ALBUM REVIEW: Istok – Trna

Are we sick of talking about blackgaze yet? No? Good, because Russia’s TRNA have got a treat for you with their fourth album, and first for Candlelight Records, Istok. Citing luminaries such as WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM and PANOPTICON, as well as shoegaze pioneers SLOWDIVE as influences, it’s reasonable to expect a certain sound from the band. One that recalls misty mountains, dense forests and has a deep reverence for nature. Happily, the band not only deliver on this in spades, but their self-described “celestial blackgaze” has more than enough of its own identity to stand tall. 

It’s also almost entirely instrumental. While instrumental music can be difficult to pull off and stay interesting, especially in a genre like blackgaze, TRNA manage it here. Opening with the title track, we’re treated to sweeping vistas of guitars and slow drums crashing like waves against the cliffs. It feels cinematic, like the opening shot panning across a deserted island teeming with forests and wildlife. Echoes Of The Past is just as grandiose, though with a far frostier bite to it; there’s definite shades of WITTR in its execution, including the softer moments that feature clean guitars and cascading drum fills. 

The only song to go against the instrumental grain is third track Shining, featuring Portugal’s GAEREA. While there’s no shift in tones or movement from their established sound, the vocals add new dimension and texture. They’re a natural inclusion that the piece benefits from. It’s a complex, multi-faceted piece, with several movements interspersed with quieter moments to further accentuate the impact of when they do go full throttle. Shining sits comfortably as the focal point of the album, especially with its near 13 minute run time. That’s not to say other songs exist only to support it; the morose opening to Burning Bridges, Shattered Dreams sets the scene for the explosion of yearning tremolo leads and furious blast beats, while Rebirth goes almost full modern DEAFHEAVEN with its fast-paced, shoegazing, post-rock opening bars. 

While it’s abundantly clear that TRNA owe a lot of their sound to WITTR and other atmospheric black metal bands or those that deal in blackgaze, their own formulation is one that recalls SLOWDIVE and the new DEAFHEAVEN album as much as it does, say, Thrice Woven or Diadem Of 12 Stars. Their post-rock leanings as well as use of voice as a texture as much as an instrument on Shining (the band also include the instrumental version of this which works just as well) ensures that Istok feels like its own entity. The “celestial” of their “celestial blackgaze” leans more toward the epic; this isn’t cosmic as such, rather something that feels expansive and infinite, like a field of stars. With Istok, TRNA have crafted a blackgaze album that unfurls gradually, peaks, and then ends slowly and serenely, leaving peace and bliss in its wake. 

Rating: 7/10

Istok is set for release on September 3rd via Candlelight Records.

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