(written by Islander)
One English dictionary defines “nuanced” as “something characterized by subtle shades, fine distinctions, or layered meanings.” The riffing in the very riff-centered song we’re now premiering is nuanced in all those ways, but it coheres in the creation of compelling dark moods.
The song, “Forest“, is one of seven encompassed by an album titled Elegy, which is the debut full-length from the American-Polish black metal band Kholstomer that’s set for co-release on August 15th by Satanath Records and Pagan Fury Records. The band was founded by James Oskarbski (Odious Spirit) and (as the labels say) “draws inspiration from literature, history, and the contradictions of human nature”. Elegy, for example, was “informed by reflections on Tolstoy’s view of mortality and war”:
“Drawing from the idea that history is shaped less by great individuals than by vast, impersonal forces beyond anyone’s command, Elegy finds both tragedy and transcendence in human limitation.”
As for the music, the labels recommend it for fans of Dawn, Mgła, Emperor, Woe, and Winterfylleth. But now let’s get to “Forest“.
As mentioned, the song is structured around riffs that establish a theme and then change it in nuanced ways. Those riffs are delivered by a pair of rapidly vibrating channel-separated guitars, one deeper in the range and ragged in texture and the other higher and more piercing.
Those tremolo’d chords (and occasionally picked notes) join together to create harmonies that are dismal and distressing, oppressive and frantic. Those harmonies evolve in ways that channel more miserable and hopeless moods, as well as even more feverish and unnerving phases of distress.
A lead guitar also appears fairly early in the song, adding a striking third layer that seems to wail in pain, in tandem with a soaring clean-sung vocal. (Selfishly, I wish it had reappeared later.)
There’s also nuance in the drum and bass progressions. While the riffs evolve and circle back, the drumming adds dynamism to the music, leading it on vigorous gallops but also injecting both steadier and somewhat off-kilter beats, while the bass both melodically hums and furiously throbs.
But not everything about the song is nuanced. Although, as mentioned, there’s a bit of soaring clean singing in the song that gives it an epic accent, the vocals mainly vent wild screams of blistering intensity, as if taking the pain channeled by the riffs and dialing it up into the red zone.
KHOLSTOMER Album Line-up:
J. Oskarbski – guitars, vocals
Cullen Gallagher – bass (guest)
David De Liniers – drums (guest)
Elegy features artwork and logo by Cami Lee and layout by Aleksey Satanath. The labels will release it in a jewel-box CD edition with an 8-page booklet, and digitally. After the usual links we’re also including a stream of the album’s previously premiered closing track “Thorned“.
PRE-ORDER:
https://satanath.bandcamp.com/album/sat427-kholstomer-elegy-2026
https://www.barbaricfury.shop/
KHOLSTOMER:
https://kholstomer.bandcamp.com/
https://instagram.com/kholstomerband