A Concept That Has Run Its Course - A Review of Патриархь's Пророк Илия

About a decade ago, Polish band Батюшка had a significant impact upon the black metal scene with its acclaimed debut record Литоургиiа that creatively combined lyrics inspired by Eastern Orthodox liturgy, sacral symphonic musicianship and ecclesiastical chants and choirs with melodic black metal based upon mid-paced drum patterns, simple and cold guitar riffs and strained screams and shrieks. Ten years later, said band has long fallen apart and its former members as well as numerous copycats have only been releasing pale copies of the original record. Патриархь's debut album Пророк Илия is one of the better copycats but nonetheless miles away from the impact of the original work. This new record is only recommended to adamant fans of this very particular genre while occasional listeners and potential new fans should stick to the classic released about a decade ago.

To be fair, Патриархь have been doing several things very well on Пророк Илия. The memorable cover artwork deserves to be mentioned. The use of ecclesiastical chants by men and women alike sounds crystal clear. The use of occasional narrative elements adds lyrical depth. The melodic production favours the sacrtal symphonic musicianship. The record thus sounds very atmospheric from start to finish. Highlights on this output are diversified, epic and structured album closer "Вершалин VIII" as well as calm, enchanting and introspective "Вершалин VI" that almost entirely abandons any black metal stylistics.

On the other side, this new record blandly rehashes ideas that are already ten years old without adding anything convincing, new or unique to the formula. The drum sound is serviceable and fails to stand out. Despite the presence of three guitarists, the melodic black metal riffs sound exchangeable throughout. The production lacks oomph and makes the final product sound like an ambient album rather than a metal record. The songwriting at times lacks purpose and structure. A song such as "Вершалин III" for instance features several promising ideas that however don't harmonize at all and lead to a confusing mess that won't open up to listeners.

At the end of the day, the positive elements on Патриархь's Пророк Илия are slightly more significant that the record's notable downsides. However, the rehashed concept of Батюшка's Литоургиiа has certainly run its course by now. Let's interpret this record as a respectable last look back but the artists shouldn't forget to innovate, inspire and invent in the future.