Review by George Stiglic on November 11, 2024.

I have a funny story connected to this album. I was vacationing in Bar, Montenegro (yes, that’s actually the name of the town!) and decided to check out the local metal scene. I reached out on Facebook to Rikavac’s guitarist Marco and, the next day, decided to give their debut—and so far, only—album a listen.

On the beach, I turned on my player, and from the first few sounds, I promised myself not to get up and to stay under the blazing sun until I’d listened to the whole album. That’s how much it grabbed my attention. I kept my promise but ended up badly sunburned and spent a few days in terrible pain—haha!

Musically, Rikavac blends death, black, and thrash metal, with thrash taking the lead, appealing to fans of old-school metal. You won’t find any trendy twists here. The riffs are based on power chords and palm mutes, and it’s clear the guitarist knows his way around down-picking. There are musical echoes of Cannibal Corpse and early Sepultura here, too. The song titles are great, like 'Whore Will Not Come Home Tonight', inspired by Jack the Ripper and written in English. A word of caution, though—some tracks are in Montenegrin, and if you get curious, I advise you not to translate the fourth track. It might traumatize you, and your life will never be the same. You’ve been warned haha!

The album wraps up with three covers, including my favorite from "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" by Amorphis, as well as 'Barracuda' (Heart cover (check the original too!)) and 'Bite It You Scum' (by rock ’n’ roll’s true king, GG Allin). I have to say, the band members have a great sense of humor! The album was released in 2017.

If you didn't know anything about the Montenegrin metal scene before, I highly recommend starting your acquaintance with it with this album. Its good recording quality, thoughtful song structure, and excellent performance will not leave old-school metal fans indifferent! As far as I know, the group is currently working on the second one. I am looking forward to it!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10