Following months of controversy, Polish Black Metal band Batushka mark their return with their new album Hospodi. Without going into too much detail, all that information is online anyways, this is a new era for Batushka, and it's easy to see that the band jumped in feet first. "Hospodi" kicks off with an intro of chants and a slow crawling riff that leads into the aggression of "Dziewiatyj Czas" that will set the tone for the rest of the album.
Hospodi is pumped full of incredible musicianship, "Wieczernia" has some of the catchiest riffs and most consistent blastbeats available. Above that though, this is also an album full of emotion. Following everything, Batushka came back more pissed off than ever and it translates throughout this album. Alternating between melodic influenced sounds and pure destructive force, it's easy to get lost in this album. The only thing to pull you back into reality is the interludes of chants and sermons present between some of the tracks.
One thing that is never truly appreciated in music, especially in albums that tell a story is transitions. It's easy to lose focus and stop paying attention to an album when the songs don't blend well together. This is something that Hospodi does incredibly well though, each song is a continuation of the last. Batushka set out to tell a story and infuse it with emotion, and they did just that. Even without understanding the lyrics, even without knowing the language, the feelings translate through the music.
There may not be a particular stand out point to this album, there may not be anything particularly jaw dropping in the music, but Batushka are masters of their craft. Hospodi is an emotional ride and a very unique sounding Black Metal album. This is a journey that any Extreme Metal fan should experience.
8/10
