Black Wings   (Stygian Crypt Productions)

 This album was originally recorded in the year 2000; in fact “Black Wings” (“Chernye Krylia” in Russian) is a re-release version of their penultimate work, being the last one “Autumn is Eternal” (“Osen Vechna”), and when I say “the last one” I’m literally speaking, because the band unfortunately splits up in 2003. Autumn delivers at this work an excellent Emotional Doom Metal, full of emotive and introspective atmospheres at slow tempos, mostly driven by harmonious clean guitar lines. The keyboards at background are well executed and discrete, never abusing of their melodies or delicate atmospheres. The vocals are mostly clean and melancholic with some quite raspy passages, there’re some incidental female voices adding an especial oneiric, romantic feeling. An interesting detail is the use of their native tongue at five of the six songs which composes this album; giving a special, original taste to the whole music…The drumming plays strong and varied, at slow paced velocities with a consistent performance (just listen to the drum solo at “Aurora Postera”). The guitar work adds a more metallic aura, reminding me the mid period woks of Anathema or even My Dying Bride, just listen to “The Conqueror Of My Heart” where even the vocals of Yury “Rotor” Ketov sounds quite similar, stylistically, to Aaron Stainthorpe . The whole atmospheres of “Black Wings” shows a mature and elaborated approach, never falling into the cheap Goth/Doom clichés but creating a personal style full of passion and melancholy. This work has this special sound and intriguing auras that will charm those who enjoy the soft and mature sound of (mid to late period) Anathema or the most introspective passages of My Dying Bride (“The Angel And The Dark River” – era)… A great work, worthy of our attention… (AP)