Satanath Records - Reviews: SAT168

Reviews: SAT168

Mörk is the debut album of the Ukrainian black metal duo Lava Invocator. It will be co-released on March 27 by the Russian labels Satanath Records and More Hate Productions. Two songs from the album have premiered previously, and today we bring you a third — a track called “Black Dawn“.

“Mörk” is the Swedish word for “dark” and shares its origins with the English word “murk”. We’re told that Lava Invocator was conceived in the old Swedish town of Lund near Malmö, under the shadow of dark storm clouds passing above the Øresund strait. And “Black Dawn” is itself cloaked in gloom.

It’s a heavy song in more ways than one, its dominant pacing slow and dirge-like, the chords massive and heaving, the pulse of the bass deep and its voice gravel-throated. And the dominant atmosphere of the melodies is one of bereavement, at least to these ears, with vocals that are a tortured mix of cracked-ice cries, hoarse growls, and somber spoken words.

Yet lightning also pierces the heavy clouds in the music, with bursts of intensity driven by the rapid rumble of the drums and high, vibrating, dual-guitar melodies that increase the heat of the music but without abandoning the aura of sorrow that pervades its atmosphere.

The two other previously released tracks from the album, “Totenkampf” and “Gestapofallos“, are more in keeping with what you might imagine from a band whose name invokes volcanic eruptions. “Totenkampf” begins in a thundering, thrashing rush, full of vibrant, surging energy and nasty, abrasive vocals. But the song again displays the band’s talent for crafting melody, harboring a dual-guitar solo that rings out like a clarion call, turning the music’s atmosphere somber and seductive. “Gestapofallos” is another adrenaline-packed mix of riveting riffs, high-octane drum blasting, transfixing guitar melodies, and scintillating solos.

All three songs are impressive, and very promising signs of quality for this debut album.

http://www.nocleansinging.com/2017/03/05/an-ncs-premiere-lava-invocator-black-dawn/

A Bandcamp alert that I received as a past patron of Satanath Records was the source of this next discovery. It’s a song named “Totenkampf“, off the debut album Mörk by a Ukrainian band who call themselves Lava Invocator. The album will be co-released by Satanath and More Hate Productions on March 27.

After discovering and enjoying “Totenkampf” I did some google searching about the band and found a video for another song from the album that Satanath launched on YouTube yesterday. That one is named “Gestapofallos“.

“Totenkampf” begins in a thundering, thrashing rush, full of vibrant, surging energy and nasty, abrasive vocals… but the music then slows, and my jaw dropped down at the 1:42 mark. That’s the point at which a dual-guitar solo rings out like a clarion call, the music’s atmosphere becoming somber and seductive. As the song’s intensity mounts again, you get another riveting guitar line before the band starts moving again like a bat out of hell.

“Gestapofallos” is another adrenaline-packed mix of riveting riffs, high-octane drum blasting, transfixing guitar melodies, and scintillating solos. Both songs are very impressive, and very promising teasers for this album.

http://www.nocleansinging.com/2017/02/21/shades-of-black-fin-lava-invocator-fjoergyn-terror-throne/

Lava Invocator was founded, or at least conceptualized, somewhere in southern Sweden, but hail from the Ukraine. Exact details of how this came about is not readily available, but we do know that the two members also play in the Dnipro-based, punk influenced death metal band Def/Light.

Eastern European black metal is often epic and atmospheric, or insanely lo-fi. Lava Invocator go a different route. There are synthesizers, but they are used very sparingly compared to bands like Svarga, Kataxu or latter day Graveland. However, there is also no porta studio fuzz battle non-production – everything is readily audible. The production is maximized for punch and power, with the drums being given an almost Absu-like prominence. The numerous assaults of thrash/black (the sound once occasionally known as “old school black metal”) make the Absu comparison even more apt.

When not sounding a whole lot like Celtic Frost, Hellhammer or Sodom, Lava Invocator do much Scandinavian BM type riffing, perhaps slightly more Swedish than Norwegian. There are the bar chords in minor, the riffs in minor and the evil sounding melodies. In minor. The growling vocals shift between deeper growls and higher pitched screams. The death metal and punk of Def/Light are not readily noticeable anywhere on Mörk, except possibly in a song title or two. While “Empyrium et Nihil” and title track “Mörk” (Swedish for “darkness”) are rather typical black metal titles, “Gestapofallos” certainly has a strong taste of juvenile, punkish humor.

There are plenty of memorable moments, breaks and creative outbursts all throughout Mörk, and the musicianship is great. Tight, dark and aggressive, this covers pretty everything you would look for in a modern black metal outfit. The band name is also strangely appealing, even if it does make you think of some Red spell from Magic the Gathering. A “Lava Invocator” patch would grace the blackest of leather jackets, much like a copy of this album would fit right into any black metal collection.

http://archaictriad.com/2017/04/23/lava-invocator-mork/

Het Oekraïense Lava Invocator, opgericht in 2015, brengt hun eerste plaat uit onder de titel Mörk. Na verschillende live-shows is het nu dus tijd voor een eigen album en die klinkt niet verkeerd.

De heren halen hun inspiratie van bands als Mayhem, Darkthrone en Dissection en dat is ook terug te horen op de plaat. Recht toe recht aan black metal met een atmosferisch tintje hier en daar. Na de intro barst er een hele bult gitaargeweld los. Ook de drums gaan van snel naar nog sneller. Als je denkt van, ‘dit is al best snel’, gaat er nog een versnelling bij. Het enige nummer wat ‘langzaam’ is is Black Dawn, maar ook dat klinkt als oorlog. De hele plaat klinkt agressief en duister. Duister is ook tevens de betekenis van de titel: Mörk. Dus wat dat betreft is die missie wel aardig geslaagd. Na een dik halfuur zit de plaat er weer op, maar de heren hebben een prima plaat neergezet waarbij je hoopt dat de volgende net zo goed word.

Dit is straight to the point black metal zonder al te veel poespas en andere vaak overbodige elementen er door heen. En dat is voor de afwisseling ook wel eens fijn.

http://zwaremetalen.com/albumrecensies/lava-invocator-mork

Lava Invocator’s history is a funny one for me. They are a Ukrainian band but got together in a town close to where I live, Lund in Sweden, due to being influenced by the forests, mysticism and darkness that can surround Sweden at times. The duo Ingvaar (guitars and vocals) and Silent (bass) have been working alongside each other for a while, as they also play for Def/Light. Joining them is Yggr on drums to complete the formation of black arts two years ago. Mörk (Swedish word for “dark”) is the bands first album.

