Sivyi Yar
Night 

Gardarika Musikk 2011

Sivyi Yar is atmospheric pagan black metal from the heart of Russian resistance, the region of Leningrad.  The song titles are in Russian, but since i don't have the Cyrillic alphabet on my computer I will be using the English titles of the songs for review purposes.  Tracks one through 6 are the Night album and tacked on to the end are 4 tracks from the Oredezh EP.  Sivyi Yar is dark and cold, with moody, fuzzed out guitars.  In general there is a strong Burzum influence on the sound heard here.  The album begins with The Unknown which is a nebulous intro that quickly moves aside in favor of the harsh, primitive tones of Black Witchcraft.  Its quick pace and distorted vocals batter and smash at the listener and the song drops into a methodical, hypnotizing plod which serves to lull you into the songs claustrophobic embrace.  Then the drums and raw vocals subdue your eardrums again.  At the 6:18 mark the song once again shifts mood to a somber and icy melody that ushers in an arctic gale.  Eternal Fields of Silence is up next and its initial stage is ceremonial ambience that slowly breaks into hazy black metal riffs that conjure similarities to Velvet Cacoon.  The repetitive nature of the songstructure is mesmerizing which I am sure is the intent.  A crueler, more menacing vibe is noticeable on Spirits Of Nav.  The main riff is more imposing and heavier which leads directly into a ropey bass section and atmospheric passage.  The final track of the Night album is A Thousand Years of Darkness.  It is a somber, foggy track that is lost in shadows and melancholy.  Stylistically it is along the lines of Xasthur though the vocals are much harsher.  The Oredezh EP contains three interpretations of the title track and one other composition.  The three interpretations of the title track are vastly different, the first one being dark ambient synth, the second version is harsh black metal with some death metal rhythms, and the third is a bizarre, bass heavy stomp with over-the-top shrieks.  I am reminded at times of other industrial black metal outings like Diabolos Rising, and Raism.  One issue that is noticeable with the recording is that the vocals and drums are louder in the mix than the guitars which can hamper your ability to distinctly hear the riffs at times.  Sivyi Yar embraces the atmospheric and fuzzed out ethos of primitive black metal pioneers such as Burzum and Xasthur and then adds another layer of harshness for a truly misanthropic album.