Review by Fernando on June 18, 2019.

One of the most pleasant surprises on black metal back in 2015 was the debut album by then mysterious polish band Batushka and from there the band made a large splash on the Polish scene and across the world of extreme metal. Unfortunately, the success of Litourgiya and clout Batushka earned caused the now very public legal dispute between founder Krzysztof Drabikowski and former singer Bartłomiej Krysiuk and both parties are planning to continue using the name. But all that is beside the point now which is the album that Drabikowski released online out of nowhere to the surprise of everyone familiar with Batushka and frankly if there was any doubt of who was the mastermind behind what made Litourgiya so good is definitely Krzysztof Drabikowski aka “Христофор”.

Panikhida or Панихида is the name of the album which roughly translates to “Requiem” is indeed the follow up to Litourgiya many were waiting and wanting, musically the album picks up where Litourgiya left off. The unique blend of Polish black metal and Orthodox Gregorian chanting is back in full force but this time the music takes a much more layered and even melodic direction, the music is much more refined and focused than in Litourgiya while maintaining the atmosphere and ethos of that same album. Due to the legal dispute of over the Batushka name Drabikowski has had to compose the album entirely by himself, although there’s some sources that claim that for this album he brought on board his original pick for Batushka’s singer which to this day is unknown who he is. However that doesn’t detract from how this album has turned out. Drabikowski succeeds in expanding Batushka’s sound, biggest standout of how much of an upgrade this album is musically is the second song, simply titled "Песнь II", it’s the band’s longest track and has a unique structure, going from fast to mid-pace to an ambient dirge which those with a keen ear will identify as the intro melody from Batushka’s live concerts in 2016 and 2017.

Furthermore the album has a much more somber tone than Litourgiya. That album was very opulent and even operatic in places, but for Panikhida, the tone is much more melancholic and forlorn, which is very appropriate considering the title, since a “Requiem” is a mass dedicated for the dead, a memorial service and the music’s overall tone and atmosphere have this overwhelming and cold feel that perfectly encapsulates this particular theme of remembering the dead. All in all, this album is everything any Batushka fan could want and is a step forward for the band musically. It’s a cold and ruthless album while also being elegant and refined. Regardless of what happens with the whole “Drabikowski vs Krysiuk” dispute the music speaks for itself and many, including myself consider this album, the true Batushka sophomore record.

Best tracks: "Песнь II", "Песнь III", "Песнь VIII"

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Felix on March 6, 2021.

Those of you who like to dig in the black metal underground might have already made acquaintance with The Stone. The Serbian formation has been active since 2001. The here presented album was released in 2007 and its simple yet extremely atmospheric cover picture caught my interest. Due to some slightly incompetent mail orders, it was not easy to get a copy, but now the hunt is over - and it was worth the trouble. Of course, high fidelity fetishists will moan about the production. The Stone does not impress with a surgically precise sound. The mix is a little bit blurred and relatively flat, but I do not think that this is really a problem. It does not affect the authenticity of the band and since the release of "Under a Funeral Moon", if not before, we all know that black metal does not need a perfect sound in order to reveal its foul stench. Moreover, don't be fooled by the year of the release. The album was already recorded in 1999 and it was the only full-length under the band's previous name Stone to Flesh. So do not be too harsh in terms of the mix - and let's be happy that the album was ornamented with a new cover. The first artwork sucked, despite or exactly because of the fact that it was closely aligned with the name of the output ("Some Wounds Bleed Forever").

Anyway, The Stone blast their way through the Serbian forest in a violent manner. The title track, for example, combines stormy lines with slightly strange keyboard sounds that work in the background. Satan smiles. The infernal legions march again and they appreciate the fact that the soundtrack for their hellish crusade is not affected by external influences. Pure black metal is flowing free and The Stone know enough options in order to keep the music diverse and interesting. The grim and frosty compositions follow pretty traditional schemes, although the guys are not afraid of using blast beats every now and then. However, the guitar work and the scurrilous nagging of Nefas celebrate the old school. It seems to be only logical that the generic line-up (vocals, guitars, bass, drums) performs an equally generic form of black metal. This results in compositions that connect flattening mid-tempo parts with high velocity attacks. Even the amazingly intense crusher 'Serbian Wood' has a less rapid sequence at the end. But regardless of its astonishing tempo, this track belongs to the best pieces of Some Wounds Bleed Forever.

Further songs demonstrate the power of The Stone as well. 'My Demonic Face' shines with a great instrumental part which is mainly formed by rasping guitars. A heroic background choir also appears for a short time. Guess that Immortal's "As the Eternity Opens" served as the model for this part. However, The Stone seem to be intrinsically motivated - otherwise I would have no explanation for their lush discography - and they cannot be blamed for being copycats. This is not to say that each and every song makes my day. Frankly speaking, the artistic intention behind the short 'Razor Speed' remains a mystery. Nevertheless, most parts of this output hit the bull's eye. Even the bonus tracks do not fall short of expectations. They are taken from a 7" which was originally released by Eclipse Productions in 2004. The sound of these songs is less noisy, but there are no significant differences in terms of style. Consequently, The Stone's album from 2007 is a good work, not essential and sometimes a bit strenuous, but absolutely okay.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10