What kind of music does Lava Invocator play then? It’s traditional black metal heavy influenced from the 90’s era. It’s raw high pitched black metal vocals together with tempo-changes between melodic riffs and aggressive blast beats. Just as you remember icons such as Dissection, Dark Funeral and Darkthrone spreading their malicious ferocity doing it for many years. They even got acoustic and synth elements which is a nice extra touch and doesn’t feel forced in.

There are some high and lows on this album, but it’s good old black metal that you know what to expect from it. If you can never get enough of black metal then you can’t go wrong with Lava Invocator, they pull off a solid debut album. Mörk by Lava Invocator is out now through Satanath Records.

https://themetalgamerblog.wordpress.com/2017/04/07/lava-invocator-mork-black-metal/

Mörk is the most recent album by death/ black metal group Lava Invocator, released in March 27 by a partnership between Satanath Records and More Hate Productions. With seven tracks – Awaken, Empyrium Et Nihil, Gestapofallos, Black Dawn, Dark Thunder Sky, Totenkampf and the eponymous Mörk – this is a very concise and abrasive, but intelligent album, with vigor, spirit and style of its own.

With a straight to the point approach, and an objective style, the songs in Mörk are punctuated by an aggressive and direct sonorous volatility. With ostensive and rapidly pungent guitar lines, the rhythms generally are sordidly excavated, to reproduce a tempestuous feeling of radical demise, where everything is simply destined to be destroyed, corroded or to fall apart.

Although there is a general lack of new elements into the overall musical layer of the sound, the style of Lava Invocator has a genuine magma of fury, originality and liberal creativity reflected in the sound. You can literally feel the spontaneous tremor and the ambivalent carnage proposed and intensely delineated by the ardent belligerent stream of the music, surreptitiously exposed by the vivaciously dispersed sentimental tissue hidden in the subterranean fields of the sound.

Black Dawn can be considered a formidable example of a tempestuous and impeccable song, conceived in the precise horizon of the lurid and lugubrious style practiced in the album, with the tremendous – but masterly contained – fury of the creative capabilities of the musicians involved, correctly directed towards the sensible point of the true potential that their abilities can achieve. The next song, Dark Thunder Sky, can be considered another marvelous example as well, about how the group conceived with more nefarious elements the fragmentary sonorous ocean of a dying sentimental world, being slowly diluted, with the counterpart of its infinite sorrowful corrosion being formidably reproduced by the precisely synchronic convergence of the instruments. The next song, Totenkampf, is exceedingly marvelous as well. With a lancinating, but more cautious and reflexive fury, and brilliantly amazing, hallucinating and reflexive guitar lines – with the juxtaposition of an imponderable, colorful and melancholic guitar solo – you simply are meant to travel to a world where a new universe of solitude has been forgotten, and a new one has been conceived.

Although Mörk has its limitations, in general, it is a very exceptional album. With a life and a graceful color of its own, this record really deserves to be highlighted, in all four corners of the underground scene.

http://www.merchantsofair.com/reviews/lava-invocator-mork

Lava Invocator are a duo from Ukraine that plays a very raw form of black metal and this is a review of t heir 2017 album "Mork" which was released as a joint effort between Satanath Records and More Hate Productions.

Ambient style keyboards start off the album along with some acoustic guitars a few seconds later which leads to a heavier direction along with the tremolo picking and blast beats also going the tracks more of a raw feeling while the vocals are mostly high pitched black metal s creams and the guitar leads a re done in a very melodic fashion.

A great amount of 90's era black metal influences can be heard in the bands musical style along with some deep growls also being added into certain sections of the recording as well as the riffs also using a decent amount of melody and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

All of the musical instruments sounding very powerful and some of the tracks a re very long and epic in length and there is also a brief use of acoustic guitars and a later track also brings in a small amount of spoken word parts and as the album progresses keyboards also make a brief return on a couple of later songs.

Lava Invocator plays a style of black metal that is very raw, melodic and traditional sounding with a mixture of both modern and old school elements, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover dark themes.

In my opinion Lava Invocator are a very great sounding traditional black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album.

http://occultblackmetalzine.blogspot.com/2017/03/lava-invocatormorksatanath-recordsmore.html

Having been to Sweden I find it difficult to imagine that Black Metal could form in any part of it as it is so countrified, beautiful, clean and fresh looking. How could anything so dark and black form in such a Country, I ask myself? Iceland or Finland maybe but Sweden? However, Lava Invocator obviously found a dark place which prompted them into action somehow. I can see how death metal sprouted from Sweden because of the Vikings but black metal, not a clue!

The start of this black metal album is again not what I was expecting as it is eerie, ambient and actually classic in flavour with strange connotations of scary evil as the music plays out. Empyrium Et Nihil is more in keeping with the black metal theme and produces a raspy evil vocal that screeches in cinque with some rather dark and doom ridden passages despite being fast paced. Gestapofallos is another fast paced regimented track that seeps evil through its bones. The grizzly pace is helped along with a magnificent bass hook. Black Dawn has a slow opening that is tempered with a levelled riff and strong drum beat. It quickly gathers its pace and slows once the rasping grating vocals come into play. Dark Thunder Sky turns back to a more classical feel and soars before a mighty thunderous boom hits and the vocals rampage. It’s seething, raw and yet beautiful all at once. Totenkampf is rather disturbing, haunting and in keeping with its black metal roots. Mörk meaning dark is rather bewitching and eerie with an evil sigh and whispering voice surrounded by a haunting choral of voices – it certainly sends chills down the dorsal fins for sure!

