Mut-Morah. The band’s name refers to the area between the Altai and Sayan Mountains in Central Asia. This is also the same area where Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan meet. The band members choose to remain anonymous, so no one knows where they came from, but since their subject matter revolves around the ethnic groups of Siberia and Eastern Russia, I assume they live somewhere in that region. I could be wrong, so I won’t say for certain.
The music can best be described as a magical mix of Russian and Cascadian atmospheric black metal. The cloudy production has a warm quality that makes the music feel more uplifting and sublime. The tracks are quite long and the songwriting uses repetition to put the listener in a trance, similar to what the Blazebirth Hall did. The drums play almost constant blast beats, but there are also songs like “Your Cities Will Burn” where they play mid-paced rhythms full of double bass. Those brought to my mind images of nomadic armies laying waste to the civilized world. Overall, the drums sound distant, but not so much that they lose their impact.
The vocals consist of a sick croak. They don’t really stand out from other black metal bands, but at least they’re performed well. The guitar work is where the music really shines. Their many tremolo riffs are high-pitched, and they are structured and arranged in a way that makes the listener feel like they’re beholding the beauty of God’s creation. Russian frigidness and Cascadian majesty are combined into a profound experience that elevates the spirit. Every riff flows nicely into the next and none overstay their welcome despite the repetition.
The only part of this album I didn’t like was the outro, which is some strange techno track that feels completely out of place. Other than that, this was an incredible release. The men behind this band, whoever they may be, are exceptionally talented musicians and songwriters, and the work they have created possesses a primal spirit that makes it all the more invigorating and enjoyable.