**************************************** * * * ##### #### ### #### ##### * * # # # # # # # * * ### #### # # ### # * * # # # # # # # * * # # # ### #### # * * * * # # ##### #### ##### ### # # * * # # # # # # # ## # * * # # # ### # # # # # # * * # # # # # # # # ## * * # ##### #### ##### ### # # * * * **************************************** Issue #5, January 2025 ---------------------------------------- Branikald is one of my favorite metal bands, and I'm not afraid to say that. This zine's very name is a reference to Хладавзор, my favorite album of theirs. So who are they? It all began in the Russian city of Novomoskovsk. In that city lived a man named Boris Podsoblyayev. Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, he and several other unruly teenagers formed a death metal band called Кремация Блаженных (Blessed Cremation in English). They recorded several songs, but they were never able to get a record deal. Eventually, Boris learned of the black metal scene that had recently emerged in Norway. Many of the bands in that scene originally played death metal, but they abandoned it because they felt it was becoming sterile and commercial. Following in their footsteps, Boris put an end to Blessed Cremation and created a black metal band called Branikald in 1994. To compliment his newfound musical style, he gave himself the appropriately kvlt pseudonym Kaldrad Branislav. Shortly after he formed the band, he attracted several musicians under his banner, including Evgeny Elmanov (Ulv Gegner Irminsson), Vitaly Danilov (Dagorath), and a drummer known only as Wizard. Together they were known as the Blazebirth Hall, a black metal collective similar in nature to the Inner Circle of Norway and Les Legions Noires of France. Kaldrad proved himself to be extremely productive, for he released thirteen albums over the course of six years. He was also incredibly talented. Not only did he compose some amazing riffs, but he was also much more creative than his peers. He started off by combining Burzum's atmospheric qualities and Darkthrone's minimalist songwriting, but then that formula evolved into something that was more than the sum of its parts. It had become truly unique and magical. One of the band's most recognizable traits is their use of repetition to create a hypnotic effect. Any lesser band that attempts something like this would end up being boring, but thanks to the brilliant songwriting and atmospheric production, it works. The albums that Kaldrad produced during his golden years of 1998 and 1999 even manage to be profoundly spiritual, as if he's channelling something primordial. Every time I listen to Хладавзор, my arm hairs stand on end, the periphery of my vision grows blurry, and I begin dissociating. Very few metal albums are able to captivate me to that degree. Sadly, Kaldrad died on April 27, 2019 after being run over by a car, but the bands he influenced carry on his legacy. The hypnotic use of repetition is now a common trope in atmospheric black metal, but there are some bands that take more direct inspiration. One name that immediately comes to my mind is Lascowiec, who could easily be considered the American Branikald. Also from America is Volshebnik, who formed just a few years ago and have already put out several great albums. Vothana has always been influenced by Kaldrad's work, but this became even more evident ever since he started putting out full-lengths in 2019. Sanguine Eagle never said it out loud, but not only are they influenced by Branikald, but the style of their logo is clearly inspired by Nitberg. Wandelaars from the Netherlands also channels Kaldrad's energy. Even as recently as last year, bands like Звёздный Храм are using the Branikald formula in new and exciting ways. Collected in this issue are my reviews of every single Branikald album. They were originally hosted on another site before some power-tripping hotpocket permabanned me for flimsy reasons. I am of the opinion that Хладавзор was the band's magnum opus. It was all downhill after that. Stormheit is one of the best examples of raw black metal ever created. Рдяндалир, Winterkald, and Хмель мизантропии are great too, and Жизнеотрицанью жизневероломство is criminally underrated. If you ever take the time to listen to the band's work, tell me which releases you enjoyed the most. And before anyone points it out, yes, I know Kaldrad was an actual Nazi, and no, I don't care. That's what those people get for constantly crying wolf about fascism. Branikald - Stormheit Stormheit was Branikald's first release, and it marks the beginning of an incredible metal legacy. From the very first riff, you know it's going to be magical. The