Khors: News

Slowly We Rot fanzine #16, 2020

Khors — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 07:05:00 +0000

1. After having been actively involved in the deepest underground for about fifteen years by now, without ever gaining major attention, I was wondering where your motivation still comes from these days?

- Being dedicated to the metal music and being involved in metal underground scene for more than 15 years, actually, means it is already a part of our lives. It might sound trite, but that's what we can't imagine our full lives without. Even without gaining ‘major attention’.

2. What actually lead to the decision back then to start up your own Black Metal band? Have you all "just" been fans prior to forming KHORS or did you already write and perform a different form of music and then you simply evolved into the Black Metal genre? What were your biggest musical "heroes" when you started out?

- We have always been and we still are huge fans of metal music :) KHORS wasn’t a first metal band for any of us. I have started playing drums more or less distincly in 1993. First time we have met with Khorus, bassist of KHORS, in 1996, when I was invited to play in ASTROFAES. Later, in 2004, I was invited by Khorus to join him for his new band KHORS. Other band mates, who have joined us later, were not some new guys on the local underground scene too. When I started, let’s say, my musical career, I was mostly into Death metal which is now referred to as “old-school death metal”. There were many of our “musical heroes” back then, but I can't remember exactly who of them were especially credible.

3. I could imagine that it must been a lot more enjoyable being in a Black Metal band back when you originally started out than some years laterI mean, a lot of the mystery that was surrounding the scene in its early days more and more obviously got lost due to countless bands that started to put on corpsepaint in order to get a record deal during the big Black Metal sellout a couple of years ago. So, how did you "survive" that period, which I personally would consider a real nightmare in terms of real creativity Have you ever been so fed up with all that, that you were kinda close to throw in the towel completely?

- When we have started, we had a lot of issues that were not related to the Black metal scene or any other world's scenes. Back then, it was a bit challenging to find a place to rehearse, to find a proper musical equipment, there were no people who were capable to record metal music here in general. Not to mention we had no possibility to go touring outside ex-USSR area. Many people dropped that under the weight of circumstances and because of perceived futility to reach out something valuable. Maybe it was the dawn for Black Metal worldwide, but it definitely was a struggle to survive for us here. I can agree with you, it was a terrible time, not only in terms of real creativity or creativity in general, but also that was a terrible time for us in many aspects. Still we survived as you can see. Not many of us, but still :) Somehow we managed to find a balance between our jobs that bring us income and creativity process on the other hand. Have we ever been so fed up with all that? Of course, we have. But, as you can see, this was not about world's metal music trends which were beyond our reach and therefore did not bother us at all :)

4. Looking back to the first KHORS steps and comparing with current state – what has changed? What kind of road was those 15 years?

- That was, as they say, ‘a very winding road'. Many wrong turns, deadlocks, ups and downs. Many different fellow travelers: both good and bad. Many things changed since then. Almost everything. Both, inside and outside of us.

5. I know it must be kinda boring for you, but as a lot of people are probably not aware of KHORS entire career, I was wondering if you could maybe introduce each of your releases so far in a few words… also mentioning good and bad aspects of the song material that appeared on them.

- I can't say it really bothers me, but there's a lot to say about. Well...

Ladies and gentlemen, make yourself comfortable :)

“The Flame of Eternity's Decline” — the band's debut album. It should be noted here that we appeared with the full-length instead of tasting the soil with demos or EPs. This is very raw, kind of a straightforward, honest and open stuff. We recorded it literally at home which was a studio, with drumkit resting against the sideboard in one of rooms. For some reason we couldn't provide a click to the drummer (to me), so this album was recorded without a metronome. I love this spirit of 'true' on this album as we recorded it as we could at that moment, and it sounds really harsh and fair. The album was released in spring of 2005.

The second album “Cold” we recorded in a slightly better environment. We recorded drums in professional studio, and the rest instruments were recorded in that home studio again, which was very 'cult' place actually. Many classic albums from Ukrainian Black Metal scene were recorded right there. So... “Cold” is more melodic stuff, with bigger role of keyboards, quite handful guitar solos, but still black metal in its basis. I consider this album as a step up but still a material of the band that is in search of its distinctive sound. The album was released in October of 2006.

“Mysticism” — our third record, and I, personally, consider this one is a big step up. We went to Kyiv to record and mix it, so that was another sound quality level. The songs sound atmospheric, melodic, melancholic – pretty much rich palette, especially in comparison with the two prior albums. With this album we changed our label to Paragon Records from USA so we’ve got excellent promotion as a result. Tons of reviews we had got where many people described our sound as Dark metal. All right, we accept. I can recommend this record to any metal music lover, not only to a black metal fan. And, yes, we lost some of our followers with such a change in sound and stuff. The album was released in December of 2008.

Ok, drive on! “Return to Abandoned” — our 4th record. This is actually my favorite one. It was recorded and mixed in professional studio with experienced and very talented sound mate — Alex Shaddar. After “Mysticism” record we ran into problems related to line-up changes, and the new guitar guy brought really great ideas for this new record. I still consider this album as our best one in terms of songwriting and arrangements. This album was later issued by legendary Osmose Productions on Double LP. The album was originally released on December 2010.

“Wisdom of Centuries” — our 5th one but the first record on which we have started to sing in Ukrainian. This is a conceptual album dedicated to the historical events that took place in Ukraine in 20s of the last century, so the change of the language to the mother tongue for the lyrics was obvious. We faced some line-up changes again, so we entered studio updated, with the new guitar player Jurgis, who also assumed the role of lead vocalist. This album sounds much darker than the previous and has many ambient touches and instrumentals, much less keyboards. It is quite short, only 4 full-fledged metal songs on it, but it sounds smooth, dark, atmospheric and densely. With this record we've got an offer from Candlelight Records and the album was released in September 2012.

Our 6th full-length with a very complicated title “Night Falls Onto the Fronts of Ours” is also one of my favorite records in KHORS' discography. I call this type of records ‘a multi-layered stuff'. If you want to understand the album you can dive deeper and deeper into it with each new listening. This is not the kind of a stuff you can fully understand at once. Something that I love in music. And I remember we worked hard on songs, on structures and on arrangements. I enjoyed seeing how the process evolved from the very first (rather low-key) reviews to getting better and better over time. This album was created at difficult times for our country and that was also a difficult time for the label. Candlelight Records was transferred to Universal Music Group's ownership, so we had to wait 8 months for this album to come out. Finally it was released in spring of 2015.

“Beyond the Bestial” is our first EP. After quite a long break we were back to composing process, but we realized it might take a year or more to complete the album. So, we decided to go for EP. The same year we celebrated 10 years anniversary of our “Mysticism” record, so we decided to re-record 3 songs from that album. Personally, I don’t consider an idea to re-arrange and re-record old songs a good one, so, I'm quite sure, we will never do this again. As for the new songs from EP – that are still multi-layered compositions, melodic and atmospheric, so I’ve started to call it ‘KHORS' Signature sound’. The EP was released in December 2018.

