Olhava plays post-black metal and has become remarkably active this year, dropping two full-lengths in the span of a few months. While that may be cool, it remains to be seen if the quality is up to par (dun dun duuuuun). The band hails from Saint Petersburg in Russia and ‘Ladoga’ is their third record.
Andrey Novozhilov and Timur Yusupov are bandmates in Olhava, but also play together in the majestic Trna. That’s a good band, so if you like this, check them out too. Lagoda is a lake, north of Saint Petersburg. It’s considered the largest lake in Europe. It is pretty large indeed, but this record represents a primordial return to the essence – a review of a physically the same man, but with a different mind in today’s cultural paradigm. “It’s a journey from nowhere to nowhere. It’s about the fate of a person in the eternity of existence.”
‘Ageless River’ comes on with a churning sound of the water rushing. Notes fade in, building up to what only can be described as a carpet of sound completely drowning everything out. There are deep waves of melancholy woven into the fabric of the music. It’s as if the sun is shining on a rainy autumn day as ‘Smoldering Woodland’ demonstrates in the hazy sunlight as the insects buzzing increases. Intricate melodies are woven into a distorted wave that I find easiest to equate to The Angelic Process or Jesu’s likes. The returning theme of the ‘Ageless River’ is noteworthy, too, as the flow of things puts all in flux.
There are some monster tracks on this record too, with the almost 18-minute ‘Trembling Night’ taking up the crown. These are long, winding journeys into the sonic forests Olhava sings about. One could say metaphysical forests, but there is only the sound when you listen to this record. It is continuous, but there are these atmospheric parts where no guitars and drums are hammering down on you. Those are the rare intermissions of the river, but the band also paces itself during these longer tracks. ‘The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter’ is one example of an easy flow to start with. In the end, it evolves into a similar baptizing into the introspective sounds that Olhava is delivering.
The lyrics, all in Russian, are written by Alexander Yordaki. Now, I am not certain if he participates on this record, but the previously sang on the single of ‘Ladoga’, which ended up becoming this record. He might be the vocalist, but I can’t confirm. On the album, I can only say that it feels like one solid whole, it is an immersive effort and for me a flow you want to experience as a whole. If you love the deafening impact of shoegaze-like acts, this is for you.
Band: Olhava
Origin: Russia
Label: Self Released
