“Come forth, from the grave!“
Just only two months after the release of the powerful demo tape “Long and Forgotten Relic“, KRVNA is back again with an impressive record. 26th of November is the release date of the band’s debut album, “Sempinfernus“, via the Australian label Seance Records.
This one man project of Krvna Vatra is perhaps still unknown to many, but I am sure that with this record things will change very soon. What we have here is an album in the purest black metal tradition, full of aggression and melancholy, all carefully wrapped in a black cloak of nostalgia. For me “Sempinfernus” sounds as if it has been recorded somewhere in the early ’90s and buried in a crypt since then, only to be discovered and released almost 3 decades later.
“With blackened wings
On the winds of the past
Throughout the ages
And centuries dark“
While “Sempinfernus” is not a concept album per se, the songs deal with the myth of the vampire and its various shapes and traditions. During the 36 minutes of this record KRVNA takes us on a beautiful journey through centuries past, from the shades of Hades to the Targovistean nights, where a timeless, ageless Vampire feasts while witnessing the triumph of the flesh over the spirit, as the eve of the eternal sunset is about to descend over the world forever. This whole feeling of impending doom is enhanced by the beautiful black and white cover created by Scourge Tattoo Artist, which captures the exact essence of this record, from the lyrics to the music.
The album contains 5 lengthy tracks, with furious blast beats and memorable riffs which intertwine with slow, mid-tempo passages, melancholic guitar riffs and discrete piano parts. I would say that the guitars steal the show on this album and are some of the best I have heard recently. I mean, the whole album is just an amazing collection of riffs played in the old way and every track has its own special trademark, you just cannot decide which one is the best. From the opening chords of the first track to the obsessive, haunting parts of the last song, we’re treated with 100% pure black metal art!!
After the first two tracks, the instrumental “The Triumph of the Flesh Over the Spirit” cuts the album in half, drowning you even more in a sea of melancholy with its mid tempo double bass drums and melodic guitar parts. This song has a powerful funerary vibe attached to it and it makes me imagine a silent procession carrying the deceased’s coffin to the freshly dug grave…Only to be reborn again, in the last two tracks, in various incarnations – Strigoja, Nachzerher, Dracul, Vampire – as the world plunges into eternal darkness:
“On the Eve of Eternal Sunset
And unholy blasphemies
The sun sets forever
The temples fall to their deeps“.
“Sempinfernus” is a majestic piece of work, an album both complex and straightforward at the same time, which still continues to unveil its hidden beauty long after the first listen. While it pays a clear homage to what I would call Scandinavian black metal, KRVNA keeps its own trademark and follows its own path. The demo and this debut full length show a band with huge talent and clear vision, so I am extremely curious to see what Krvna Vatra will come up with next. Until then, check this album out and immerse yourselves in its splendor, this is already on my best albums of the year list.
KRVNA – “Sempinfernus” Track List:
1. From the shades of Hades
2. …To the Targovistean Nights
3. The Triumph of the Flesh Over the Spirit
4. Timeless… Ageless
5. The Eve of Eternal Sunset
Band contact:
scrollsofdarmoth.com 
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