And, finally, our brand new 7th full-length “Where the Word Acquires Eternity”. I love this album very much, no matter how indiscreet it sounds :) This is a conceptual one, dedicated to the events that took place in our native city Kharkiv in 20s/30s of the last century. You can find more about the album concept in press-releases. That’s very professional stuff in terms of sound quality, songs structures, arrangements and not bad in execution as well. We gave it a try to collaborate with new local studio in Kharkiv and we're happy with the result. Again, I can recommend this record to any metal follower no matter what kind of metal you are into. I am pretty sure everybody can find something for themselves in it. However, if you are die-hard black metal fan, you most probably will be disappointed as sometimes happens. The album was released in September 15, 2020.

6. Late of you are very productive and intensive – in less than four years you‘ve presented two full-lenght albums,singiel, ep,live album, dvd and done plenty of shows. Is KHORS on their best shape or lets say – on their wave? Was there any new winds that blowed after Helg left the band? Does the new musician, Andres, strengthened the band so good or this is a more natural state of constant moving forward and doing your best?

- Honestly, we are not very productive lately. In last 4 years we presented EP, one full-length and live compilation. We've been much more productive in our first 10 years of career. I would say that everyone is on equal footing now. In conditions of quarantine and lockdown it is difficult to answer in what shape we are. Of course, we were planning a tour in support of the new album and we were in good readiness, well prepared, motivated and positive back then. But the plans never came true, so there are no any winds for the moment. We are glad to have Andres onboard as a new band member. He is an excellent guitar player, well versed in soft and equipment and he brought many great ideas and arrangements.

7. How successful went your last album "І нiч схиляється до наших лицъ (Night Falls onto the Fronts of Ours)"? Does the sales, the reactions and feedback differs from past albums?

- Nothing essentially new happened with the sales, reactions and feedback when this album came out. As I said before, this album is one with a difficult fate. After Candlelight Records was taken over by the Universal Music Group, we lost contact with our management. We stopped receiving sales reports and after a short while this album disappeared altogether from sale everywhere and we’ve heard some weird stories about elimination of all our back catalogue in transition period.

8. It’s a very fashionable thing to re-release demos on vinyl and / or CD these days, so have you ever been approached about that already as well? If not, would you agree to those kind of re-releases if the conditions would be acceptable?

- Each of our first 4 albums have been re-issued since the original editions were sold-out long ago. There was a time we also had a licensing contract for the sale of our albums “Mysticism” and “Return to Abandoned” on the territory of ex-USSR. The albums “Wisdom of Centuries” and “Night Falls...”, originally released by Candlelight Records, will also be re-released soon.

9. How important for you is the message in the music, the words behind the notes? Its obvious, that KHORS doesn’t belong to those bands, that really cares only about playing ephemeral four chords metal and shouting whatever.

- You can fill the material with extensive palette of emotions and make it better and more interesting if you're really into what you are talking/singing about. If it resonates with your attitude, if it's close to you, you become really honest at that very moment. It's not a problem though if someone is filled with such a behavior format: playing ephemeral four chords and shouting whatever. Whatever you do — do it honestly and efficiently.

10. Your music is a tribute to the ancestors ・their values, world view, relationship with nature, war history etc. Basically those topics doesn’t have a place in nowadays life that is evolving faster than we can understand that. How do you think why is it so hard to make people look back and search for answers in their ancestors wisdom? Why does the songs about your homeland and its history are so hardly accepted?

- It's absolutely not hard to get people to look at history. I even think modern people do it often enough. Another matter is what exact lessons they learn from this. And that's a huge difference between people. This is the way things are and will always be.

11. What is your lyrics influenced by? Can you describe what is going on in your mind, while creating all those... timeless epic tragedy, hymns for ancestors etc.? What does it give to you as a creator?

- Each album is differently inspired. Everything flows. Everything changes. Our perception change, the things that inspire us change, make us worry or inspire us. There is no one constant box that we always climb into in search of new ideas.

12. Does today's realities impacts the concept or creation process of your band? Every day we see society loosing old values, people refusing traditional ways of thinking, worldview, and drowning in slough of capitalism. That tide, you are swimming against, is getting stronger...

- The trends of contemporary society certainly don't bypass us and can't help but they affect us. But this hardly has any particular influence on the concept of our creativity and on us as musicians within KHORS. The globalization process, on the one hand, gives us new opportunities; on the other hand, it takes away the familiar and well-established tools from us. I can say for sure that we do not consider any missions in struggle for fundamental and traditional values or any particular ways of thinking. Humanity has entered a spiral of ‘idiocracy’, the casual nature of things.

13. Three times already, you have recorded albums where the lyrics were in your native Ukrainian language ,"Мудрість століть (Wisdom of Centuries)" ,"І ніч схиляється до наших лиць (Night Falls onto the Fronts of Ours)","За межами тваринного (Beyond the Bestial)" and KHORS is great example for those, who says and even declares, that if the band sings in whatever, but not English — the doors are closed and there are no chances to be appreciated on the international scene and etc. Could you speak more about this topic? Is this a point of identity? Maybe something else?

- Firstly, it has always been a normal practice to sing on native language if we talk about Black metal or Pagan black metal especially. I can give you many examples of bands worldwide which achieved recognition on the international level while singing on their native language. Secondly, we have never been that good at English that might limit the emotional spectrum of lyrics. Thirdly, the further concept of our band's creativity and reference to historical events in Ukraine quite logically assumed the Ukrainian language of performance. But I can agree that Heavy Metal has its conservative styles for which English is traditional and appropriates the best.

14. Listening to your latest release "Where the Word Acquires Eternity" is like being crushed by a two-handed hammer from the ancient ages. Was it the objective? To crush the listener?

- The only goal was to do everything honestly and efficiently :)

15. Why do you actually comeback to write lyrics on the latest full-lenght "Where the Word Acquires Eternity" in English, which must be a lot more difficult for a person like You, who’s out for quality?

- I will probably surprise you, but the lyrics on our latest album are also in Ukrainian. These are 8 poems by 8 different poets who lived in that house 'Word' in our native city of Kharkiv in 20s/30s of the last century.

16. How important do you consider live shows to be for the band? Which do you think is a more accurate portrayal of KHORS, a live show or a recorded album? For what kind of audience you dedicate your music?

- Live shows are important enough for us and we love to play live, especially at well-organized shows :) I cannot say which of our hypostases is more expressive: albums or live performances. We have heard opposite opinions from our listeners. There is no specific audience we focus on. Everyone is invited :)

17. You’re with Ashen Dominion although many bands today's start record companies of their own, did you ever think of taking care of everything on your own and why did you decide not to do so at the end of the day?

- Ashen Dominion was established by our bass player Khorus and his companion Eugene from Eclectic Productions. I think you got the answers to all your questions here :)

18. I think by now KHORS are an already kind of "established" band although you probably all have to work in order to make a living. Do you think you can change this situation (maybe with "Where the Word Acquires Eternity") and become "big"... Do you want things to change or KHORS are a platform for creative expression or maybe some kind of a safety valve so as not to go crazy and beat someone in a fit of rage?

