Malokarpatan – Krupinské Ohne LP (Black Vinyl)
Malokarpatan – 'Krupinské Ohne' LP
Black vinyl edition in gatefold sleeve with booklet
New third album in 2020 proudly carrying on the spiritual legacy of vanguard Eastern Bloc bands like Root and Masters Hammer but, of course, with their own idiosyncratic touch. Krupinské Ohne subtly expands upon the latent extremes within their witching metal: wilder, more wanderlusting, more space and shade, but also more grit and grime and something that can only be qualified as GRANDIOSE. One could call the album a consolidation of Malokarpatan's all-too-considerable strengths, and that one would not be wrong. It's another trip to the darkest corners of Eastern European folklore, and once again pulled off without the least bit of self-consciousness or cloying insincerity.
But, one need only look at Krupinské Ohne's five-song/49-minute duration to see that this epic math indeed portends more epic creations. And that epicness is befitting of the album's thematic contents, as guitarist Adam explains: "Krupinské Ohne - or The Fires of Krupina, translated to English - is a concept work dealing with real and magical events that took place during the 17th century in the town of Krupina. A coven of witches operated here and instilled fear in the area that has eventually led to their fiery deaths upon the pyres of the Catholic Church. Adjusted to the conceptual nature of the album, the music is inspired by the specific mystique and adventurous spirit of '70s progressive rock albums, while still remaining true to our roots of Iron Curtain-style obscure black/heavy metal."
