Album Review: В венке из воска (In a Garland of Wax) by Skverna Liniya (Casus Belli Musica/Beverina)

Russian black metallers, Skverna Liniya, will release their debut full length album titled In a Garland of Wax (В венке из воска) on the 1st of October 2021 via Casus Belli Musica and Beverina Production.

Skverna Liniya is a progressive atmospheric black metal project from Voronezh, Russia. The history of the project began at the end of 2020 with the release of the EP Snowfall. At the beginning of 2021 the recording of the full-length album began. The music from the album В венке из воска (In a Garland of Wax) (except the opening track) is based on the lyrics of Boris Poplavsky, (1903-1935) a Russian poet in exile.

The poet’s work was focused on the soul’s withering and searching in a hostile environment, loneliness and fear in coming into contact with reality. Cities in the early 20th century. Radical changes in the minds and lives of millions of people. Despair and the search for the meaning of life in the suffocating atmosphere of the pre-war period and the revolution. The breakdown of the worldview, spiritual torments, and the path of self-destruction.

Skverna Liniya are Sergey Chirkov on guitars, bass, keys and Andrey Pospelov on guitars, additional bass in track 1. They are joined by guest musicians Roman Graver on harsh vocals, Konstantin Bers on clean vocals and Ivan Salo on drums.

В венке из воска, or In A Garland of Wax, comes with 6 thought provoking and deeply moving atmospheric tracks on it. We get underway with The Rustle of Smoldering Life. A gentle build up beds you in nicely before an explosion of furious power takes over hitting you with blasting drums and thick bass with vicious guttural vocals. The heaviness is all consuming and really transports you to a different time and place before the darkness is pierced slightly by an insane instrumental section. Blazing guitar lines wrap their arms around the darkness while the frenzied riffing and drums attack at hyper speed.

A sudden drop leaves us in a gentle atmospheric section that plays through to the end. It feels immensely sombre and left me feeling sad and introspective. The orchestral touch is gentle but effective. A wonderful way to start any album off and a powerful introduction to Skverna Liniya. The second track is called How Cold It Is. The Empty Soul Keeps Silence.

The depth of this song is special. Musically encompassing, the drums impress massively combining in mesmerising chaos with speed riffing, guttural vocals and a hypnotic guitar line. The relentless pace really excites and builds up nicely in a post black metal or black gaze style to a switch in melody with the words of Boris Poplavsky read out passionately while the drums continue to punish and the guitars blaze out a higher tone. Mesmerising stuff.

Track 3 is Green Horror and starts with a foreboding hum of instruments with a sombre picked guitar melody. It builds nicely up in heaviness and intensity, building atmosphere and tension with intelligence. The catchy drum beats, the repeated guitar melody and little added elements like chimes make for an epic soundscape. A slight breather comes but you get a feel for what is coming and it does. Ripping vocals join in with the guitars and drums that have upped the tempo considerably while still hammering out the familiar melody from the intro. Again the drums seriously impress as does the whole song composition and intricate crafting.

Different paces, different tones come and go in seamless transitions keeping the whole track exciting and fresh. Another slow down with Polavsky’s words comes with a little orchestral backing before it builds up again to close out in an assault of dark, crushing metal that is as beautiful as it is heavy.

We move into The Sunset Blazed O’er The Madhouse and the quality keeps coming. Intense drumming and thick bass lines act as the foundation for the many layers on top from melodic guitars to speed riffing and orchestral touches. We reach the end of In A Garland of Wax with two tracks, the first of which is simply titled Interlude so no prizes for guessing what it is.

Interlude is a sombre, reflective piece with multiple melodies playing off against each other to set the scene for the final track on the album, In Forgotten Wide Spaces. A mammoth 8 and a half minute epic instrumental that works best when listened to directly after Interlude. The scene set in the previous track carries on before a stunning lead guitar melody takes ownership over the orchestral backing. It feels powerful and dangerous. The crushing slow thump of drums and bass that join in makes for a combined sound that is nothing short of remarkable.

It is such an emotive track, really toying with your feelings as it tugs you in different directions often adding a touch of sobriety while somehow sounding full of hope and promise simultaneously. How does a song with no lyrics speak so loudly? As we move through phase after phase, seamlessly transitioning, you can’t help but sit back in awe at what Skverna Liniya have created here both on In A Garland of Wax but especially on this monstrous ending song.

Truly talented, deeply intelligent, In A Garland of Wax is a must listen, must own and must admire album that will surely be topping Top Ten Lists at the end of this 2021.

В венке из воска, or In A Garland of Wax, is out on October 1st. Pre-order the limited digipak CD via Casus Belli Musica or Beverina Productions by following the links.

Skverna Liniya Links

Bandcamp – Beverina Productions – Casus Belli Musica – YouTube