- I like a definition 'a platform for creativity expression' and especially 'a safety valve'. I think we will continue to make music with KHORS as long as it fills us with emotions and as long as we find motivation for this. Of course, we all do something else for living in different ways not related to the band. I have never tried to define the place in my life that the band occupies. We will never get 'huge' for a number of reasons, but that has never broken or stopped us.

19. What have been the latest albums and / or demos that really impressed you? Do you still follow the scene with interest or is it more like, you only get to hear new stuff every once in a while?

- I've been listening to a little music lately. Not because I'm a snob or something, but I simply don’t have time. But I still try to be interested in news of the music industry and I think that plays both ways. If you are not interested in anything, then why should you be interested? So far I am impressed by new albums from Ulver and Benediction and still many more albums are on my 'pending list'.

20. Before we end this interview I’d like to give you the opportunity to fill us in on the latest happenings in the KHORS camp. So, what are you currently up to? The closing comments are yours ・all the best!

- We are on standby. No shows, no rehearsals, no creative process at the moment. Processing the mail orders, collecting the interviews, and waiting for better times to come. Thank you for this interview. It was interesting.

→ https://slowlywerot.miiduu.com/slowly-we-rot-16-2020

Life Beyond the Bestial

Khors — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 06:05:00 +0000

In a month exactly we'll head out to «Life Beyond the Bestial» mini tour dedicated to our latest EP, so you can hear all new songs from «Beyond the Bestial» exclusively once and never again. We're happy to participate at 10 Years Best of Dark Troll Festival anniversary show, as well as to visit and to play in Szescin for the very first time at Impurity Death Fest vol. 5, and of course to be back to Pilsen and meet again our friends there, and hoping for warm tube home concert atmosphere. Only 3 exclusive shows untill the end of this year. Looking forward to seeing you all.

Ragnard Winter Nights

Khors — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 07:05:00 +0000

We're back home after Ragnard Winter Nights tour which was absolutely fantastic in every way, and we're happy to have had those days and nights in beautiful places which we've never been in before, to explore new countries, landscapes, meet great people, new friends and some old ones as well. This tour became the most professional in our band's career, the most distant for the moment and probably the most difficult, so we're glad we passed the test with dignity. We'd like to express huge appreciation to Mr. Franco Rrf, Andrea Giannelli and the rest of Rising MOON PROD family for making this tour happen at the highest level. We thank all the promoters working hard on the shows, especially to Franc Nocturnal Reaper (you not just managed a show, but performed a feat, man!). Thank you all so much who visited our shows and supported us (hopefully we've met your expectations). Special thanks to the guys of Selvans: Luca, Alessandro, Marco, Christian, Alessandro. That was awesome to share these days with you, guys. And of course highest respect to our transport department: Laurent Lycans, Benoit PxRay, Александр Костко (Alexander Kostko) and Yury – you did an excellent job!

Thank you all again and stay tuned for the next announcements!

Merci Bien, MOTOCULTOR FESTIVAL Open Air!

Khors — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 06:05:00 +0000

That was a pleasure to be back to your beautiful country again and had so awesome evening. Thank you all for making our stay so nice and memorable. Cheers and hails to all our friends we’ve met both old and new ones. That’s especially nice to meet you far away from home.

Our special thanks and highest respects to Brigitte André for making all this happen and taking care of us during our stay like being band’s mother. Merci beaucoup! You did an excellent job and we appreciate it so much!

And our mission continues. Stay tuned for the next announces!

Ragnard Rockers! Merci pour ce fest les gars. C'était super!

Khors — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 06:05:00 +0000

Thanks so much for giving us a chance to explore France with this kind of amazing festival full of warm family atmosphere. We hope to be back oneday to discover more these amazing places.

Great respect to Edoras Rrf, Andrea Giannelli and everybody else involved in the organization. Thanks a lot for all the fans for your outstanding support. That was incredible. Hails to everybody we're hanging out having fun and beers together with.

If you want more doze of Khors, we'll be back in August for MOTOCULTOR FESTIVAL Open Air and would be glad to see you all there.

And please tag us if you have some photos since we don't have any. Thanks!

Hell Fast Attack!

Khors — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 06:05:00 +0000

Thank you very much for the fantastic atmosphere, this amazing feature that only this festival might have. That was good to be with you as always. Thank you all who being with us that chilly rainy evening. We appreciate your support a lot.

We respect the organizers and all the technicians for excellent work and special thanks to our driver Alex for being as fast as hell in our time of need!

We hope to see you again very soon and our next stop is France for Ragnard ROCK Festival.

Děkuji!

Darktrolls! Vielen vielen Dank!

Khors — Sun, 15 May 2016 06:05:00 +0000

You can’t imagine how many troubles we had to go through to reach you but it was totally worth it. We were running behind, survived falcon attack, got our windshield cracked, however we had a good time thanks to your warm support and words of respect. We’d like to thank festival promoters, crew, and all the fans so much for inviting us over the weekend to play at your amazing festival, giving us the honor of playing in your country for the very first time, and making our stay really memorable experience in our career.

We also thank the organizers and the people attended Czech cozy indoor party Carnival Of Souls we played a day before our appearance at Dark Troll Festival VII. It was pleasure to play and talk to you as always. See you very soon in your country again.

Finally we’d like to thank a lot Anton Thorgeir Prymak of BALFOR, who took care of guitar and vocals on these shows instead of our constant member Jurgis, who unfortunately couldn’t come with us due to his family cares. Be sure we’re back before too long with an expanded set-list full of new songs. And of course special thanks to our driver Alexandr Kostko and Uncle Piet-Hein van der Putten for your inestimable help.

Thank you again and anyone with photos, please tag us!

DVD “Following the Years of Blood”

Khors — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 06:05:00 +0000

DVD “Following the Years of Blood” is out on Eclectic Productions.

DVD consists of two professionally filmed band's live performances,

one in Kyiv in April 2015 and second in Kharkiv in March 2014.

Tracklist:

Kyiv Black Mass Festival 2015

1. Intro

2. No Oaths, No Tears, No Knees!

3. Dead Birds Valley

4. Following the Ways of Blood

5. The Last Leaves

6. For the Last Time

7. My Cossack Way

Kharkiv 2014

1. Through the Сlouds of the Past (intro)

2. Black Forest's Flaming Eyes

3. The Last Leaves

4. The Only Time Will Take It Away

5. Asgard's Shining

6. Mysticism

7. Ashes

8. Wisdom of Centuries

9. Sacrament Of Buyan

DVD comes in 6 panel A5 digipack.

→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DEvT0BS1yY

LP “Night Falls Onto the Fronts of Ours”

Khors — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 07:05:00 +0000

LP “Night Falls Onto the Fronts of Ours” is out on Svarga Music collaborated with Bloodred Distribution, Fimbulvinter Productions, Gardarika Musikk and Possession productions. LP comes in gatefold sleeve limited to 500 copies.

Re-issue of "The Flame of Eternity’s Decline" album by Svarga Music

Khors — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 07:05:00 +0000

One more release from us this year!

