N.K.V.D. - Vlast review
| Band: | N.K.V.D. |
| Album: | Vlast |
| Style: | Industrial black metal |
| Release date: | 2011 |
01. Geheime Staats Polizei
02. Incipit SSSR
03. Ibn Al Khattab
04. Alkhan-Kala
05. Geniul Din Carpati
06. Krasnaya Paranoia
07. Socijalisticka Federativna Republika Jugoslavija
08. Grozny
A spectre is haunting black metal ? the spectre of communism. What? Hell no, don't be misguided by the grandiose soviet aesthetic of the cover artwork and the imposing hammer & sickle at its centre. It's not a call to arms for the proletariat to fight back oppression. Judging from the title of their first EP, Dictatura, and its cover which is a multi-portrait of Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Slobodan Milosevic and Akhmad Kadyrov you can get a reference to what N.K.V.D.'s music wants to bring forth through their politically incorrect design status. Everything becomes clearer when you get in mind that N.K.V.D. (Narodny Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del - People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) was one of Stalin's major weapons to strangle the voices of his opposers once and forever.
Vlast is their debut full-length release and it's a ruthless, massive blast of hatred through its vast, emotionless and cold soundscapes. Of course it's industrial black metal we're talking about, drawing its inspiration from totalitarian rulers whose voice is breathing through the compositions with sampled speeches they left behind them in the march of history. Big moustache, small moustache, no moustache, the actions are in the same sphere, it's the magnitude that differs and the veil under which they are covered. N.K.V.D. set this veil aflame and evoke a mechanical, often militaristic, ambiance through their sonic rapture.
The compositions are surrounded by a thick darkness as if a parasitic swarm was omnipresent during the recording. The production compliments Vlast, accomplishing in the first place everything the band wanted to present through their sound and visual aspects. There's a heavy industry working on in here, from the mechanical fumes and effects to the programmed drumming and from the menacing continuous riffing to the floating threat, the keyboards. "Socijalisticka Federativna Republika Jugoslavija" is the perfect example of instrumental militaristic industrial black metal with bombastic ambiance which engulfs pure human darkness and whose only voice is a sample. Of course there are vocals in the album that enrich the band's visions through their either fuming/rasping or hoarse echoing edge. Without them the outcome would still be clinical, but with them it's exquisite.
I have to admit that I really adored the very end of the album, a few seconds of chanting from an orthodox liturgy is always welcome after all this chaos, with the difference that it makes the effect even stronger with some hypocrisy-infused divinity.
You don't know what to expect until you listen, you will definitely find some Mysticum in here, but in the end what you'll really witness is 37 minutes of abhorrent disharmony and echoes from the recent past transmuted in morse signals in exchange for your soul.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 10 |
 | Written on 31.08.2011 by "It is myself I have never met, whose face is pasted on the underside of my mind." |
Comments page 2 / 3
Comments: 72
Visited by: 540 users
| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| ANGEL REAPER Posts: 3687  |
Written by Guest on 01.09.2011 at 14:43 i see your point man ...just this fusion of stuff with bm is not my cup of tea....
---- "Cross is only an iron,hope is just an illusion,freedom is nothing but a name..." "Build your walls of the dead stone...Build your roofs of a dead wood..Build your dreams of a dead thoughts" 
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| The Turbanator Posts: 1900  |
I read this review, gave this album a listen, and I'm addicted to it now. Thank you very much. An amazing album.
---- In the name of forests; In the name of stars; In the name of all the seas; In the name of storms... Proud sons of ancient nation; Proud sons of sacred song in the wind; Proud sons behind a mirror of ice who told... Fathers of the icy age!!
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| LeChron James Helvetesfossen Posts: 3561  |
This album didn't do much for me. I don't know why, but the only song i found noteworthy was the song glorifying (maybe?) the former republic of Yugoslavia. Feel free to criticize me. EDIT 12/26: I don't know what I was talking about when I wrote that, but this album is great.
---- Kick Ass, Die Young Less is More Stay Pure Stay Poor Music was my life, music brought me to life and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz in my head that only I can hear.
