MIZANTROPIA “Забвение”

Metal Scrap Records, 2015

Music: Extreme Gothic Metal
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mizantropia/130594892316
Duration: 50:59minutes (11 tracks)
Country: Ukraine

“Забвение” is the second full-lenght album of quintet MIZANTROPIA, after the debut in 2010 year. The mysterious cover-art in green tones shows a figure of lone monk or nun in a habit next to a large rock in a shape the outline of a human head and parts of the face (unfinished or damaged sculpture?).

The music on the album is an aggressive Gothic Metal, but is strongly varied. The fast, typically Metal fragments are alternated with the slower, more romantic motifs. The songs are sung in English and Russian. The clean, feminine vocals are dominating, but they are interspersed with screams in style of Black Metal. In addition some pieces of the acoustic guitar as well as an Ukrainian folk flute (sopilka) appear between the typical Metal instruments. The Seventh song, entitled “В ожидании битвы” contains moments with choral singings and the sound of knights’ arms in fighting. The tenth track is a surprising cover of Alla Pugacheva, the star of the songs of the former Soviet Union. This is a Metal performance but it retains the original dancing pulse. The short number “На коня!” begins with a joyful neighing stallion. This piece is a successful pastiche of Folk Metal. Then we are waiting tens of seconds for the additional hidden track, which is preceded by the sound of drunken partying. The track smoothly pass in sharp Gothic Metal.

The whole album made me a very good impression. The whole is clearly audible thanks to the professional production of all different musical elements. As well as what is happening in the background. In many moments MIZANTROPIA strongly reminds me of the early Polish DARZAMAT (from mini cd “In the Opium of Black Veil”), but MIZANTROPIA has a higher level of arrangement and a better singer. This is certainly an unintentional resemblance. The songs are varied, well-composed and performed. Music is not boring even for a moment. The musicians of MIZANTROPIA also have a sense of humor. For me, this is great!

Tracklist:
1. Dark Gathering
2. Замок
3. На дне вечности
4. Poison of Life
5. Tomorrow Never Comes
6. За тобой
7. В ожидании битвы
8. Обломки пустоты
9. Не вижу взгляда
10. Бессонница
11. На коня!

Line-up:
Anastazya Kurchenko – drums
Maxim Kopalenko – bass, backing vocal
Sergiey Yasir – guitar
Evgeniy Suslov – guitar, acoustic guitar, back vocal
Ekaterina Sinyegina – vocal, sopilka, backing vocal

Rate: 9.0/10