Now 10 years later since the initial issue in 2005 meet the re-edition of our debut album “The Flame of Eternity’s Decline” completely remixed and remastered. The new edition comes in a noble 6 panel digipack with new artwork. There are guitarist Wortherax (Twilightfall, ex- Nokturnal Mortum) and keyboardist Saturious (Finist, ex- Nokturnal Mortum) who helped us during the recording of this the very first album of ours.

The album comes out on Svarga Music on November 6.

New Official Video "The Last Leaves"

Khors — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 06:05:00 +0000

On September 20 we are back to the cradle of Ukrainian Cossacks – Cherkassy, the city where we will participate in charity festival “Povstanets” (“The Rebel”). By coincidence it was September 2012 when our “Wisdom of Centuries” record was out, the first one performed in our native tongue and dedicated to the events that took place in Kholodny Yar a century ago. In that fall of 2012 near Melniki village we filmed video on “The Last Leaves” song which due to various reasons didn’t work out in the way we’d like it to be. However we guess now is the very that moment we should share it with you.

→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adi3OPiVhFA

“My Cossack Way” pro-live video

Khors — Wed, 13 May 2015 06:05:00 +0000

New “My Cossack Way” pro-live video filmed during our performance at Kyiv Black Mass festival, 26.04.2015, Kyiv, Ukraine.

→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMMqUckpY9s

04/20/2015

Khors — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 06:05:00 +0000

Sixth full-lenght entitled "Night Falls Onto the Fronts of Ours" is out on Candlelight Records.

The album was recorded from January to June 2014 at local studios Phantom Records, Jurgis home studio, Nightmarestudio and Iron Still Records then mixed and mastered by Shaddar, our long term partner in his legendary Blacklight Studio, Kyiv, Ukraine. The album contains 8 tracks, total duration: 43 mins.

Track listing:

1. No Oaths, No Tears, No Knees!

2. Dead Birds Valley

3. Following the Ways of Blood

4. Night Falls Onto the Fronts of Ours (instr.)

5. 1664

6. For the Last Time

7. Slight Web Solitude

8. My Cossack Way

“Ashes” pro-live video

Khors — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 06:05:00 +0000

New “Ashes” pro-live video filmed during our performance in Kharkiv city, Ukraine, 23-03-2014

→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rqYSBMb_C4

Re-issue of "Cold" album by Svarga Music

Khors — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 06:05:00 +0000

“Cold” album is re-released by Svarga Music. Album remixed, remastered and reworked new edition in a 6 panel digipak. “Cold” was recorded in Kharkiv during Winter-Spring 2006 at M-Art and Audio Alchemia Studios then mixed at Buddha Cat Studio in Moscow by Michael Smirnov. The album initially was released by Oriana Music in December 2006. In 2014 “Cold” album was completely re-mixed and re-mastered by Astargh at his Dark Essence Studio.

Khors live @ Oskorei festival. Full show

Khors — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 07:05:00 +0000

We’ve got nice quality video bootleg filmed during our live performance @ Oskorei Pagan Music festival in December 2012. Back then we represented recently released “Wisdom of Centuries” album.
We thank Yura Silentbeholder for filming.

→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OslO9EsjTlE

Celebrating Ukraine Unification Day with the new single

Khors — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 07:05:00 +0000

Following the ways of blood through centuries went the sons of Ukraine land clutching morgensterns, sabers and rifles in their calloused hands. Armed hard with the idea of unity they were moving through treat of deceit against those wishing to enjoy captured. And blood flowed the river from Bukovina to Sloboda lands bonding the dream of happy sovereign unity of our people. Probably a lot more of the best sons of Ukraine will die for the implementation of this age-old dream...

96 years ago, we, Ukrainians believe that now is a great time of eternal unity.

«Henceforth there’s united and independence Ukrainian People’s Republic. Henceforth Ukrainian people released with the powerful gust of their own forces has the chance to build the infrangible independence Ukrainian state with the united friendly efforts of all its sons for the weal and happiness for all its people».

January 22, 1919 in Kyiv

Slovanské Turné Bratstva A Priatel’stva

Khors — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 07:05:00 +0000

In the middle of October we’ve visited Slovak cities Bratislava, Martin and Košice within slovanské turné bratstva a priatel’stva together with Lunatic Gods and Silent Stream of Godless Elegy as was announced earlier. We’re satisfied with the organization, hospitality, attendance, support, etc. and we decided to make this live video accordingly which we like to share with you now. We’d like to give our thanks and hails to all the guys who made the whole tour and each show within that possible, to all our friends from Slovakia (special thanks to Matúš Jaško as always))), thanks to our beautiful Khors crew and very special thanks to Alex (of Apostate) for your professionalism and patience.

→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI6QhwqDROs

Celebrating 10 years by releasing a new single

Khors — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 06:05:00 +0000

10 years ago precisely we gathered up for our the very first rehearsal and now, turning back, we can submit that it was definitely not an easy way for us but we've done a lot and there's still much that should be done. It's not time for celebrations nowadays, that is why we refrain from any shows in it's honor however we decided to share our new single with you which is dedicated to our 10 years' anniversary and which we personally would like to dedicate to all the brave Cossack sons who fight to protect our Motherland right now and to those of them who have fallen during these painful days of oppositions. Your mighty Cossack way shall become greatest example for all of us and for many generations to come!

Download ‘My Cossack Way ‘ from iTunes

UK: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/my-cossack-way-single/id908383644
USA: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/my-cossack-way-single/id908383644

Выступление на Black Sea Metal Festival отменено

Khors — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 06:05:00 +0000

К сожалению, в связи с трагическими событиями в семье нашего гитариста Helg'a, мы вынуждены отменить своё выступление 9-го августа на Black Sea Metal Festival https://vk.com/blackseametalfest . Приносим свои извинения фанам и организаторам фестиваля.

Thanks to Hell Fast Attack festival!

Khors — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 06:05:00 +0000

Just returned from Czech Republic where we played at Hell Fast Attack festival together with many many great acts. We’d like to say hello, cheers and thanks so much to the David and all the promoters worked on the festival, to the fest technical crew and people we had great time together with. Special thanks to Alex (Black Art), White Fury, Set and Sekhmet, Jess & Kaiser for killer afterparty, Michal Dufaq, Vidmantas & Jurgita and all the fans for your warm words and support!

"Mysticism" Re-issue

Khors — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 07:05:00 +0000

"Mysticism" album in honor of its fifth anniversary will be re-released soon in digipack CD format by Ukrainian label Svarga Music with a completely new design developed Al.Ex {Mayhem Design}. The release date for the CIS countries is 12.24.2013 and worldwide release date is 02.14.2014. You can order your copy of re-released “Mysticism” album now!
http://khors.info/en/merchandise/

“Wisdom of Centuries” new pro-live video

Khors — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Our new “Wisdom of Centuries” pro-live video filmed during our performance at Kilkim Žaibu open air festival, Varniai, Lithuania on 23-06-2013 and edited by festival crew especially for upcoming annual DVD. Hope you’ll like this one!

