Satanath Records - Reviews: SAT394

Reviews: SAT394

Uzbekistan in Central Asia is remote from the knowledge of most people who are likely to come across this feature. Though populous and ancient in the history of the lands now encompassed by its boundaries, it’s geographically remote as well, and one of only two countries that is “doubly landlocked,” i.e., surrounded by five other countries that are themselves landlocked.

The country’s capital, Tashkent, also has an ancient history, reportedly first settled between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC as an oasis on the Chirchik River near the foothills of the West Tian Shan Mountains. Today, among its more than 2 million inhabitants, it is home to the atmospheric black metal band Krsnī (a word that means “night” in Sanskrit), the solo work of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Trizna.

Five days from now Satanath Records (Georgia) and The End Of Time Records (Ireland) will co-release Krsnī‘s fifth album, Neige éternelle, and it represents a new phase of sound, a departure from the project’s previous musical and lyrical directions. As a sign of the change and as an advance herald of the album, today we premiere a song called “Long Voyage.”

As you might already guess, Krsnī‘s lyrics on the new album are in French. And Satanath describes the new musical direction this way:

This release is a journey through a dark, cold winter with biting wind and stinging snow hitting your face. All four tracks are inseparable and one follows from the other drawing a picture of cold and uncomfortable winter. Abrasive Filosofem-style guitars, solemn and melancholic leads, deep atmospheric pads, simple yet effective drums, space-filling bass [by guest performer Kurgan], cold evil vocals, everything is in its place. For fans of Burzum, Paysage d’Hiver, Coldworld, Wolves in the Throne Room, Forteresse.

In line with what the label has portrayed (and the album’s cover art), “Long Voyage” is in many of its soundscapes a cold and uncomfortable musical vision, but the song is a very long one and it brings other experiences as well.

In the song’s opening phase it’s easy to imagine an abandoned traveler, alone in a desolate place with naught but freezing wind as companion. And then it’s easy to imagine a sudden blizzard, a torrent fashioned by raw, blistering riffage, furious blast-beats, and a ragged, scalding voice that also cries out in shattering torment.

The music has a sweeping quality, and it also glitters like whirling ice within the overarching abrasion of the storming riffage. The mood is one of peril and pain. Wrenching feelings of tension and desperation build as the wild fretwork onslaughts rise and fall, and the crackling and crying vocals become even more unhinged. Above them, slow trumpet-like tones soulfully extol their grief — the emergence of a stirring and magnificent new facet in the song.

That wailing horn-like melody rises higher in the extremity of its pain, pitching the music to a ravishing crescendo. But then another facet emerges. The storm suddenly abates, replaced by acoustic picking with a poignant, melancholy air, eventually joined by a slow rhythmic thump, the quick stitch of something like a shaker, and deep spoken words.

Shimmering shrouds also settle in, bringing back the cold. The ice storm begins to build again, glittering and grating across gripping rhythmic throbs, where something like a hand-drum makes its presence felt. Yet the iciness also seems otherworldly and hypnotic.

https://www.nocleansinging.com/2025/05/20/an-ncs-premiere-krsni-long-voyage/