Kristailer – In the Hearts of the Brave

Band: Kristailer
Album: In the Hearts of the Brave
Country: Belarus
Genre: Black Metal
Label: Independent

Introduction

Kristailer is a one man band hailing from the western city of Grodno situated along the river Neman in Belarus. The band quite recently changed its name from Crystayler stating that they disliked the former and they felt that the new one felt better for a black metal band. The man behind the band goes by the name Zmei which by my googling skills means snake, or dragon in the slavic languages.

Kristailer is a band inspired by the medieval times which is depicted in both lyrics, titles and album covers. The band has released a total of four full-length albums and one live album in the few years since their foundation in 2022. In their live appearence the band maintains the medieval theme with Zmei wearing a chain mail coif along with the traditional corpse paint as seen above.

In the hearts of the brave

The album has a runtime of 35 minutes and contains a total of six tracks. There is a great flow in the structure of the record, I have not dived into the lyrics but the tracks feel like parts of one story. The music is heavily driven by Zmei’s melodic guitar riffs that swipes across the battlefield like a burning sword creating a magic atmosphere.

  1. In Hell, No Fear, We Ride
  2. Motto of the Brave
  3. Sword in Hand Is Shining Bright
  4. A Spark Ignites a Flame
  5. The Black Grail
  6. They Will Never Be Forgotten

The songs follow the pace of the cavalry, fast and fierce. The drums are blasting like the shattered bones of bashed skulls being crushed into the ground by the iron hooves of the dark knights horses. Their cryful screams is carried through by Zmei’s harsh but muffled vocals.

The tracks are also supported by a hefty groove that hits you exactly at the right time and they are organized and ordered by the lord commander Kristailer.

I really enjoy this type of black metal and Zmei’s guitar solos and riffs really gets to shine on this release. The track Sword in Hand Is Shining Bright is a great example of the masterful blending of the mournful anger that the guitar’s oozes out with the overall atmosphere of the composition.

Kristailer greatly utilize some carefully selected samples that compliments the feel of the tracks and can be heard throughout the listening experience.

My only complaint with this release is that it ends way too soon, I would love two or three more parts to this story.

Conclusion

This is for me the best album of the year so far. The year is coming to an end and it’s still ruling on top.

I have no doubt that if you are a fan of fierce melodic riffs, great atmosphere and groove, that this album will be for you.

The album should be enjoyed in its entirety, so crack open a cold one, sit back in your comfortable music listening spot and let Kristailer bring the battlefield to your doorstep.

BMZ Rating: 10 / 10

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Support Kristailer here: https://kristailer.bandcamp.com/

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