→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JEawM49qNA&feature=c4-overview&list=UU3MUD4ncfFWgW2YhD_b4l_w

Gerderland & Aurora Infernalis festival behind us!

Khors — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Gerderland & Aurora Infernalis festival behind us so we’d like to thank everyone who’ve made this festival and our performance there possible, who helped us in any way during our whole trip, to all the fans came and support us, to all the guys we spoke, drink and have fun with. Special thanks to Reinier Vlemmings, Leroy Kuster, Alexey aka Bes Weedowski, Sviatoslav (Svarga Music), Arnhem Hotel Central staff, Luxorlive and festival crew.
Thanks so much for awesome weekends!

"Mysticism" new merchandise.

Khors — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 07:05:00 +0000

This year our "Mysticism" album celebrates its fifth anniversary therefore we support it with the new T-shirts and Hoodies. Earlier this year "Mysticism" is out on LP and it will be re-issued later this year. Welcome to merchandise page: http://khors.info/en/merchandise/

08/24/2013

Khors — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 06:05:00 +0000

LP "Mysticism" is out on Osmose Productions (France)

Tracklist:
1. Through the Rays of Fading Moon
2. Raven's Dance
3. Milk of Heavens
4. Winterfall
5. In the Cold Embrace of Mist
6. Pagan Scars
7. Mysticism
8. Red Mirrors

Gothoom Open Air

Khors — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 06:05:00 +0000

Last weekend we were at Gothoom Open Air in Nová Baňa, Slovakia. Cheers to all the fans who came and support us, all guys who we spoke and drink with and people who made it happen, Peter ‘Doomas’ Bet’ko, Matúš Jaško, Miroslav, to our driver Oleg and all others in festival crew!
Thanx for awesome weekend! Hope to see you again soon!

Poland, Lithuania, Belarus! Afterwards!

Khors — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 06:05:00 +0000

Finally we’re back home and now when we feel good and rested we’d like to say many thanks to all of you guys who came to our shows and supported us. Poland, Lithuania and Belarus, thanks for having us over! Thank you, guys for your warm words of sympathy and respect. Hope we’ll see you again very soon. Special thanks to the promoters, organizers, tech crew and our colleagues namely Max Nabokov, BALFOR band mates (Thorgeir, Athamas, Warider), Eugeny Pylypenko, Jotunhammer, Adrian Pelka, Klimoth & NON OPUS DEI, Daividas Kurlis & Kilkim Žaibu festival crew, Gytis Nenius and technical crew, Andis Mikainis, Gints Albužis, Vidmantas Zyrauskas, Vladimir Deinega, Oleg Barozhinsky, Alexandra Fevra, Alexander Litvinsky, Viktor Lapitsky, Anton Prigornitsky.
Thank you again! Gods bless you!

HolyMayhem.com

Khors — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 06:05:00 +0000

→ http://holymayhem.com/index.php?pageid=698

Terroraiser zine

Khors — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 06:05:00 +0000

Extreme Metal Magazine

Khors — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 06:05:00 +0000

→ http://www.pbdink.com/magazines/extreme/extreme.html#/1/

Atmosfear zine

Khors — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 06:05:00 +0000

New cap is available.

Khors — Wed, 01 May 2013 06:05:00 +0000

The first KHORS Live Album "Abandoned Leaves " is out on Eclectic Productions (Ukraine)

Khors — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 06:05:00 +0000

Format: Digipack CD
Tracklist:
1. Arrival (intro)
2. Lost Threads
3. Asgard's Shining
4. The Fog (...And Grief Still Moans)
5. In The Depths Of Black Hills
6. Mysticism
7. Я Принесу С Собою Гром (Thunder I Shall Bring)
8. Ashes
9. Sacraments of Buyan
10. Trees Are Remembers

New Patches

Khors — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 07:05:00 +0000

New patches is available.

New tapes "Return to Abandoned", "Cold Ways" and "Winter Stronghold"

Khors — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

"Return to Abandoned" album as well as audio versions of both our DVDs "Cold Ways" and "Winter Stronghold" are out now on Werewolf Promotions, Poland on MC format

Headbanger.ru

Khors — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

1. Поговорим о вашем последнем творении – альбоме «Мудрiсть столiть». Прежде всего, почему было принято решение записать его на родном, украинском языке?

Это связано в первую очередь с тематикой альбома, которая посвящена Холодноярскому освободительному движению 20 х годов прошлого века.

2. «Мудрiсть столiть» посвящен 95-летию Холодноярской республики, однако сами эти исторические события в текстах альбома не упоминаются. В чем тогда можно проследить связь между материалом альбома и этой темой?

Людям, непонимающим суть событий, возможно, сложно уловить эту связь. Те же, кто в теме, это сделали без труда, что подтвердила реакция на альбом у украинских слушателей. В текстах не упоминаются имена атаманов, названия городов и сёл, а также даты различных событий, но мы изначально строили информативность лирики на ассоциациях.

Те, кто заинтересуется, узнают всю необходимую информацию из интернета, кто захочет копнуть глубже – почитают документальную литературу авторства Юрия Горлиса-Горского, Романа Коваля и других. В любом случае цель — обратить внимание слушателя на малоизвестные страницы Украинской истории, будет достигнута.

3. Альбом вышел на Candlelight Records, и хотя это не первый западный лейбл, с которым вы сотрудничаете, он, пожалуй, самый крупный. Какие условия они вам предложили? Обещают ли какую-то поддержку в организации концертов за пределами СНГ?

Условия они нам предложили хорошиеJ. Соответствующие своему статусуJ. Что касается концертов, то нам часто задают подобные вопросы в проекции на лейбл. Они были и после подписания контрактов с Paragon и Osmose. Но дело в том, что бытующее мнение о том, что лейбл занимается организацией концертов, ошибочно. Лейбл может этому поспособствовать своей работой или обратить внимание букинг – агенств, не более того. Что-то подобное имело место быть с нами. Летом мы получили несколько хороших предложений, но не по всем удалось достигнуть взаимопонимания с организаторами, и в конечном итоге мы ограничились несколькими концертами и фестивалями в Румынии и Словакии. Возможно весной ситуация будет лучше, но всё достаточно сложно, учитывая наше местоположение, визы и прочие негативные нюансы стран, находящихся за пределами Евросоюза.

4. Будет ли новый альбом выпущен в России и СНГ? Или, на ваш взгляд, локальный релиз не имеет смысла с учетом текущей ситуации с продажами физических носителей?

Пока не могу сказать ничего определённого, Candlelight ранее продавали лицензию на свою продукцию нескольким российским лейблам, возможно, это будет и с нашим альбомом. Но, отвечая на вторую часть вашего вопроса, да, я не вижу в этом издании особого смысла. Единственный момент, это более приемлемая цена для покупателей.

5. Альбомы Khors издавались на всех видах физических носителей – CD, виниле, кассетах. Какой носитель больше всего нравится тебе лично? Или же iPod удобнее их всех?

У меня нет iPod’аJ. Как то вот так сложилось, что нет у меня острой необходимости в этой штукеJ. Музыку чаще всего слушаю на CD, реже mp3 на компьютере.