Quite a good mixture of tracks that range from classical to classic but most definitely blacker than black!

http://paganhelreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/lava-invocator-mork-7-track-album.html

LAVA INVOCATOR is a mystic black metal formation from Ukraine with a concept born in a small Swedish town Lund, not far from Malmö... Dark thunderstorm clouds over the Øresund strait, black rocks, lofty woods and mysterious whisper immingled in infernal vortex of emotions — that is where it all started. The album title MÖRK is translated from Swedish as “dark”, “obscure”. This word gives a general characterization of the album. Moreover, this is a concept-based album. Some kind of intangible black substance, awakened with the first notes of the album takes listener by the hand and accompanies him or her through the album tracks, telling its story and revealing the heart of the matter in the final song... The sound of LAVA INVOCATOR is a thick and precise combination of old school black metal and black/ thrash metal – harsh and hard-line, yet not lacking in melodies and atmosphere. Black metal in keeping with the best traditions of the genre inspired by such icons as DISSECTION, MAYHEM, DARK FUNERAL, ULVER, DARKTHRONE and others.

http://morehate.com/release.php?id=226&page=1

LAVA INVOCATOR - это мистическая black metal формация из Украины, идея создания которой возникла в небольшом шведском городе Lund, что вблизи Malmö... Тёмные грозовые облака над проливом Эресунн, чёрные скалы, высокие леса и шёпот мистики смешались в инфернальном вихре эмоций — именно там возникла концепция группы. Название альбома MÖRK – в переводе со шведского это темный, мрачный. Это же характеризует альбом в целом - он по своему настроению темный и мрачный. При этом альбом является концептуальным по сути. Некая неосязаемая черная сущность, просыпаясь с первых нот альбома, берет за руку слушателя и проводит по всем песням, рассказывая свою историю, и в последнем треке открывает слушателю суть вещей... Звучание LAVA INVOCATOR – это плотный и выверенный сплав old school black metal и black/ thrash metal - жёсткий и бескомпромиссный, и в то же время содержащий в себе мелодии, атмосферный материал. Музыка в лучших традициях черного металла, вдохновленная такими иконами жанра как Dissection, Mayhem, Dark Funeral, Ulver, Darkthrone и др.

http://morehate.com/ru/release.php?id=228

BREAKING NEWS: Reports are flooding in from all over Ukraine of horrible natural disasters. Earthquakes, inky clouds of acrid smoke and choking ash blotting out the sun, and even rampant wildfires. Details are scarce, but experts now believe that Mörk, the debut album of black metal firebrands Lava Invocator is to blame and… What’s that? Ladies and gentlemen, can you see this? There appears to be a literal RIFF VOLCANO erupting in the middle of the country. We’re going live to the scene now to give you exclusive coverage of the “Dark Thunder Sky.”

Rising from the ashes of Def/Light like some perverse, obsidian phoenix, Ukraine’s Lava Invocator are set to bring the heat. These names may be new to you, but when you press play on the track below, the style will be instantly familiar. Picture if you will a towering black metal volcano spewing forth molten riff after molten riff while Immortal-esque drums and savage vocals batter the landscape like seismic shifts after a major tectonic upheaval. Toss in Drudkh-esque melodies crackling through the corrosive atmosphere like flashes of forked lightning, and you’ve got one hell of a natural disaster and a pretty apt description of our exclusive track “Dark Thunder Sky.”

Perhaps what impresses me most about this song (and the rest of the album, to be honest), is just how distinct and focused it is. While songs like “Dark Thunder Sky” and “Totenkampf” (which you can hear here) certainly offer a whole lot of destruction, what truly makes Mörk as captivating as the reckless thrashing of Mother Earth is the maturity and depth on offer. “Dark Thunder Sky” is loaded with sulfuric riffs, but it also draws heavily from death-n-roll acts like Entombed and melodic death metal statesmen like Amon Amarth to capture a sense of inertia; those molten riff floes are driven by a galloping bass line (prominent throughout all seven tracks) that moves the whole violent expulsion forward. The band even adds slight symphonic hints, juxtaposed against some killer leads, to ensure that nothing is left unburnt. Rarely will you hear prominent solos and gratuitous rhythmic action in black metal, but all of the parts combust and melt together into one undeniable stream of molten fury. Escape is impossible.

http://www.toiletovhell.com/exclusive-track-premiere-lava-invocator-dark-thunder-sky/

You may reproach to some bands to stay on their positions, but it’s also possible that some bands are coming back to their style’s roots. Lava Invocator is a Black Metal band that does it.

The ukrainian band started in 2015 with two Def/Light guys : Ingvaar (guitar/voice) and Silent (basse) quickly gather with Yggr (drums) to begin to compose. Their hard work will give birth to Mörk in 2017, a mix between twenty years old Black Metal and some ambiant parts. Meaning “dark” in swedish, we clearly feel that there’s many influences from this country and their neighbours are present. Please welcome to the sound itself.

The record starts with the worrying Awaken, an ambient instrumental track. Modern and cheerful keyboards quickly let place to uncompromising and warlike riffs. Blast beat reigns supreme, but we can feel a will to include atmospheric sounds. It’s not Empyrium Et Nihil’s choice, where Ingvaar’s voice will erase any doubt in everyone : the ukrainian band has an ageless sound. This time travel continues with Gestapofallos and its riffs that reminds us early Norvegian Black Metal, with a highlighted bass sound.

Black Dawn’s rhythm part comes back on atmospheric tones, and the two overlapped voices allow to the band to create a ritualistic atmosphere. This track also proves that the band can use a lot of technicity, as they do on Dark Thunder Sky, where there the sound is more progressive and epic. While focusing on fast and furious riffs, Ingvaar achieves to ship our mind.

The cleavage is brutal with Totenkampf and its furor. Even if a solo appears between two hateful riffs, the intensity the band create in its riffs are still palpable, and Mörk, the eponymous track, won’t let us feel the contrary. Ambient again, this worked riff track perfectly concludes the record. Another proof that violence can be mastered and also beautiful.

