Kostnatění - Oheň hoří tam, kde padl (2022)^{Release ID: 35316}

This is my first Kostnatění experience and it's certainly a unique one. Metal bands have been introducing traditional folk music from a whole variety of countries and cultures over the years, but rarely is it done with this much conviction. It's actually astounding that the main writer and performer (Dillon Lyons performs everything apart from drums) is actually from the United States, as he's managed to fill every nook and cranny of this EP with Turkish melodies and vocal stylings. The melodies are likely to be more familiar than you might think, if only due to the very distinctive sound and techniques involved. I had my doubts as to whether this type of music could be successfully integrated into Dillon's dissonant and chaotic form of black metal, and I have to say that I'm still not completely convinced. The drumming is surprisingly brutal, with blasts and fills flying in every direction, which can be a little jarring when it's accompanying slow to mid-paced traditional folk melodies. The production has a very live feel to it too, with everything seemingly purposefully left a little rough around the edges.

While I can totally appreciate this release for what it is, I have to admit that I struggle to see at as anything more than a novelty. It's neat to experience such an unusual amalgamation, but do I actually want to listen to it? Do I actually really enjoy it? I've had to admit that the answer is no. Definitely worth a listen, but not something I'll be going back to. As a final note, I find it strange that a release so overflowing with folk music has not a single vote for Folk Metal on RYM. The description for Folk Metal is "a fusion of metal with Traditional Folk Music" and it also suggests that "Folk Metal is often integrated with other subgenres such as Viking Metal, Black Metal, Symphonic Metal and Power Metal". Well, here we have a black metal release almost entirely made up of traditional Turkish folk music, yet somehow doesn't justify that description.