6. Размещение креста (не перевернутого) на обложке альбома наверняка воспринимается определенной частью вашей аудитории как вызов — хотя вы никогда не декларировали антихристианских воззрений, вы все-таки играете блэк-метал, жанр, изначально находящийся в оппозиции к церкви. Не содержит ли такой шаг элемента провокации? И в целом, на ваш взгляд, насколько то, что вы хотите сказать своим творчеством, находит понимание среди аудитории?

Забавный вопрос J. Подобную провокацию мы однозначно не планировали, если и есть на альбоме элемент провокационности, то он определённо другого смысла. Мы вкладываем в наше творчество душу и много сил, но насколько аудитория понимает суть альбомов, нас интересует в последнюю очередь. Главное — наше собственное удовлетворение процессом. И в данном случае ещё необходимо учитывать, что у каждого слушателя своё восприятие нашей музыки, и они чувствуют её по-своему.

7. Как и в случае с Khors, так и с множеством других украинских команд, прослеживается тенденция пересечения составов и взаимопомощи при записи альбомов. Можно ли в связи с этим назвать украинскую сцену дружной и сплоченной?

Вряд ли. Есть группы и участники групп, с которыми мы дружны. Но этих людей не много. В остальном нас мало интересует украинская сцена.

8. На мой взгляд, в звучании многих украинских групп, играющих блэк/пэган-метал, есть много общего. Так сказать, фирменный украинский саунд, позволяющий в определенной степени географически распознать группу при прослушивании. Согласен ли ты с подобным утверждением?

Возможно. Тут вам судить легче, чем мне, ведь я нахожусь внутри этого, так сказать множества. К слову о множестве, оно, не подразумевает качество в проекции на большинство групп этого множества.

9. Еще одна тенденция украинской блэковой сцены – ряд музыкантов, в прошлом игравших весьма, скажем так, радикальную музыку, в последние лет десять создают проекты, работающие с менее взрывоопасными темами. Среди таких проектов – и Khors, и Drudkh, и Viter. Как ты считаешь, есть ли у такой тенденции какая-то общая причина, или в каждом случае у музыкантов были мотивы? Каковы были твои мотивы, когда ты уходил из Astrofaes и создавал Khors?

Мотивы, я думаю, всегда у каждого свои. Из Astrofaes я уходил, чтобы создать свою группу, которая соответствовала бы моим идеям и мыслям в первую очередь. Что касается взрывоопасности и меньшей либо большей радикальности тем, то тут всегда нужно понимать и воспринимать суть образности и конкретности передачи информации. Она ведь с годами может лишь изменить форму.

10. Можно ли выделить в Khors однозначного лидера? Если говорить об авторстве материала, то все расписано в буклетах, но как и кем принимаются решения в вопросах саунда, выбора концепции альбомов, имиджа?

Как правило, мы принимаем решение сообща, то есть информация в буклетах и в целом соответствует действительности. Группа – это ведь командный вид спортаJ.

11. Всегда ли творческий процесс в группе протекает слаженно и гладко? Имеют ли место разногласия и конфликты между музыкантами? Можно ли назвать вас единомышленниками, друзьями?

Мы часто спорим по различным вопросам, но пока, как видите, находим общие знаменатели. Мы знакомы уже много лет, ещё до появления Khors,и давно поддерживаем дружеские отношения. В последние годы большинство из нас обременены семьями и более того, мы уже не все живём в одном городе, поэтому группа является тем объединяющим фактором, где есть возможность отвести душуJ.

12. Что входит в ваш стандартный концертный райдер? И чтобы вы хотели, что бы туда входило? Насколько удовлетворяют пожеланиям группы те условия, которые обычно вам выдвигаются?

Всё достаточно стандартно в нашем стандартном концертном райдереJ.Это касается и технического и бытового, мы достаточно скромныJ. К тому же мы не корчим из себя рок-звёзд и с нами всегда можно нормально договориться, ну если организатор в адеквате естественноJ.

13. Играет ли для тебя большое значение количество присутствующих на ваших выступлениях зрителей и их реакция на вашу музыку? Влияет ли это в конечном счете на вашу отдачу?

Влияет, тут не буду кривить душой, но в любом случае, ниже определённого уровня мы никогда не выступим, даже при очень низкой посещаемости. Реакция фанов, к слову, играет роль бОльшую. чем их количество. Бывают шоу, которые запоминаются именно благодаря отдаче людей.

14. У тебя есть свои музыкальные кумиры? С каким из групп ты бы очень хотел выступить на одной сцене, в том числе из ныне уже не существующих?

У меня есть, конечно, группы, которые я слушаю с детства, и которые по сей день присутствуют в моей музыкальной коллекции. Но выступать приятнее всего с друзьями. А своих кумиров я лучше в роли зрителя посмотрю из зала, к слову, уже почти всех увиделJ.

15. Чем вообще является для тебя музыка в жизни? Какие цели ты преследуешь, играя в Khors?

Я часто слушаю музыку и она является очень важной составляющей частью моей жизни.

Что касается Khors, то в ответе не обойтись без банальных фраз о самовыражении и самореализацииJ. Группа на хорошем ходу, мы постоянно в работе над альбомами, они несут в себе определённую идею и я просто получаю удовольствие от нашего развития.

16. Что тебя больше всего не устраивает и что больше всего нравится в твоей стране?

В моей стране меня устраивает всё. Украина – моя родина, а в родине не может, что-то не нравится. Не устраивать может правительство, которое в нашем случае имеет очень далёкую от патриотизма политику и министров низкого уровня. Может не устраивать общий интеллектуальный уровень и уровень самосознание населения, но сложно желать большего, ведь мы только в начале пути после многих лет коммунистической деградации и саморазрушения.

17. Каковы планы Khors на 2013 год? Вы собираетесь активно поддерживать «Мудрiсть столiть» концертами, или же планируется работа над новым материалом?

Над новым материалом мы уже работаем примерно около года, периодически прерываясь на концертную деятельность. Думаю, в 2013 году мы продолжим работу над альбомом, и если будут концерты, то сделаем соответствующую паузу.

Спасибо за ваше внимание! Всего наилучшего!

