Metal Underground.com

It seems like Belarus is trying to become the go-to place for folk metal in Europe, with bands like Drygva and Weeping Twilight starting to release debut albums. Weeping Twilight’s first foray into full-length releases, “Parastki Pamiaci na Ruinach Byloha,” shows a lot of prowess in crafting music out of different styles, although it does suffer from a few lackluster segments here and there.

While there are keyboards and accordion, the folk elements of Weeping Twilight’s music come out most strongly in the lyrical themes, which are all delivered in Belarusian in an attempt to keep their traditions alive. Most of the songs feature tales of ancient legends and parables meant to impart some wisdom. “Krou Brata,” for instance, tells the tale of a woman who gives birth to two sons after seeking shelter from the winter in a bear’s den. One son is human, and the other bear, and they eventually meet and have to battle, unaware of the other’s identity.

Musically, the band has some death metal and doom influences, but traditional metal and even rock and roll also make frequent appearances in the overall sound. “...Prysušyla Chlopca Dzieuk” is more upbeat and rock-oriented, with group clean vocals that has a bit of that fun drinking vibe found in bands like Korpiklaani. “Viera Prodkau, castka 1 - Bajuc Kamienni” and “castka 2 - Razbity Kielich Susvietu,” on the other hand, head more into metal territory and let more of the growled vocals through.

The second half of the album is easily superior to the first half, which unfortunately starts to drag as it nears the middle of the disc. As the second, third, and fourth songs plod on the guitars all technically do what they should be, but there just isn’t as much presence or force as on the later tracks. These few songs are competent, but nothing extraordinary.

The entirely instrumental “Navala - Pad Abcasami Losu” is where it starts to turn around in a big way, giving the audience a reason to get up and head bang away. Oddly, the instrumental segments are frequently the most attention grabbing. The outro track is more compelling than many of the segments heard in the earlier songs, letting the melodic guitar work do the talking. A mixture of guitar and keyboard on “Spradviecny Bol (Serca Maci)” is one of the best sections to be found on the disc, creating a strong folksy vibe even with the electronic instruments.

Although not quite on the same field as bigger folk names like Tyr or Finntroll, “Parastki Pamiaci na Ruinach Byloha” is worth a spin from any fan of folk metal. Hopefully this is just the beginning for Weeping Twilight and for the future of Belarusian folk metal.