For their first full-length, Lava Invocator puts very high standards. Reminding elder Mayhem, punkish Darkthrone or an ambient Dark Funeral according to songs, the ukrainian’s sound is shaped by talented musicians, as well as creative men. If the band has the strengh to cross our borders, I will attend to one of their shows.

https://actainfernalis.com/2017/07/10/review-083-lava-invocator-mork-english/

Ogni tanto gli spin off vengono meglio degli originali, come nel caso dei Lava Invocator che hanno surclassato alla prima uscita i Def/Light. Siamo in Ucraina e 'Mork' è qui, caldo caldo, appena sfornato, e scalcia come un dannato. Evidentemente non erano Ingvaar e Silent a ingolfare la band madre e con i trentasette minuti di quest'album danno prova di un'importante ispirazione. Non è un semplice tributo alla Svezia come successo per i pur buoni The Sarcophagus, siamo davanti al classico gruppo che è più elaborato e pensato che nelle premesse. In questo caso pensavo dovessi andare incontro all'ennesimo clone dei Dark Funeral che suona meglio degli attuali Dark Funeral, ma mi son trovato a lottare per non affogare sotto i riffoni di stampo più disparato, dal sound svedese dei Ragnarok a quello norvegese dei Mayhem, passando per Gehenna e Mork Gryning (e non è una sola associazione di nomi). "Awaken", che diveva rimanere una mediocre introduzione, si è svegliata (nomen omen) sul finire, "Gestapofallos" è da scatafascio come Impaled Nazarene e Darkthrone, senza considerare le tastiere nelle epicissime "Dark Thunder Sky" e la title track, ma attenzione anche alla lenta "Black Dawn". Con i dovuti distinguo nello stile, qui ben più severo come riferimenti, come impostazione e come registrazione, fa il paio con l'altro album black del momento, quello del progetto Opus Diaboli. Battesimo col fuoco.

http://www.hardsounds.it/speciali/il-nero-ti-dona-black-metal-da-tutto-il-mondo

К сожалению, сейчас перед нами не технотрэшевые датчане и не их новый альбом, однако эти украинские блэкстеры, добавившие к своему названию лавиноподобное слово Lava звучат не намного хуже. “Идея создания которого возникла в небольшом шведском городе Lund, что вблизи Malmö… Тёмные грозовые облака над проливом Эресунн, чёрные скалы, высокие леса и шёпот мистики смешались в инфернальном вихре эмоций — так возникла концепция группы” — главит пресс-релиз, и на деле всё хоть и не так красочно, но не далеко от истины.

Трио совмещает блэковый напор, атмосферу и мелодичность, а в итоге получаются величественные композиции, в которых блэковая торжественность слегка прикрыта дэтовой мощью и техничностью, наподобие того, как пентаграмма на обложке бережно укомплектована черепо-шипастым декором. На альбоме множество прекрасных мелодичных фрагментов и прогрессивных частей, слушать которые одно удовольствие (послушайте хотя бы “Black Dawn”!), а кое-где присутствуют даже симфонические вставки (“Dark Thunder Sky”).

“Hear the voices from the winter dark Услышь голоса из зимней тьмы,

Calls the bells of chaos! Взывающие к колоколам хаоса.

Hear the voices of screaming darkness Услышь голоса кричащей тьмы,

Lava here is shedding forever! Лава здесь кромсает всё извечно!

It becames from the darkened past Она происходит из тёмного прошлого —

From the woods, from the mountains, Из лесов, из гор.

Named by fear, strong as blast Названа страхом, сильна как взрыв —

Lava floods all around” Лава заполняет собой всё вокруг…

(с) Lava Invocator, “Mörk”

В буклете мы видим только эту выдержку из титульной вещи, но она хорошо иллюстрирует музыку и её направленность в целом. Но есть на альбоме и сюрпризы, например, восьмой трек “Totenkampf”, где мы слышим специфический вокал, напомнивший мне пение Сергея “Паука” Троицкого и заметные панк-мотивы. Впрочем, это только один из элементов, который вплетается словно чёрная лента в бисерную канву мелодий, атмосферы и техники высочайшего уровня, которую умело и легко выдаёт Lava Invocator.

Кстати, именно титульная вещь, которая следует финальным номером на пластинке, получилась самой злой, стремительной и агрессивной. Кроме того, там можно услышать эпичный разговорный фрагмент. Остальные композиции по большому счёту вышли более умеренными и стилистически нейтральными, что лично для меня вне всяких сомнений является плюсом. Я не ждал от этого диска типичной блэкухи, поэтому изобретательность и неклишированность наших украинских соседей меня только порадовала.

Я с уверенностью рекомендую этот альбом поклонникам Nightingale, Edge Of Sanity, Morgul, Pan.Thy.Monium, Vintersorg и других нестандартных и нетривиальных команд. Не знаю, как воспримут релиз ортодоксы от дэта и блэка, но им стоит хотя бы раз послушать пластинку и попробовать на зуб фишки и ходы украинских новаторов, чтобы решить для себя, стоит ли принимать и употреблять этот стафф или нет. Ну а лаконичная длительность CD всего в 37 минут позволит избежать передозировки прогом при единичном прослушивании, а в случае хорошей переносимости материала вы гарантированно обратитесь к этому диску ещё не раз.

http://astartaview.ru/lava-invocator-mork/

Lava Invocator are a Ukrainian black metal band and this is their debut album.

This is classic black metal, traditionally played with hatred and fervour.

Think a mix of bands such as Darkthrone, Mayhem, Dissection, and Dark Funeral to get an idea of the playing field they inhabit.

The intro track Awaken adequately sets the scene, starting with an ambient build up that reminds me of the 90s, before raging forth with blistering blast beats. The entire track is under two and a half minutes in length, but makes an impression and sets the scene for the rest of the album.

After this, the songs blur by in storms of aggression and grim nastiness. They’re largely fast and brutally melodic, but also have slower and mid-paced sections. These latter parts are well-placed to avoid feelings of repetition or boredom, although to be fair the band are quite talented at this style so thankfully I don’t think there’s too much opportunity to lose interest even if they were to stick to just one tempo.

A combination of screams and growls are used for the vocals, and both of them sound great. The production backs everything up, providing the band with a professional workspace to inhabit, while also keeping enough grit and underground grime to please the purists.

An album like Mörk is definitely for fans of the orthodox style. Revelling in its second wave worship, Lava Invocator show a real proficiency in their songwriting skills, and Mörk held my attention throughout its sub-40 minute length, drawing me back to it after it had finished too.

Mörk is a very enjoyable and satisfying slice of dark, black metal. Highly recommended.

https://wonderboxmetal.com/2017/05/28/lava-invocator-mork-review/

Goblin esque synth (fans of eighties cult Italian horror rejoice!) opens this album. A mite strange, rather different, for a release in this genre but it leads nicely into the second track, Empyrium Et Nihil, with use of a blistering pace. Only three minutes in and I’m already impressed. The drums complement the ferocity of the guitars and the vocals are spat with confidence. The riffing frequently changes, undulates, as if on tracks on midwestern plains, rather than utilizing the age old tried and true galloping formula many believe is merely for speeds sake.

