Artist: Malokarpatan
Country: Slovakia
Label: Invictus Productions
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2023
It’s kind of odd to realize that ‘Stridžie dni’ was released as recently as 2015. It certainly feels to me as if Malokarpatan has been around for decades, in terms of the authenticity of their sound but also the large amount of following that they have built up in those years since the debut launched. With the release of ‘Vertumnus Caesar’ we are served with the long-awaited fourth full-length and follow-up to the acclaimed ‘Krupinské ohne’ from 2020, once again brought forth by their faithful partner in crime, Invictus Productions.
When taking the journey through the discography of Malokarpatan, the band has never let themselves bound by a certain sound. Continuous evolution seems part of the band’s DNA, just as it was a key part of arguably one of the greatest forebearers from their native region, the mighty Master’s Hammer. With ‘Vertumnus Caesar’, Malokarpatan continues to roam freely between genres and into unexplored directions. Yes, the core of Black Metal with a strong presence of for instance Bathory is still underneath it all. On the newest record this is arguably the most present in the shape of the sharp, reverbed vocals. And sure, a song like ‘Maharal a Golem’ counts some of the more harsh and traditional Black Metal riffs on the album, but these have become less of a staple in the band’s sound. As the band evolved, their firm adoration of acts like Mercyful Fate and King Diamond has become more of an integral part of their sound, and ‘Vertumnus Caesar’ certainly blends in the most Heavy Metal influences to date. Add in the trademark Slovak Folk influences and a progressive use of keyboards and traditional instruments, and it’s not hard to realize that Malokarpatan has once again outdone themselves in their drive to evolve.
Although an instrumental opener, ‘Na okraji priepaste otevíra sa hviezdny zámek’ sets the tone with the use of a mellotron, creating a Folk inspired progressive atmospheric piece. It leads into ‘Kočár postupuje temnomodrými dálavami na juhozápad’, a song in which the inspiration from Mercyful Fate and King Diamond take their most prominent form in the riffs. But the raw edge to the them together with the rasping vocals and mood-enhancing progressive keyboards continuously remind us how unique the band truly is. In the title track this almost sound Hellenic, with something of a Rotting Christ vibe at the time of their ‘Non Serviam’ album contrasting the soothing mellotron and medieval fantasty outro. The absolute centerpiece of the album is ‘Vovnútri chlácholivého útočišta kunstkamru’, a pure 80’s Hardrock and Heavy Metal track in the style of Dio, Saxon and Metallica (I hear beautiful parallels with ‘The Four Horsemen’). The pulsating bass rhythm is delightfully akin to Mercyful Fate, and the solo on the backdrop of spacey keys is downright gorgeous. Another song worth mentioning is ‘I hle, tak zachádza imperiálna hviezda’, where the backing choirs and commanding rasping vocals add to the epic atmosphere as they tell an unfolding story that takes a seemingly sadder turn as it slows down and fades into a mellotron outro. Beautiful!
That Malokarpatan would not repeat itself has been clear ever since they released their second album. As years and albums have gone by, the band has enriched their sound, melting their Slovak Folk history with Heavy Metal upbringings and Black Metal roots into a truly unique alloy. ‘Vertumnus Caesar’ is a splendid continuation of their musical journey and testimony of their creativity beyond boundaries.
