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Malokarpatan - Krupinské Ohne review




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Reviewer:
8.0

69 users:
7.67
Band: Malokarpatan
Album: Krupinské Ohne
Release date: March 2020


01. V Brezových Hájech Poblíž Babinej Zjavoval Sa Nám Podsvetný Velmož
02. Ze Semena Viselcuov Čarovný Koren Povstáva
03. Na Černém Kuoni Sme Lítali Firmamentem
04. Filipojakubská Noc Na Štangarígelských Skalách
05. Krupinské Ohne Poštyrikráte Teho Roku Vzplanuli

Sure, the Czechs have Master's Hammer. But the Slovaks have Malokarpatan.

Let me preface this by saying that Malokarpatan are nowhere near Master's Hammer in terms of relevance, and decidedly closer but still at a sizable distance from Master's Hammer in terms of overall quality. And also just let me say that the last two Master's Hammer albums are great and way too overlooked. But Malokarpatan must be doing something right in order to even be worth putting in the same sentence as Master's Hammer. And it isn't just that they're from the other half of Czechoslovakia, but also that they successfully take that torch of late first-wave black metal.

One look at their cover arts is enough to realize that this is its own brand of dark music, one that is very folk inspired. Not the mead-drinking folk, but rather the folk horror of witches, strigois, and boogeymen. Just look at that spooky humanoid being in the cover and tell me he doesn't make you the least bit uncomfortable, like he's the sort of thing your grandma would tell you that would eat you if you didn't behave. This album in particular is based on some pretty nasty history. So this album evokes a pretty dark and olden atmosphere, making it almost indistinguishable from something released in the late 80s. Well, almost indistinguishable.

Krupinské Ohne's use of keyboards and folk instruments seems a bit ahead of the olden sounds they emulate. But those are used sparingly, albeit to great effect. The bulk of the album is still fairly close to heavy metal and early black metal, more melodic than Krolok and more conventional than Remmirath, two bands who share a fair deal of members with Malokarpatan and that you should check out if you want something either harsher or weirder. Krupinské Ohne takes bits of both to create a somewhat oddball take, having just five really long tracks that really don't feel like five long tracks, due to how damn great those riffs are, how seamless the transitions are, and how weird the keyboards, folk instruments and sound clips are.

Feeling so very retro, but doing just enough right to be original is a winning formula that makes Krupinské Ohne really great. But I still wish they went a bit deeper into those oddball parts of their sound. Like they did with Remmirath. Please make another Remmirath album soon.






Written on 25.04.2020 by Doesn't matter that much to me if you agree with me, as long as you checked the album out.


Comments

Comments: 7   Visited by: 65 users
25.04.2020 - 23:45
Desha
delicious dish
This one was kind of a mixed back for me; I think the atmosphere is great but the songs just feel a bit too long... I also preferred the more whacky approach the last album took in general, makes for more catchy music. Though I still think this band deserves way more attention than they get.
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You are the hammer, I am the nail
building a house in the fire on the hill
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25.04.2020 - 23:48
Rating: 8
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Written by Desha on 25.04.2020 at 23:45

This one was kind of a mixed back for me; I think the atmosphere is great but the songs just feel a bit too long... I also preferred the more whacky approach the last album took in general, makes for more catchy music. Though I still think this band deserves way more attention than they get.

I have to give that another spin too, but I really liked the unique sound that it has, while being about 90% rehash. Make sure to check out Remmirath if you haven't.
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Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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26.04.2020 - 00:00
Desha
delicious dish
Written by RaduP on 25.04.2020 at 23:48

Make sure to check out Remmirath if you haven't.

I think my metalstom account would've disintegrated after a year if I hadn't checked it out by then
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You are the hammer, I am the nail
building a house in the fire on the hill
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26.04.2020 - 11:41
nikarg

I discovered Malokarpatan with Nordkarpatenland because Fenriz was raving about it when it came out. Which is understandable since Darkthrone themselves have also been diving into '80s heavy metal and the first wave bm sound in their last few LPs. I really liked that album when I heard it but it didn't have the staying power that I expected. This one has lengthier songs, the Master's Hammer influence is immense again of course, and normally this would be right up my alley but there is something that doesn't really click with me. I really like their covers, their folksy and whacky approach, but I can't seem to enjoy it as much as I would expect.
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26.04.2020 - 11:45
Rating: 8
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Written by nikarg on 26.04.2020 at 11:41

I discovered Malokarpatan with Nordkarpatenland because Fenriz was raving about it when it came out. Which is understandable since Darkthrone themselves have also been diving into '80s heavy metal and the first wave bm sound in their last few LPs. I really liked that album when I heard it but it didn't have the staying power that I expected. This one has lengthier songs, the Master's Hammer influence is immense again of course, and normally this would be right up my alley but there is something that doesn't really click with me. I really like their covers, their folksy and whacky approach, but I can't seem to enjoy it as much as I would expect.

That is pretty much how I felt about the recent Darkthrone. Everything pointed out to me enjoying it, but I just really didn't click with it. I do get where you're coming from with this, since I felt like that on first listen too.

That said, check out their other band, Remmirath, since that will probably be even easier to like.
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Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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27.04.2020 - 13:24
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
East Europe in late 80's and early 90's had good hard rock, old heavy metal bands what sung in native languages. Rock away communism, good you was born in free country Cz, Svk scene in that time was most active, then follow Hungary, but in mid 90's those regions gave us good pagan, black , doom metal bands, what still are underground and unknown, mayeb in MA, many had good one or 2 album runs and sad we forgot many such bands even in those regions.
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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23.05.2020 - 17:08
Rating: 9
grote_smurf

Before I read the review in the Dutch metal magazine Aardschok of april 2020 I had never heard of this band, shame on me ;-)
I gave it a listen and I was charmed by the great riffs and the dark atmosphere that this album breaths. Because the character of the songs (long and oftenly slow) I understand that this album isn't an all mens friend but personally I like it very much. I give it a 9/10.
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One day the Dutch broadcast companies will present a GREAT heavy metal show on radio and tv. We call this wishful thinking.....
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