The third track includes rhythms that suggest a dark punk influence as it briskly moves towards its climax blanketed in diabolical texture and tone more than a little Morbid Angel in style.

The next tracks title, Black Dawn, I’ll admit had me a little excited as I thought it a cover of a rare Grave (legends, in my opinion, of the Swedish death scene) track that leaves me with a sore neck every time it graces my ears. Alas it isn’t. It is however, an epic track spanning a range of emotion and styles that showcases the bands talent, composing brilliance and only makes me appreciate the diversity of the album even more.

Dark Thunder Sky is a highpoint of the album, excellent atmosphere and shifting melodies take the listener away to a landscape drenched in feudal conflict, shrouded in ancient mystery. In truth ‘light’ black metal, to be honest because of its melodic stance, but such an outstanding opus I believe that hardly anyone will hold it against the band. Besides which Totenkampft will only dislodge any thoughts from being uttered as one can’t help but let it whisk them away to destroy-everythings-ville with its opening Bolt Thrower like stanza assault.

The album ends with the title track. Atmosphere and dark stabbing riff brutality collide very effectively, this is the icing on the cake if you will. An album I will spin whenever I get the chance to. I’m left in shock, this is another example of a stunning first full length effort, from an act with very little history from the Ukraine of all places which only proves that the influence of metal goes far and wide spawning genius in the furthest reaches of the globe.

In my conclusion, bravo doesn’t go far enough, this is an excellent example of the infusion of new talent in the genre boasting a style that’s easily consumable, one that nudges the genres boundaries while keeping true to traditions without sparking complaint in the slightest.

https://drunkinagraveyard.com/2017/05/15/everything-turns-black-metal/

"Mörk" ist der Titel des neuen, gleichzeitig auch ersten Albums von LAVA INVOCATOR, einer jungen ukrainischen Black-Metal-Combo, die spürbar von den jüngeren Outputs solcher Acts wie SATYRICON beeinflusst wwurde. In 35 Minuten respektive sieben Kompositionen versuchen die Osteuropäer, einen Fuß in die Türe zu bekommen, und hierzu ist ihnen scheinbar jedes Mittel recht.

Letzteres soll aber nicht bedeuten, dass man sich bei LAVA INVOCATOR um jeden Preis an die Genreheroen anbiedern würde. Die Band mag zwar gerne mal ein paar Zitate aus dem nordischen Vermächtnis verwenden, gibt sich in der Summe aber sehr vielfältig, was Ideen, Tempo, Dynamik und auch Aggressionslevel betrifft. Nachdem man zunächst noch in einer Sackgasse endet und feststellt, dass der durchweg radikale Weg eines Songs wie 'Gestapofallos' der falsche ist, werden zunehmend stärkere Arrangements entwickelt, schafft Raum für kurze melodische Sequenzen und kann die Raserei schließlich auch wesentlich besser verkaufen als in jenem, eindeutig schwächsten Song von "Mörk".

Es sind nämlich später Hymnen wie das Titelstück oder das einprägsame 'Black Dawn', mit denen LAVA INVOCATOR in Verhandlung mit den derzeit doch arg verwöhnten Fans gehen muss. Gerade hier präsentiert sich die Band nämlich auf höchstem internationalen Niveau und markiert jene Charakteristika, die ein Newcomerwerk haben sollte, um sich ohne lange Anlaufschwierigkeiten zu behaupten. Unbestritten ist auf "Mörk" noch nicht alles vorzüglich, doch über weite Strecken demonstriert LAVA INVOCATOR, dass die Band auf einem sehr guten Weg ist und sich trotz der momentan sehr starken Konkurrenz nicht verstecken muss. Lässt man den etwas schwächeren Start mal außer Acht, ist diese Platte gar fantastisch!

http://powermetal.de/review/review-Lava_Invocator/Moerk,30414.html

Fundada em 2015, a banda de Black Metal Lava Invocator não esperou muito para mostrar o seu poder de destruição ao mundo. Um ano após seu nascimento o grupo jogou ao mundo a destruição em forma do álbum “Mörk”, que veio jogar blasfêmia e todo poder do estilo na cara dos mais puristas.

Sua sonoridade traz uma excelente junção da parte mais primitiva do estilo com algo mais sujo e Rock N’Roll, aliado à partes bem mais trabalhadas e técnicas deixando tudo de forma extremamente agradável. Logo de cara já temos essa noção com a rápida “Awaken” que deixa os portões do inferno abertos para chegada de “Empryriun Et Nihil” e seu clima a lá Dimmu Borgir antigo em alguns momentos.

O clima denso e pesado foi muito bem passado para o instrumental, nos brindando com temas bem carregados e trazendo aquele sentimento frenético de ”medo” na espinha. Bons exemplos disso se mostram evidentes em faixas como “Black Down” e a faixa titulo, transformando o trabalho em uma ótima obra, devido a diversificação sem soar cansativo aos ouvidos

Excelente início que merece muito ser apreciado seja você do lado negro ou não do Metal, pois aqui o que vale é o excelente trabalho e não o estilo a ser seguido.

http://metalnalata.com.br/site/lava-invocator-mork-2016/

Obscure, gloomy, dark, “Mörk”. The first album of Ukrainian Black Metal two-piece LAVA INVOCATOR. And I don’t really know what to think about this record. Let’s say LAVA INVOCATOR make use of a lot of elements from different Black Metal styles. It makes the album diverse. But not in an organic structured way. More like too many ideas assembled into one album. I guess that’s the discussion every band has to lead to get to know where everyone wants to go. Therefore it doesn’t matter if you are an experienced musician or not. Every start is a trip into the unknown. And this is what’s coming across here. Good music in many ways but it misses the touch of being something round. Nevertheless “Mörk” offers cold, brutal darkness. Nice dynamics framed by tight drums and interesting riffs. Sometimes it's DAWN like Sweden blackness then it's Punkish rotten second wave with a taste of atmosphere. As you can see it has a lot. And seriously it’s not bad played or anything just maybe a bit too unstable. “Mörk” is a record worth checking out

http://www.voicesfromthedarkside.de/Albums-EPs-Demos/L/LAVA-INVOCATOR--11159.html

