Artist: Ablazen Winds / Niaisny
Country: USA / Belarus
Label: Blud Auk Tapes / Medieval Prophecy Records
Formats: Split Cassette / Split CD
Year: 2026
Due to busy schedules and the never-ending stream of new releases, it’s unfortunately quite common for some records to be overlooked and not receive the attention they actually deserve. With a ‘team’ of just two people, a site like this naturally tends to cherry-pick the best bits. There’s nothing wrong with that in itself, but it does mean, for example, that the 2025 debut album by Belarusian band Niaisny went unreviewed. And yet I bought the record straight away and thought the demos were very good too. In other words: it was a case of being overwhelmed in the battle between available time and workload. Fortunately, I can now make amends by reviewing this recent split cassette tape by Niaisny with Ablazen Winds.
Personally, I wasn’t particularly impressed by any of Ablazen Winds’ previous material. Like the majority of American-made Black Metal in this style, Ablazen Winds also lacks inspiration and seems to be underpinned by a serious lack of understanding of the genre. Rory Flay, here under the name “Necklace Of Shadow”, has not yet demonstrated, through bands such as Collier d’Ombre, Ichors Glaive and Garmsblod, that he is a musician capable of coming across as truly and consistently convincing. Nor has he managed, on this A-side of the cassette tape, to rise above ground level. According to Blud Auk Tapes, Ablazen Winds’ Black Metal is said to be deeply rooted in the tradition of the 1990s and to be an homage to Hate Forest or Astrofaes. The problem, as has so often been demonstrated, is this: Black Metal is not merely about copying other people’s music or imitating a particular aesthetic; it is perhaps even more about atmosphere and feeling than anything else. And that is what is completely missing here; deliberately giving your music a somewhat dim sound does not make it an underground production. This kind of Black Metal revolves around the atmosphere that arises naturally and organically through the music, often in all its simplicity, letting the music speak for itself. This, once again, sounds forced and artificial. Let’s be clear: it falls far short of the standard set by the two aforementioned Ukrainian legends.
Compared to Ablazen Winds, Niaisny are far superior. On the surface, both bands seem to have a lot in common, but, without wishing to sound elitist, the true connoisseur will sense the difference without difficulty. I won’t go so far as to say that Niaisny are the best band in the genre, but they clearly demonstrate that their understanding is spot on, and they certainly weave their Black Metal in the tradition of the greats mentioned above. Not only are Hate Forest and Astrofaes evident here, but a touch of early Drudkh and Nokturnal Mortum is also recognisable. Not so much because of their affinity for Eastern European folklore, but all the more because of their sense of drama, sorrow and heroism, which embodies the centuries-long struggle with and against nature and neighbouring tribes. The strength, pride and love for rural life are deeply ingrained in the music and are unmistakably part of Niaisny’s DNA. Having said that, I still prefer the Belarusian band’s first two demos, the first of which in particular is a real gem in the recent underground scene. The album released last year and, albeit to a slightly lesser extent, this recording too, sound a little too polished for my personal taste, but that certainly shouldn’t spoil the fun.