Khorus 01.01.2013

→ http://www.headbanger.ru/interviews/329

MetalItalia.com "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Il black metal dei Khors non fatica a collocarsi all’interno di quella frangia di band dedite a sonorità atmosferiche ed arcane, rimanendo distante da qualsiasi tipo di divagazione “cervellotica” e facendo della melodia – almeno per questo “Wisdom Of Centuries” – un vero e proprio punto cardine. La band è ucraina ed è facile, quindi, comprendere la scelta di questo tipo di approccio musicale, devoto ad un certo tipo di scuola nordeuropea ma particolarmente legato alla propria terra e alla propria cultura, ricordando quanto fatto con classe cristallina dai romeni Negura Bunget. Meno antico e incontaminato del suo predecessore, il disco ci offre una manciata di brani ariosi e dal piglio decisamente immediato, favorendo il modellamento di una forma canzone ben definita che strizza un po’ l’occhio a soluzioni attualmente “di moda”. L’ascolto, quindi, risulta fluido e privo di particolari intoppi, caratterizzato da un forte uso dell’atmosfera come ruolo da protagonista, spesso accompagnata da veloci accelerazioni ben supportate da una sezione ritmica tutto sommato efficace, volta ad arricchire il mood con un’aura di epicità che a volte riesce e altre volte no, peccando in diversi passaggi di prevedibilità. Numerosi gli intermezzi pacati che spezzano il ritmo del minutaggio, decisamente abbondanti per un lavoro della durata di quaranta minuti scarsi che, infatti, dopo diversi ascolti, paga dazio al tempo sacrificato per questo tipo di scelta stilistica. Per intenderci, capita spesso e volentieri di voler sentire qualche apertura maligna in più, pesanti distorsioni che avrebbero sicuramente aiutato il risultato finale in termini di varietà e di equilibrio generale della proposta, a tratti troppo pacata. Comunque, grazie ad una produzione nitida ma grezza quando serve, e a brani come “The Last Leaves” e, soprattutto, “Only Time Will Take It Away”, la quinta fatica dei Khors riesce a catturare attenzione e a regalare momenti di buona musica senza mai cadere vertiginosamente nell’anonimato. Detto questo, al quinto sigillo in studio sarebbe anche lecito attendersi un salto di qualità che proprio non vuole arrivare. Magari loro si accontentano, chissà. Di certo, se la pazienza non vi manca, “Wisdom Of Centuries” è un buon mezzo per ammazzare questa attesa.

Voto: 7.0

→ http://metalitalia.com/album/khors-wisdom-of-centuries/

Infektion 'zine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Quem nao se lembra de Kharkiv, onde, este verao, Portugal bateu a Holanda no Europeu de futebol? Pois bem, a partir de agora a cidade ucraniana passa tambem a ser sinonimo de Black Metal de primeira agua. O quinto album dos Khors, e primeiro pela Candlelight, representa um bom exemplo do potencial que existe neste genero musical quando conjugado com as raizes culturais dos paises de origem das bandas. Neste caso, a tradicao eslava (a qual empresta belas melodias) e a historia da Ucrania servem de inspiracao para um album bastante inspirado. “Wisdom of Centuries” fala da primeira republica ucraniana, fundada ha quase um seculo e que foi aniquilada quase a nascenca pelos bolcheviques. Contrariamente ao que vem sendo o apanagio no quarteto, nem so de furia epica se faz este disco. A entrada do guitarrista Jurgis, pode ter dado o mote para dar azo a uma veia mais atmosferica. Com efeito, uma das grandes mais-valias deste registo, sobretudo espiritual, e a riqueza da paleta de emocoes expressas com mestria, em forma de som — em quatro dos temas apenas de forma instrumental. A musica vive do equilibrio entre melodias de teclados, do tremulo das guitarras e da voz aspera de Helg. Com uma limpeza invejavel, a producao tambem merece destaque. Banda a continuar a ter debaixo de olho.

8,5/10

Jose Branco

Kronos Mortus "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Egy jó pár éve fokozott figyelemmel kísérem az ukrán metal színteret. S nem csak azért, mert jó zenék érkeznek onnan, hanem egyre több (eddig a sötét undergroundba rejtőző) zenekar kerül a felszínre. Melyek nem csak minőségi zenével, hanem egyedi atmoszférával is rendelkeznek. Nem is gondolná az ember micsoda kincsek rejtőznek keleti szomszédjainknál. Ezen kincsek egyik legékesebben ragyogó darabja a Khors nevezetű atmoszférikus black metal formáció. Leginkább a két évvel ezelőtti “Return to Abandoned” című negyedik lemezzel kerültek, a metal hallgatók látókörébe. S nem is érdemtelenül. Azon a remek korongon tökéletesen egyesítették a fekete fém gyorsaságát egy egyedi hangulattal, mely már az első hangtól rabul ejtett. Rögtön fel is került a csapat a kedvenc zenekaraim listájára, s persze el is kezdtem kutakodni a régi dolgaik után. S, persze fél szemmel a jövőjük alakulását is követtem melynek most itt egy újabb mérföldköve az ötödik alkotás „Wisdom of Centuries„ címmel.

Már a korongot felvezető intró megadja az alaphangulatot, mely rögtön egy másik dimenzióba helyezi a hallgatót. S utána elindul az utazás a „Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes” című tétellel. Azonnal az ukrán erdők mélyére kerülünk, melyből a korong utolsó tételéig nem is nagyon tudunk szabadulni. Hozzáteszem nem is akarunk. Jönnek az örvénylő riffek, halk billentyűszőnyeg kíséretében és ezekből rendszerint egy-egy kiváló dallam, néhol egy megfoghatatlan hangulatú szóló kerekedik ki. Aztán következik az egyik legjobb tétel a lemezen a kitörölhetetlen dallamokat hozó „The Last Leaves”. Nem hinném, hogy ebben a stílusba született ennél nagyobb dal. Káprázatos, szinte elvarázsol. Kapunk sok átvezetőt is a hangulat fokozása érdekében. Meg még ott figyel a folyamatosan kibontakozó címadó is a maga egyedi dalfelépítésével, hogy aztán a szintén gyönyörű témákat rejtő „The Only Time Will Take It Away” zárja a korong érdemi részét, mely tételről még a Sear Bliss neve is beugrott. Majd a „Twilight” vet véget az ősi utazásnak, de még szerencse, hogy a „play” gomb megnyomásával újra útnak indulhatunk a rengetegbe.

Két apró észrevételem lenne, ami miatt nem adhatok maximális pontszámot. Az egyik, hogy egy kicsit túlságosan kiölték a zenéből a gyors részeket, nekem hiányoznak a blackes tekerések. A másik pedig a 40 perces játékidő, amit most kevésnek érzek, jöhetett volna még ebből. Ezek azonban apró hibák, a lényeg, hogy maga az egész zene egy olyan hangulattal van felvértezve, mely minden egyes hangjában ott van ősi erők pogány tüze. Az ember szinte azonnal vértestvérségbe lépne a zenészekkel. Ha ez nem is jöhet össze (egyenlőre) addig is hallgassátok a „Wisdom of Centuries„-t.

Pontszám: 9

→ http://www.kronosmortus.com/lemezismertetok/khors-wisdom-of-centuries/

Metalfactory "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Aus dem Osten kommt schon seit einiger Zeit extremer Metal. Ähnlich wie mit materieller Ware werden dabei bereits bekannte Ideen aus dem Ausland abgekupfert, im Land selber produziert und dann weiter verteilt, was vor allem im Black Metal häufig in minderwertigem, braunem Mist endet. Glücklicherweise haben Khors bereits bei der Bandgründung vor acht Jahren darauf geachtet, als nicht politische Band anerkannt zu werden. Zudem wirken die Ideen nicht einfach billig kopiert, sondern passend adaptiert. Soll heissen, die Einflüsse liegen bei alten Kampfar, alten Enslaved, vielleicht ein wenig Taake und Kalmah. Dabei setzen die Ukrainer auch auf ganz dezente Synthies und schrecken auch vor instrumentellen Interludien nicht zurück ("Horizong Glassy"). Der Titeltrack selbst traut sich sogar in schleppendes Tempo, was Ähnlichkeiten zu Yggdrasil und Ereb Altor aufblitzen lässt. Trotz alledem überraschen die Herren mit frischem, unverbrauchtem Elan, was schliesslich im Rauswerfer "Only Time Will Take It Away" gipfelt, und das ganze Können der Truppe zeigt. Ein wirklich tolles Lied, das auch mehr als einmal Spass macht. Somit sind die Vorurteile restlos beiseite geräumt, auch wenn es noch nicht für eine absolute Kaufempfehlung reicht.