I will start out by saying this album is amazing. Fans of NARGAROTH, GORGOROTH, MAYHEM, and any lesser-known underground black-metal bands are sure to fall in love with this album once they listen to it. The guitars are great and the drums viciously pound along with the intricate bass guitar work. All instruments are ''more than good" but the bass guitar is what jumps out at me the most. I have been listening to underground music for years, and I have found that the majority of black-metal bands are treble oriented, but with this release, the bass is well recorded and highly pronounced, which is a good thing. The vocals range from piercing highs to low-end gutturals, but my favorite vocal work on this album would have to be on ''Totenkamph'' as the change in vocal style was unexpected but highly enjoyable. I have not heard much Russian black-metal, but this proves that they can chug along with the best of the best. I highly suggest that you check this album out, as it is a great piece of dark, musical art. I may be getting a bit off-topic, but this is the type of music that makes me want to climb mountains, or alternatively, drink fancy red wine alone in my bedroom as I wear a tuxedo, consumed by the smoke that surrounds me. A ''must listen'' for black-metal fans.

http://aeafanzine.blogspot.ru/2017/07/cd-review-lava-invocator-mork.html

Ma come diamine fa la Satanath a trovare fuori certi gruppi dagli angoli più impensabili del globo? Questa volta mi sono arrivati sotto le grinfie questi ucraini che non mi dispiacciono nemmeno un po’. L’intro sembra un incrocio tra The ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ e un vecchio film sulle case abitate da spettri. Ma la calma dura davvero ben poco. Seguono infatti sei pezzi duri e crudi di un death malato e claustrofobico, dove perfino respirare diventa difficile. L’impostazione ritmica è tipicamente death europea, ma a stupire è l’indole e l’atmosfera black che i nostri hanno saputo impartire all’opera, di fatto un disco black. Forse è la doppia voce urlata/recitata, forse i riff vagamene epici, non so. Fatto sta che l’album funziona eccome, merito di un uso intelligente degli stilemi dei generi commistionati. Un plauso alla Satanath, etichetta attenta e con piglio da major…

http://www.metalhead.it/?p=105968

Poderá parecer difícil acreditar que ainda há espaço para novas bandas, mas quando a qualidade é alta, não existe outra alternativa. Num universo tão sobrepovoado como o black metal a primeira tendência poderá ser mesmo não dar muita atenção aos Lava Invocator mas este duo ucraniano (ambos nos Def/Light) demonstra ter nesta estreia razões mais que suficientes para atrair atenção. Quando falamos em black metal teremos que focar a vertente não tão hermética e ortodoxa do género. Temos temas bastante dinâmicos que vão dos temas mais uptempo até aos quase doom onde o denominador comum é mesmo a melodia contida que tornam estes temas muito mais interessantes. Poderão não apresentar temas marcantes o suficiente para ficarem gravados na memória à primeira mas é um trabalho forte o suficiente para que queiramos voltar a ele muitas mais vezes no futuro.

http://radiowom.blogspot.com/2017/07/world-of-metal-magazine-6-out-now-ja.html

There’s absolutely no messing about with this Ukrainian duo. Details are scarce – all I can say for any certainty is that Mörk is the debut album. There’s a FB page, but you have to add them as a friend. There are other review sites, of course. There’re a couple of websites written in either Ukranian or Russian, I think, but speaking neither I can’t say any more. That’s it.

The intro of Awaken is an electronic Coil-esque synth, but then blasts into some pretty brutal black metal. Sometimes bands span genres, or there’s a little confusion about whether or not they would qualify as ‘black’, ‘death’ whatever; here there is absolutely no doubt, whatsoever. This isn’t to say that the whole album is just a violent wall of sound, though.’Empyrium Et Nihil’ morphs into an almost lilting 6/8 at one point. ‘Black Dawn’ is a complete change of tact again. This is a diverse album that’s intelligently put together. Title track ‘Mörk’ is definitely my favourite, with a deliciously creepy choral background.

Definitely a band to watch and any black metal fans will be suitably impressed with this, especially as a debut. From a personal perspective, whilst this is entertainingly heavy, there are moments where I think it’s a little bit at the expense of any melodic qualities. This is nit-picking, to be honest. Give it a listen, you’ll like it.

http://www.theindependentvoice.org/2017/08/30/lava-invocator-%e2%80%8e-mork/

Lava Invocator es una banda de Black Metal formada en el año 2015 por miembros de otra banda ucraniana llamada Def/Light. El 27 de marzo del año 2017 lanzaron su álbum debut “Mörk”, a través de Satanath Records junto a More Hate Productions.

Lava Invocator está formado por Ingvaar (voz, guitarra), Silent (bajo) e Yggr (batería).

“Mörk” se compone de siete canciones con una duración total de 37 minutos donde la agresividad y la melodía tienen una presencia protagonista a partes iguales. En las estructuras de sus composiciones encontramos tanto agresivos blast beats como instantes de mid-tempos que refuerzan la atmósfera oscura que desprenden cada uno de sus crudos y fríos riffs. Musicalmente, las melodías son ejecutadas a base de trémolos, riffs de carácter más pausado y además, todo ello queda salpicado con algún que otro solo melódico de guitarra, envuelto en una producción nítida pero cruda a su vez, con lo que se asemeja al sonido del Black Metal de mediados de los 90. Para que os hagáis una idea, juntad a Dissection y a Dark Funeral, y obtendréis el resultado de lo que os espera en “Mörk”.

Vocalmente, se trata de una combinación de shrieks y growls que enfatizan el carácter tenebroso y violento de su música.

