THE STONE – Kosturnice
- Posted on 20-03-2021
The Serbian horde known as The Stone is a musically intriguing entity and this upcoming opus of their titled "Kosturnice" is akin to a raging black metal tempest capable of leaving you spellbound. With its morose and oppressive aura, the entire affair slithers and slides through grand and massive soundscapes where epic melodies and sharp, blistering riffs constantly wrestle with and complement each other.
If you what you are on the lookout for is one of those dynamic records where you get galloping passages, slow and creepy sections that scream death and decay, and utterly confident and menacing vocals that mean business? "Kosturnice" is the answer to your foul and unholy prayers. There are plenty of excellent song structures too and the listener is guided through a maze of thick, blackened atmospheres and an overwhelming sense of majestic darkness that is crushingly heavy at times. Tight and well-executed yet never rigid or devoid of dynamics, these eight hefty compositions feature twists aplenty and yet they are accessible and catchy too. One is immediately sucked into their warped universe and pieces such as "Okamenjen" and "Engulfed by the Abyss" are downright compelling.
"Kosturnice" is a focused effort with a clear and concise musical vision to it and there is a vigorous sense of discipline to what they have achieved here. There may well be more innovative and groundbreaking black metal releases than this one, but very few are able to match the hyper intense and all-out effective impact of this manic record. Immortal Frost Productions have unearthed some marvelous albums and EPs and whatnot over the years (just check out "Worse Weather to Come" by Frostmoon Eclipse and "For Those Who Gaze into the Sun" by Antzaat) but trust me when I say that this one if one of their finest and most impressive entries yet. Regardless of whether you cherish Panchrysia’s "Deathcult Salvation" and Ragnarok’s "Malediction" or perhaps Gorgoroth’s "Instinctus Bestialis" and Kriegsmachine’s "Altered States of Divinity", this is a must-have and what The Stone have delivered here is simply stunning.