Branikald - The Mead of Misanthropy LP

In a strange way, "Жизнеотрицанью жизневероломство" can be seen as a bit of a precursor of their next album "Хмель мизантропии". The last album was harsh, but at the same time, included a bit of melody within its sound. But whatever the band was trying to go for there, it seems that it has been expanded upon on this album, as it does feel more rigid and refined here.

To see what I mean, let's check out the first track "В духа пыл". This one's a lot more chaotic in its sound when compared to the previous album, as the guitars sound more raw and harsh and the drumming being faster and more powerful. However, near the end of the track, the guitars shift towards a more melodic and atmospheric style that gives the rough atmosphere a more softer and lighter edge. And that type of description can be used for most other tracks on here, as they blend the raw and melodic riffs really well here. This is especially the case for tracks like "Лезвием прямого взгляда", "Хмель мизантропии", and "Ветрам воронокрылым", as the melodic riffs on those tracks especially give it all, making the majority of the atmosphere feel light with its wintry landscape. The other two untitled tracks comprised of an atmospheric acoustic guitar and a raw black metal song, which aren't that bad, but I feel like the eight track kind of ruins the mood with its harsher production and atmosphere. Otherwise, the raw/melodic atmosphere of the guitars and drums are done really well.

Kaldrad's vocals also work really well here. It's the same style and delivery with his shrieks and screams as per usual, but here, I think they flow especially well. Looking back at the track "Хмель мизантропии", the bombastic styling of the riffs and drums are fitting to the echoed screams of Kaldrad, as they only enhance the atmosphere. And with the more melodic riffs, he only pushes the melancholy and sorrowful feelings presented within the tone of the track. When paired with these type of instrumentals, Kaldrad's vocal performance remains strong with his booming voice.

At this point, Branikald has continued to double down on their unique style of atmospheric black metal, and with the more bombastic style that is Хмель мизантропии, this is only further proving their power within the Russian black metal scene. And when accounting for the more melodic and atmospheric tracks, it seems like this type of style has nowhere to go but up. And in the next album of theirs, that will only be proven true...