En definitiva, si eres de los que disfrutan del Black Metal más ortodoxo, simple y llanamente este debut debería formar parte de tu colección de CD’s.

http://www.brokentombmagazine.com/2017/08/critica-lava-invocator-mork-2017/

Why a Ukraine band has named their album “Mörk” (dark) is a mystery to me. I cannot find any clues in the music either as to the choice of album title. Musically this is black metal. I dare to say in the Dark Funeral/Marduk school of black metal. And since I love that kind of black metal this album sits very well with me. I love the aggressiveness and the brutal attack that this kind of black metal present. Just as much as I love a really great, full on death metal album. There is something to the relentless of just going at it. Being the total metalhead I am I wouldn’t have minded if this had been a tad more brutal. But that is me.

http://battlehelm.com/reviews/lava-invocator-mork/

Met het korte instrumentaaltje ‘Awaken’ opent het nieuwe Oekraiense duo Lava Invocator snoeihard. Black metal op de ouderwetse manier – dat is wat hier ten gehore gebracht wordt met dit debuut dat in maart 2017 al verscheen. De heren hanteren invloeden van Marduk, Immortal, Shining en Gorgoroth maar doet misschien nog het meest denken aan een moderner Inquisition. Een verademing zijn de sporadische melodische stukken, en opvallend is het stemgeluid; verrassend dynamisch, met veel laag afgewisseld met hoog. Nu moet het echter wel gezegd; de band voegt vrij weinig toe aan de doodgedane black metal formule en er blijft niet mega veel hangen. Black is het echter zeker en de productie is van dermate prima kwaliteit dat ik dit schijfje ga aanbevelen aan de doorgewinterde black metal fan. Met je leren jackje en je corpsepaint.

http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/nl/reviews/view/id/36137

Grim and frostbitten Black Metal is what to pretend to play this totally new Ukrainian horde. Well, it does not worked for them at all. The band was formed in 2017 by 2 members of the Dnipro-based DEF/LIGHT, namely Ingvaar (guitar/vocals) and Silent (bass). The booklet says Yggr is the drummer, but I am afraid not on this record, as the whole drum sound is too electronic, plastic and unbelievably badly programmed. The seven songs of their debut album are about to show their dedication to the Scandinavian type of Black Metal, which is strongly appreciable, but somehow it was very difficult to listen to the many stolen riffs there. If you ask me, it's a cliché at maximum level. The faster parts are stolen from DARK FUNERAL, whilst the slow marching ones are from the Norwegians: MAYHEM, DARKTHRONE and ULVER. To me their attempts sound so weak and pointless in general that I would easily compare them music-wise to some Brazilian soap opera. Sorry folks, but it sucks in majority. Let's hope they can come up with something better on their next release. Anyone into Black Metal, I would advise first to give a multiple spin for this album.

http://castrum.com.ua/encomium/5albums1.htm

Screen of review.

http://antichristmagazine.com/review-lava-invocator-mork/

Nie tak daleko, bo na sąsiedniej Ukrainie, która od kiedy się pamięta Black Metalem stoi, mrok nocy ujrzał w ubiegłym roku debiutancki krążek Lava Invocator, którego muzycy udzielają się także w Def/Light. To z czym mamy do czynienia na "Mork" to nic innego jak kawał wściekłego Black Metalu, urozmaiconego różnymi ciekawymi akcentami. Generalnie Lava Invocator można by polecić zwolennikom Gorgoroth, Black Altar czy nawet Infernal War, bo główny trzon ich kompozycji opiera się na tym samym schemacie co w przypadku wymienionych grup. Ale trzeba pamiętać, że to Ukraina. Poza furią, agresją i wściekłością czystej Black Metalowej sztuki mamy także akcenty melodyjne, klawiszowe, czasem nacechowane odrobiną patosu. Tak jest w tym przypadku. Nie jest tego dużo, ale jednak. Można doszukać się w tej kwestii zabiegów podobnych do tych uskutecznianych przez chociażby stare Dimmu Borgir (no tu akurat Norwegia się kłania) czy kultowe Nokturnal Mortum lub nawet Dub Buk. Najlepszym przykładem jest tu tytułowy "Mork" oraz "Dark Thunder Sky". Na tym cykl akcentów i urozmaiceń się nie kończy, bo w utworze "Totenkampf" zespół pozwolił sobie czmychnąć w jakby Death/ Thrashowe rejony i nieco czystsze linie wokalne. Byłem tym zabiegiem zaskoczony, bo jakby nie było burzy to trochę układ stylistyczny całej płyty, ale w ostatecznym rozrachunku potraktowałem to za odważny krok i zafundowanie sobie przez zespół takiej drobnej odskoczni. W sumie dlaczego nie, tym bardziej, że muzycznie wyszło to bardzo dobrze. Także reasumując na plus.

Na "Mork" nie mamy do czynienia z niczym specjalnie nowym, ale za to mamy powiew świeżości w zakresie utartych już szlaków, no i sporo ognia, siarki i ogólnego, odpowiedniego dla Black Metalu pierdolnięcia. Z czystym sumieniem mogę fanom gatunku polecić.

https://welcometothemorbidblog.blogspot.ru/2018/02/lava-invocator-mork-satanath-records.html

Aleksey from Satanath Records did sign the duo Lava Invocator in order to release their debut via this open-minded Saint-Petersburg located Metal label. It is like a young (formed in 2015) side-project by two Def/Light (post-RB) members, Ingvaar (guitars and vocals) and Silent (bass), formed through inspiration created by iconic legends such as Mayhem, Dissection, Dark Funeral, Ulver and Darkthrone. With assistance of drummer Yggr, they did record this first official work with Sadist (Alex Samovol) in their home country, Ukraine. It results in an album available in digital format and on compact disc, the latter including a four-page booklet, limited to 500 copies worldwide. The material gets released in the unholy marriage of both Satanath Records and More Hate Productions.

Mörk (which means ‘dark’) starts with a short instrumental intro (called Awaken) before sonically defining their appreciation for the Scandinavian Second Wave majesty, cf. the source of inspiration as mentioned in the first paragraph. Indeed, this is nothing else but an honest tribute to the Nineties scene from Sweden and Norway (and relatives)!

