Litourgiya

What differentiates something gimmicky from something great? Hell if I know, but Batushka is walking on the right side of the line here.

Batushka is an unusual band: a bunch of Polish guys writing lyrics in Old Church Slavonic. At the time of writing, the two principal members of Batushka have sued each other and split into two separate bands...both called Batushka. I don't normally describe the biographical details of bands but I can't resist when they are tantalizing like this.

Here is the gimmick/stroke of genius: mixing death metal with Eastern Orthodox chant. Is it a parody? Is it sincere? Nobody knows, and frankly it doesn't matter. The mix of these two things is delightful to listen to. As someone who has listened to a lot of Renaissance choral music and metal, I can attest that I get similiar feelings listening to both. I am awed by the power and the intensity. The combination feels surprisingly natural.

There are two vocalists: one with a deep bass voice (Eastern Orthodox chant) and one with a shrieking tenor (death metal). (These might actually be the same person? I haven't checked.) The album is heavy: dense guitar, plodding drums, and a deep voice that sounds like a foghorn. So it benefits tremendously from the death metal shrieking, which injects much-needed energy.

The album is remarkably consistent. I can't point to any weak tracks, or moments that should have been edited down. It is also just 41 minutes, which is blessedly terse in a genre that is often bloated.

My one criticism would be that there isn't much variety between the tracks. You can listen to this thing three times, enjoy it tremendously, and then not feel much of a need to go back to it. The tracks are all numbered (Yektinya I, Yektinya II, etc.), and frankly I am not sure which of the Yektinyas to recommend as most worthy of your time. Just start at the beginning, I think, and enjoy the ride?