production is rough and abrasive. It really makes you feel like you're in the midst of a terrible snowstorm. The music is a mixture of Darkthrone and Burzum. It features both energetic fast sections and brooding slow sections. Drummer Wizard plays stripped down blast beats and tight rhythms. The tremolo riffs and chord progressions are rather primitive compared to what would come later, but they're still strong and atmospheric. Kaldrad's raspy vocals sound more similar to the Norwegians than what he would do on later albums, but they still sound fierce. He even hides some clean vocals deep in the mix. This album is primitive and unpolished, but it's one of my favorite Branikald albums precisely because of its raw spirit. That, and "Kaldevind" is a really catchy song. Branikald - To Kampf This album begins with a simple piano piece that sounds like it was discovered in some long abandoned building. The production is once again lo-fi and abrasive. This is par for the course for old black metal like this. The instrumental work is still strong. The drums are buried deep in the mix, but they still make their presence known with rapid blast beats and tight mid-paced rhythms. The chord progressions are diabolical and the tremolo riffs are ice cold. Kaldrad still performs vicious rasps, but he also makes things more interesting by performing clean vocals. The overall performance is great, but the songwriting isn't as memorable as it was on Stormheit. Branikald - Varg fjerne a tornet Varg fjerne a tornet is when Branikald begins to use the musical formula they're most famous for. The production is significantly improved. They have replaced the abrasive production with one that is more atmospheric. Drummer Wizard plays stripped-down blast beats almost non-stop. The tremolo riffs have become a lot more advanced and nuanced. Sometimes they sound sinister and other times they're more melodic. Kaldrad now does a raspy croak that sounds more similar to what he would do later in his career. Overall, this album is nice, but still not that memorable. Branikald - Рдяндалир Рдяндалир was when Branikald really got atmospheric. The production has that foggy quality that many modern atmospheric black metal bands would emulate. As usual, drummer Wizard plays a lot of great mid-paced rhythms and minimalist blast beats. Kaldrad's croaking rasps sound like they're echoing across icy wastes. This album contains some of Branikald's best riffs. They're finely crafted, a bit melodic, and have various subtleties that keep the listener hooked. This is especially impressive considering the large amounts of repetition. Instead of getting boring, the music ends up feeling hypnotic. Most interesting are the last two tracks. They're basically black metal songs without the distortion. The end result is unsettling, but also mystifying. This album is truly magical. It really makes you feel like you're venturing across the snowy plains at night while auroras dance high above you. Branikald - Kveldulv Kveldulv sounds like a more aggressive Рдяндалир. The production is a bit cleaner, but still atmospheric. Kaldrad's raspy vocals sound angrier. Wizard plays more blast beats this time around, and he still puts on a great performance. Ice cold tremolo riffs still abound. That sinister riff that starts off the album is one of the band's best. Unfortunately, the songwriting isn't as memorable. Aside from "Kosmhall," an atmospheric clean track similar in style to Рдяндалир's last two songs, I can't really say much about what happens on here. Branikald - Winterkald Winterkald begins with an intro track that features clean guitars and bass. It's four minutes long, but it manages to stay interesting throughout, for it is dark and moody and sets the tone for the whole album. The production has a hazy quality. It makes you feel like you're watching frigid ocean waves crash into jagged mountains, like what is shown on the cover art. This was the last Branikald album to feature original drummer Wizard. He once again puts on a stellar performance, churning out a constant supply of minimalist blast beats, mid-paced rhythms, and even a few fills. Kaldrad's vocals have finally evolved into the angry rasps that he would perform for the rest of his career. The tremolo riffs are fantastic. They're a lot more complex than anything the band had recorded previously, and they're also a lot stronger and more dynamic. Even the bass can be heard extremely well. This is one of Branikald's best albums. There's so much to enjoy on here. Branikald - Жизнеотрицанью жизневероломство This album has the intimidating title of Жизнеотрицанью жизневероломство. In English, it's A Life Betrayal