Review by Carl on June 21, 2023.

Take one look at that album cover, and if you can't guess what to expect immediately, you can skip this review altogether, because this is not going to be for you. Sincerely, your gatekeeping arsehole reviewer.

There are no prizes for guessing what these guys play. A red logo on a black and white drawing of a goat's head and bullet belts with "Satan" in big letters on the front, that's not gonna sound like Phil Collins teaming up with Adele and Coldplay to write the world's most boring song, now is it? Imagine Black Witchery and Archgoat teaming up, with a pinch of earliest Incantation added, and that's really all that there is to say. The guitars sound like meth-fueled swarms of psychotic hornets, underpinned by a battering barrage of percussion and a gravel-throated roar dropped on top of that. The songs alternate between either ferocious rage propelled by blast beats aplenty, or else slow down to a crushing crawl that would have any garden snail remarking to pick up the pace. Wrapped into a raw but powerful production, that could perhaps have used some more guitar and bass, this stuff hits the bestial black/death spot without fail, and even in this overcrowded microverse, this holds up well enough to convince any satanic punter out there.

Thus remains the fact that this sounds like pretty much everyone else in that niche world. I don't really mind that, but at the same time I get this "here comes another one" feeling from it. Still, being the above average release it is, I find it well worth the time. In a scene that relies on bloodthirsty aggression first and foremost, it sure delivers on that front, while sounding equally as menacing as the better releases out there, even if the sound quality slightly goes up and down throughout the album. Other than that, nothing but praise and a sweet peck on the cheek for these guys.

Besides, no one bats an eyelid at the legion of Elvis impersonators out there, so why would anyone take offense at yet another war metal act, right?

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Vladimir on December 25, 2023.

In the ever-growing Ukrainian black metal scene, new bands and artists keep popping up, and it thus keeps expanding with various new ideas that come with the artist. One of those artists that I will be covering is a one-man atmospheric black metal project Протидія from Chernivtsi, which has a great roster of singles and two full-length albums (Тягар страждання and ​П​р​о п​р​и​р​о​д​у), however today I will be taking a look at its latest independent single Deceptive Horizon, released on December 7th.

The song itself is for the most part is fairly mid-tempo and groovy, however it also switches up to aggressive double-bass drumming and blast beats, all the while the guitars emphasize tremolo picking riffs, with some tremolo leads and melodies along the way that contribute to the song by expanding this wall of sound, with harsh vocals which utter the lyrics in Ukrainian language. The overall approach seems quite simple with a solid progression which is not really that hard to follow along, especially with all the riffing and melodies that are frequently heard throughout the song. It is a bit unusual towards the very end as the lyrics suddenly stop and it is mostly instrumentally focused, feeling a bit empty during the closing chapter of the song. Although it is not a complete mood killer I'd say, you would at least expect some closing words before it reaches to its conclusion. There is a strong sense of emotions and atmosphere throughout, often ranging from aggressive to melancholic, which is expressed heavily through the riffing and the melodies that keep this constant mood flowing. The only main complaint I have about this song is the drum sound, which next to the heavily distorted guitar tone and clear vocal mix doesn't quite fit all that well. The overall drum parts are okay and well thought-out, however the real problem I have with the drums is that they sound very artificial and obviously programmed, especially during the sections where it utilizes blast beats and double-bass drumming, which sounds far off in my opinion. The other small issue I have with this single is the cover photo, which I think works fine on its own like an official band photo, but not so much as a cover for the single, and I think I would have preferred something much more artistically expressive and in tone with the song.

On its own, I'd say that this single is quite alright, and the direction that this project is heading for looks quite promising, although I still believe that it needs some minor adjustments that I have previously mentioned. Whatever comes next from this project, I hope that it will make up for what this single is teasing, possibly a very personal journey of an album that will expand the ideas that Deceptive Horizon has to offer.

Rating: 6.4 out of 10