Butterfly Temple
Tropoyu Krovi po Vole Roda
8.6
Eastern Europe has a rich history that rivals anything of its Scandinavian counterparts, so it makes sense that their ethnic/Historical pride would eventually surface musically as it has done further West as bands like Moonsorrow, Thyrfing, Mithotyn and many more have long idolized their warrior lineage. While bands like Nocturnal Mortum, Temnozor and Obtest have made initial forays into the folk/Viking/pagan metal genre, Russia’s oddly named Butterfly Temple have labored away for 3 quality albums without barely registering on many Viking metal fans' radar, but that should change with album number 4. Easily the most polished and refined of the more recognized Eastern European pagan acts, Butterfly Temple are not as vitriolic or raw as their contemporaries instead choosing a more artistic, grandiose sound that’s more akin to their Norwegian and Finnish allies, with a lush sound and tempered pace. Still with roots in black metal, and the emphasis on ethnic charms and synth heavy flourishes “Tropoyu Krovi po Vole Roda” comes across like a more ethnocentric folk heavy version of Thyrfing’s “Valda Galga” album. All the song title and lyrics are in Russian with no translations (unlike their former albums), and the inlay is full of beautiful suitably epic artwork, which mirrors the music on display. Epic, over the top folk laden compositions full of female vocals, spoken word interludes, galloping upbeat riffs and plenty of keyboards, and it all flows together beautifully. My only real gripe is that none of the songs truly stand out, instead all melding together for a lengthy quality album, but this album just seems to be missing a “Vikingtid” (from “Dreams of Northern Sea”), or “Volki Odina” (from “Veles”). Also BT still seem prone to the odd injection of some off kilter or quirky synth moments that surfaced on all the prior albums. For “Tropoyu…” it’s the disco-esque synths that surface in the otherwise superb “Ogneboga Semargla zhar!”, but considering the overall, undeniable quality of the rest of the material, it’s still a delight to listen to. Vocally there’s the expected wolfish snarl and an over abundance of clean “beerhall” choirs that are wonderfully rendered by the seven piece band, and an aura of authenticity is added to the proceedings with the chosen language. There seem to be slightly less estranged female vocals here than on prior albums, instead the female lead moments are more focused and tight, and to be honest, less grating than on prior albums. Still, though BT love their spoken word intros/interludes (“Poyti za ney vsled”, “Gimny Roda peli v grudi!” just to name two) that break up the music and again add a truly “authentic” atmosphere to the album. However, BT are adept songwriters with a flair for creating fine pagan hymns of glory and honor. At their best, (“Gimny Roda peli v grudi!”, “Begu ya rysju, begu ya volkom!” and “Nasha krov' odnoy rekoy!”), mixing graceful keyboards, blood pumping riffs and evocative vocals, BT are easily on par with any of the genre's Western European bands in both of terms of musical scope and ethnic conviction. Simply put, this album, as well as their entire discography is easily a must have for any Viking/Folk/Pagan metal fan who thinks Scandinavia is the only source for great bands of this style.