to a Life Denial. When I first listened to it years ago, I didn't like it very much, but I have revised my opinion after revisiting it. Perhaps my initial impression was tainted by a low quality rip. The music is a continuation of Winterkald. The production has gotten cloudier, which helps to make the music more mysterious. This was the first Branikald album to feature Ransverdi. He does a pretty good job, for he plays a constant stream of stripped-down blast beats. Kaldrad once again performs strong angry rasps. The tremolo riffs aren't as memorable as they were on Winterkald, but they still sound chilling and even a bit sorrowful at times. Overall, this album is quite underrated when compared to the rest of the band's discography. Branikald - Хмель мизантропии Just like Жизнеотрицанью жизневероломство before it, Хмель мизантропии is another album that I didn't like at first, but have since grown to admire. The initial problem I had with it was the sound of the snare. It has an odd thump to it. After repeat listens, it doesn't bother me as much. The other elements more than make up for it. The production is once again cold and cloudy. The drums continue to play vigorous blast beats. Kaldrad's raspy vocals continue to radiate anger and icy vitriol. The tremolo riffs remain frigid, but now they have more melody that gives the music a sense of might and grandeur. This is one of Branikald's best albums. Listen to it if you haven't already. Branikald - Хладавзор Хладавзор was the last great Branikald album, and it's one of my favorites of theirs. It begins with a 14 minute long intro consisting of echoing clean guitars. Despite being so long, it never gets boring. It's beautiful, magical, and brilliantly sets the stage for the atmospheric black metal to follow. Out of all of Branikald's albums, this one has the perfect atmosphere. It's cold, cloudy, and captivating. As usual, the band plays constant blast beats, but they're a lot more aggressive than they were on previous releases, and they also feature more intricate cymbal work. Kaldrad's best vocal performance can be found here. His angry rasps sound incredible. The tremolo riffs are fantastic. They are structured extremely well, sound dark and mystical, and sometimes possess profound melodies. The strongest riffs can be found on "Стужи голос." Хладавзор is one of the best atmospheric black metal albums ever made. The instrumental work is astounding, the songwriting is compelling, and the atmosphere makes you feel like you've been transported to a different world, one of mystic frost and ancient might. This was Kaldrad's magnum opus, and it will be difficult for other bands to reach its lofty heights. Branikald - Струн натянутых вдохновенья сталь There was no way in Hell that Branikald would ever be able to top Хладавзор. It was all downhill from that point onward. Струн натянутых вдохновенья сталь is good in certain respects. Kaldrad still performs excellent raspy vocals and the instrumental work is still stellar, but the songwriting is less interesting and less inspired. Not only that, but the production is slightly worse. It's not as atmospheric and the snare has that odd thumping sound again. It has the same specific problem as Хмель мизантропии, except it doesn't have the compelling songwriting to make up for it. Branikald - Раздувая тинг ветров Branikald released three full-length albums in 2000 and each one is a step down in quality. Раздувая тинг ветров, or Rising up the Thing of the Winds in English (the "thing" in question is never specified), is the second release from that year. The vocals and instrumental work are still strong, but the production is less clear and less atmospheric, the songwriting is even more uninspired, and there are certain sections that just seem to drag on pointlessly. They have lost their hypnotic effect and have become boring. Branikald - Тингов наслаждаясь распрей Тингов наслаждаясь распрей shows Branikald continuing to decline in quality. Some parts still sound like the band's older work, but most of it now sounds like Nitberg. That's the biggest problem I have with this release. It deviates too far from what they did in the past. Furthermore, despite the strong vocals and the skilled instrumental work, the songwriting continues to get more boring. I can barely remember anything that happens on here. Branikald - Триумф воли On Triumph des Willens, Branikald completely abandoned their original formula and replaced it with an unsavory combination of black metal and RAC. The drumming is dull, the guitar work is bland, and it sounds like Kaldrad is phoning in his vocal performance. What a miserable final release from a band.