In general, the Black Metal performed by Lava Invocator combines the melodious aspects of the Swedish scene with the epic ones from Norway, spiced with a general trans-Scandinavian (or better: European, like in ‘Nordic’) attitude. It’s quite varied in structure and speed, with several tempo-changes and interacting song structures. The main speed differs in between mid-tempo to fast, including a couple of blasting eruptions, and with some slower excerpts as well, like the mighty hymn Black Dawn (what a fabulous drum structures and grandiose hypnotic riffing). It’s directive and straight to the point, yet filled with a crafted song writing and ditto execution. The overall atmosphere brings an obscurity reminiscent to the aforementioned scenes too, getting strengthened in its abyssal darkness by the sublime sound quality: rough and edgy, unpolished and overpowering. Once in a while, there’s a trashy edge too, rather referring to the late Eighties and earliest Nineties (cf. Gestapofallos, with its mostly violent nature, or Totenkampf, with its thunderous drum salvos, punky details, a dreamlike slow-paced intermezzo [with a cool solo], and those razor wire-alike screaming vocals). Sporadically, Lava Invocator use some mesmerizing keyboards too. In a piece like Dark Thunder Sky, it covers the whole in a mysterious veil of secrecy, which goes very well with the immense and grooving energy of the track. And at the beginning of the title track and during its intermezzo at about four minutes, those synths somehow create an esoteric, even sacral and divine atmosphere indeed!

So, as you can read, Mörk is such album that might appeal to every open-minded adept of that fine Nineties-school. It might lack of modern progression or prominent originality, but I do not give a damn on that. The result (song writing, performance and sound, plus the sober visual package and lyrical concept (though, there are no lyrics printed, unfortunately) is highly qualitative in all aspects.

http://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/lava-invocator

Satanath Records continue à nous présenter son panel de productions avec aujourd’hui un détour en Ukraine en compagnie de Lava Invocator sur lesquels nous n’avons que très peu d’informations si ce n’est que « Mörk » est leur premier album.

La galette propose ici sept titres (sont une intro) d’un black metal sous tous les angles, jonglant entre l’atmosphèrique et glacial, le plus brutal et thrash ou encore le plus doom et mélancolique.

L’intro « Awaken » démarre sur une note ambient au clavier cristallin progressant sur une montée où s’enchaînent les instrus par des mélodies venues du blizzard et du blast vif à souhait.

Evoquant les différentes facettes du black metal délivrées par le combo ukrainien, « Dark Thunder Sky » est un bel exemple de black metal typique de l’Est.

Une grande présence des claviers pour renforcer cet aspect hivernal et l’aspect planant un peu à la manière des fameux Lucifugum, du blast endiablé, des mélodies longues, le tout entrecoupé de breaks plus guerriers et épiques. La voix, quant à elle, vocifère par des gargarismes efficaces et malsains.

La touche brutale et décidemment plus thrash s’opère sur des titres comme « Totenkampf » ou encore « Gestapofallos ».

Distribution de baffes, riffs hachoirs, grosse double pédale qui déroule et voix bien haineuse, l’auditeur restera sur le carreau malgré quelques interludes épiques où s’exprime le soliste (sur « Totenkampf »). Les amateurs de formations comme Carpathian Forest auront sans doute le sourire figé et de la mousse aux lèvres à l’écoute de ces titres plus destructeurs.

Malgré son début tonitruant un peu à la Enochian Crescent, « Empyrium et Nihil » varie ensuite sur quelque chose de plus ‘épique’. Avec quelques pics de blasts. Nous évoquions Enochian Crescent pour le début, mais avec du recul, c’est l’ensemble du titre qui nous remémorera le combo norvégien. De bons changement au niveau des ambiances et des mélodies accrocheuses font la force de ce dernier.

La touche mélancolique et plus doom se projette dans « Black Dawn » où le tempo se voit plus posé mais néanmoins empli de lurdeur avec cette double pédale pesante et écrasante mais encore dans « Mörk » et son côté assez inquiétant au niveau de l’atmosphère avec entre autres quelques passages en choeurs grégoriens.

L’aspect guerrier et épique est également mis en avant avec ce quelque chose qui ne sera pas sans rappeler Bathory, Satyricon (old), Maniac Butcher ou encore Agmen.

Un retour ensuite à une impitoyable brutalité où le batteur se fait plaisir dans les martèlements, une basse qui bourdonne bien, puis des mélodies toujours aussi accrocheuses.

Un album de black aux variations plaisantes qui nous vient du grand Est et qui ravira les fans du style en quête d’un rafraîchissement brutal.

http://www.magicfiremusic.net/2018/01/30/chronique-lava-invocator-mork/

La escena ucraniana sigue a paso firme. Esta vez es Lava Invocator quien hace su debut a través del sello Satanath Records.

“Mörk” es un álbum muy conciso y abrasivo, pero inteligente, con vigor, espíritu y estilo propios, black metal ortodoxo directo al punto, con líneas de guitarra ostensivas y rápidas.

Aquí no hay nada que no se haya escuchado antes, pero el estilo de Lava Invocator tiene un genuino magma de furia, originalidad y creatividad liberal reflejada en el sonido.

Tempestuoso e impecable, “Mörk” va abriéndose paso en base a furia magistralmente contenida, y como ya se ha dejado entrever, tiene sus limitaciones, pero sin embargo, su música alcanza el nivel en el que no tengo problemas para disfrutar de la ferocidad de sus canciones.

Lava Invocator elige el camino de la tradición del black metal noruego y sueco con canciones que se pueden comparar fácilmente con Marduk y Gorgoroth, y por momentos aparecen las gigantescas figura de Dissection y Dark Funeral para terminar de redondear la idea.

Finalizando, queda claro que un álbum como “Mörk” es definitivamente para fanáticos del black ortodoxo. No lo dejen pasar.

https://rockarollazine.blogspot.com/2018/07/lava-invocator-mork-2017-satanath.html

Ukraine is a country known for uncompromising black metal bands and Lava Invocator is representing that region without regrets to what already have been done in a genre. I mention it because Mork is the album I will compare to other bands because they sound like many of them. However, their music reaches the level where I have no trouble to enjoy the ferocity of their songs. They chose to sound in tradition of Norwegian and Swedish black metal with high pitched vocals and harsh guitars. Fast songs can be easily comparable to Marduk and Gorgoroth when drumming is like a call to the Third World War. Lava Invocator plays merciless and ruthless black metal but have slower and atmospheric moments where they sound like Besatt or Satyricon, more melodic. Nothing I haven`t heard before but when there is a time I need assault aimed on my mind in order to assimilate a beast for better days, then the album like Mork is better than any medicine. I always find a wild pleasure in albums with rasp sounding guitars that only purpose is music annihilation and destruction. With some chaotic solos along, their arsenal of arrangements, makes this album, no more but good black metal art.

http://monarchmagazine.weebly.com/lava-invocator-moumlrk-more-hate-productions-satanath-records.html