ALBUM REVIEW: Panihida – Batushka (Krzysztof Drabikowski)

At the tail end of 2018, drama and controversy struck one of the most beloved outfits in the Polish extreme metal scene. Krzysztof Drabikowski, founder and main composer of black metal darlings BATUSHKA, found himself removed from the band, claiming that his intellectual property rights had been stolen by the band’s vocalist, Bartłomiej Krysiuk and that his version of BATUSHKA is the true version. Meanwhile, Krysiuk maintained that Drabikowski had been “disappointed but understanding” at his removal from the band, and that BATUSHKA was an entity bigger than one man. While Krysiuk‘s BATUSHKA have brand new album, Hospodi, set for release July 12th via Metal Blade Records (get your first taste of Krysiuk‘s incarnation of BATUSHKA here!), Drabikowski teased a new song from his version of the band a few weeks ago, and on May 26th, surprise released Panihida – his follow up to BATUSHKA‘s Litourgiya.

While the album title of Panihida, or Панихида in Cyrillic, feels somewhat symbolic – loosely translating to “Memorial” – the song titles are as simple as can be, running through from Песнь 1 (Song One) to Песнь 8. Don’t let the simplicity in the titles fool you, though. Compositionally, Панихида is a firm reminder of just how important BATUSHKA are to the modern black metal scene. Drabikowski eases into Панихида with Песнь 1, letting the Orthodox chants wash over the listener while a more melodic brand of black metal seeps from the speakers. The hymn-like vocals take centre stage for much of the opening song, with the raw black metal vocals only hinted at until the last half-minute of Песнь 1. However, with Песнь 2 Drabikowski more than makes up for the softer opening. A series of DISSECTION-influenced riffs fire in from the outset, drowning the track in a sombre, melancholic feeling that is only enhanced by the absolutely visceral vocals. A wonderfully catchy, groove-ridden section sees Песнь 2 reach its midway point, where things only get softer, more melodic, and more gut-wrenching, before all of Drabikowski‘s fury brings the track to a close.

This incredibly raw, punishingly melancholic trend continues for much of Панихидa. Песнь 3 sees Drabikowski delve in to a sombre beauty, followed by some of the catchiest riffs he has ever written, while Песнь 4 is a furious blast of melodic black metal that feels like a wonderful throwback to the Swedish scene in the 1990s. Loaded with hooks and one of the most traditionally aggressive tracks on Панихидa, Песнь 4 is an immediate stand out. Песнь 5 follows in the footsteps of album opener Песнь 1, relying heavily on the chanted vocals, juxtaposing them wonderfully with some of the more aggressive riffs in Drabikowski‘s arsenal and merely flirting with the blackened screams until the closing moments.

Песнь 6 seems to disappear in a whirlwind of misery and rage, before Панихидa drives into it’s closing duo with Песнь 7. Throughout this record, Drabikowski has shown an affinity with the more melodic side of black metal, channelling his inner UADA, NAGLFAR and NECROPHOBIC. Песнь 7 doubles down on this, providing blistering melodic black metal at every turn, with the chanted hymns lifting the atmosphere higher while the glass-gurgling vocals deliver a serious sense of dread. Песнь 8 brings Панихидa to a glorious close, proving to be another stand out moment in what as been an incredible album. Here, we see all the emotion, all the melancholy and anger, and all the atmosphere-building come to a head. Песнь 8 explodes from the speakers with a very tangible sense of catharticism, with the Gregorian chanting and raw, black metal shrieks working together in a juxtapositional harmony, finishing the album in a bittersweet fashion.

To comment on the legalities surrounding the BATUSHKA identity in any way other than a brief explanation to provide context would be unbecoming while the issue is still in the courts of Poland. Here, all that matters is the quality of the music. And the quality of Panihida is astounding. The elements that made the extreme metal world fall in love with Litourgiya are all still there – the blend of black metal and Christian Orthodox Church music is ever-present, complete with the chants and organs. But there is an overwhelming melancholy and aggression in Panihida, more so than Litourgiya. The result is glorious. How Panihida will stack up against Hospodi remains to be seen, but regardless, Drabikowski has released one of the strongest black metal albums of 2019.

Rating: 9/10

Panhida is out now via self-release.