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603  |
Written by Slayer666 on 31.08.2011 at 19:15 True for me as well, except for the "checking out" part.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18276  |
Written by Milena on 22.12.2011 at 23:09 FAIL.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 22.12.2011 at 23:27 She doesn't like a lot of black metal as it is. I wouldn't expect her to even bother with this. I mean I personally regret listening to it myself.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18276 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 22.12.2011 at 23:31 Another FAIL. (Not to mention that just like Joe... I had no idea what cd you listened, the description of yours was like a completely different thing  )
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Especially as that Sycophant album is probably closer to this than a lot of the other stuff you like 
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466  |
Written by Milena on 22.12.2011 at 23:09 Why? This just might be the album that will get you into black. (next to no chance though, but still, aren't you just a bit curious?)
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by Slayer666 on 23.12.2011 at 00:28 I have, like, a gazzilion things to get to first, haven't even wrapped up (if there is such a thing) major bands from the genres I do love already. Ofc I am curious. But what I did this year was tackling a lot of shit at once and getting confused. I only cleared up the mess of albums on my computer a couple months ago and decided what I like now and what will be put off till my tastes change.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 |
Written by Milena on 23.12.2011 at 00:43 Oh, right. I keep forgetting not everyone has too much free time on their hands. 
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by Slayer666 on 23.12.2011 at 00:47 Well I currently use it for nothing, but if I actually could do something useful, it wouldn't be listening to a lot more music, as I'm constantly being preached to about not doing anything around the house and yackety yack family rant.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322  |
It seems like they need to write a sequel, if you know what I mean.  No need to dwell on that "unsafe" subject online.
---- In that case, man is only air as well.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 07.05.2012 at 02:55 Just check out the name of the first EP and relate that to my ..."vicinity". And yes, we do need another album with four others on the cover. And again, let's not dwell.
---- In that case, man is only air as well.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18276 |
Exaxctly, one form of protest is to act as the thing you want to protest against.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 |
Written by Guest on 12.05.2012 at 13:26 You got me wrong. I meant that those dudes on the cover of the EP can be... "replaced". If you know what I mean. Written by X-Ray Rod on 12.05.2012 at 15:11 What I told JOOE.
---- In that case, man is only air as well.
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Written by Oaken on 12.05.2012 at 18:53 Nope, I have no idea what you're talking about
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| Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 |
Written by Guest on 12.05.2012 at 18:55 You following politics these days?
---- In that case, man is only air as well.
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 |
Written by Guest on 12.05.2012 at 19:02 Not Russia. I meant Gaddafi and his other "pals" and I don't think we should mention them.
---- In that case, man is only air as well.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18276 |
Written by Oaken on 12.05.2012 at 18:53 Still useless to "replace them" there's no reason for that. Considering the theme of the album and the fact that the politics of those people are still alive. Also, it's stupid to put recent politics people in the cover.... Specially if you don't want to get in trouble if you get my point.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 13.05.2012 at 18:20 Yes, I do.
---- In that case, man is only air as well.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18276 |
Written by deadone on 28.04.2014 at 05:20 Oh yes, I forgot you can get rich by this sort of music. Of course.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18276 |
Written by deadone on 28.04.2014 at 09:26 Well, who am I to tell you what to enjoy or not. I personally enjoy the imagery, specially the artwork. Two sides of the same shitty coin. Jesus Ain't in Poland is also a funny band name I enjoy. Then again, I like this sort of satire. To me it doesn't cheapen the horror. It works as awareness. Hell, I make jokes about Pinochet every now and then and some of my family and friends got really affected by that shit.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18276 |
Written by deadone on 28.04.2014 at 09:44 Ever read The Prince? That shit glorifies the shit out of authoritarianism but the sarcasm and sattire for awareness sake was too obvious... So obvious that most people misunderstood Michavelli and missed the point completely though. I see a similar thing here. But that's my way of looking at it.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Vombatus Potorro Posts: 2355  |
Written by Guest on 28.04.2014 at 11:58 Not from the 80'. Must be shit. Jokes aside, now that you mention the Meads, good old Metatron said a few words about controversial topics in metal (refering to the case of NSBM) where he pretty much nailed it: "Without such movements the past would be inevitably forgotten and lessons from specific ages of human history lost from memory. NSBM can serve as a reminder to both sides of a very controversial coin. [...] What is important is the freedom to discus without prejudice individual views, and NSBM is a medium for a minority to express those views. It is your choice whether to listen, but to silence this view is to become the very beast you attempt to muzzle." I never understood people that tell others what should be allowed or what is decent and acceptable, specially in something like Metal.
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