Tristan

Punkte: 6.6 von 10

→ http://metalfactory.ch/reviews/cdreviewoktober2012.htm

Terroraiser Magazine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Пожалуй, в этом году KHORS выдали свою едва ли не самую атмосферную работу. Во многом благодаря вязким, зацикленным гитарным партиям на “Wisdom of Centuries” музыка стала ещё более холодной с ярко выраженным гипнотизмом. В отличие от предыдущего альбома новый материал звучит более ровно, но отнюдь не монотонно, что способствует ощущению логической завершенности и целостности работы. И хотя “Wisdom of Centuries” не стал прямым продолжением предыдущих работ группы, при его прослушивании не возникает сомнений, чьему перу принадлежит данное творение, поскольку все характерные особенности своего звучания KHORS сохранили в полной мере. Несмотря на то, что группа продолжила уверенное движение по пути экспериментов, не возникает никаких сомнений относительно стилистической принадлежности представленного материала – это атмосферный блэк в самом лучшем своём прочтении. Вопреки кажущейся ровности и размеренности “Wisdom of Centuries”, для осмысления альбома его необходимо прослушать не единожды, дабы уловить все скрытые нюансы и полностью проникнуться глубокой атмосферой. Кстати, на новом альбоме группа решилась на довольно ответственный шаг, исполнив все композиции на украинском языке. Подводя итог, отмечу, что “Wisdom of Centuries” будучи очень качественной работой, является всё же альбомом настроения, и в зависимости от обстоятельств может быть воспринят неодинаково, что удерживает меня от высшей оценки.

www.khors.com.ua

Alias (9/10)

→ http://www.terroraiser.com/magazine-terroraiser.html

Stereo Invaders "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Tutto avrei detto, tranne che questo combo black arrivasse dall'Ucraina. Vero che da sempre le terre dell'est sono state fulcro della scena black, ma dal mood che si respira all'interno del disco e dal fatto che siano lcienziati Candlelight, avrei giurato di trovarmi di fronte ad un gruppo americano. L'inizio è di quelli terribili: dopo un intro piuttosto banale, "Black Forest's Flaming Eyes" parte bene per i primi due minuti, con un buon riffing, tastiere che sorreggono il tutto, e uno scream adatto, salvo poi ripetere per altri sette minuti lo stesso giro in maniera quasi maniacale. Idee che tengono se fai Depressive Black, un po' meno se pensi che l'etichetta migliore per il disco sia "Pagan Black Metal" (a detta della band stessa). I toni si smorzano con "The Last Leaves", molto più melodica (a tratti sembra di sentire un giro degli Aiden), che meglio gestisce i suoi sette minuti con cambi di mood costanti. Le tastiere sono il piglio che aiuta la band a poter protrarre così a lungo i pezzi, anche se forse un minutaggio minore avrebbe donato maggiore incisività a tutti gli episodi. La quarta traccia è un intermezzo elettronico (!) che un po' mi delude, visto che dal titolo mi aspettavo un super pezzo ambient black. Anche "Horizong Glassy" non è altro che un intermezzo suonato basato su un arpeggio. Mi trovo così alla traccia numero sei, che però in realtà è tecnicamente la terza. La title track è un lentone che s strascica anch'esso per la bellezza di sei minuti, con qualche elemento che mi ricorda i Septic Flesh, ma senza sussulti. Trascurabili le ultime due tracce: un anonima "The Only Time Will Take It Awawy" e un'outro. Un disco che mi spiazza, ma non saprei dire se in modo positivo o negativo. Forse l'eccessiva fretta della label di pubblicare il disco ha costretto la band a rimpinguare la scaletta di riempitivi per non farlo diventare un EP, ma la commistione di pezzi di otto minuti con intermezzi, intri e quant'altro non mi sembra assolutamente una buona idea. In più capisco scegliere di fare del black metal in senso stretto privo di blastbeats, ma un pò di velocità e cambi di ritmo non credo avrebbe guastato. I Khors mi sembrano un buon gruppo, ma sono rimandati ad una prova più corposa e di maggior spessore personale, che spero la Candlelight gli concederà. Inizio già a rimpiangere gli Abigail Williams.

→ http://www.stereoinvaders.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=1:cd&id=7953:khors-wisdom-of-centuries&Itemid=16

Rock Hard (Greece) "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Πέμπτο άλμπουμ για τους Ουκρανούς, πρώτο σε μεγάλη εταιρεία και πρώτο με Ουκρανικούς στίχους. Διαπιστώνω από το δελτίο τύπου μία απόπειρα χρόνων να ενσωματώσουν και να προωθήσουν εθνικά folkloreστοιχεία στη μουσική τους η οποία φαίνεται να πέφτει στο κενό, με εξαίρεση ελάχιστα σημεία. Το “Wisdomofcenturies” ξεκινάει ως τυπικό δείγμα ατμοσφαιρικού black: instrumentalintro, outroκαι ιντερλούδια. Mid-pacedκομμάτια με τα drumsνα κρατούν ένα βασικό ρυθμό και χαλαρά πλήκτρα να δίνουν στίγμα τονικότητας με μακριές συγχορδίες. Οι μετατροπίες, οι αλλαγές, οι ταχύτητες, ο ρυθμός των φωνητικών, τα πάντα είναι προβλέψιμα, και αυτό είναι το μεγαλύτερο πρόβλημα του άλμπουμ. Οι πιο τολμηρές στιγμές του συνίστανται σε ελαφρώς δυσαρμονικά σολαρίσματα, σε απόπειρες κιθαριστικής ψυχεδέλειας και σε μινιμαλιστικό ρυθμικό drumming. Το έθνικ στοιχείο δυστυχώς είναι θαμμένο μέσα σε τυποποιημένα συνθετικά τερτίπια που καθιστούν το “Wisdom...” εν τέλει, βαρετό.

Αν θελήσετε να τους τσεκάρετε, εστιάστε στο δεύτερο μισό του άλμπουμ. Το πολύ σύντομο μυστικιστικό instrumental “Wherethegrandeur...” με το απλό beatπου παραπέμπει ευφυώς στις πιο progστιγμές των NEGURABUNGET, όπως δίνει τη σκυτάλη στο ψυχεδελικό progrockεπίσης instrumental “Horizonsglassy” και τελικά οδηγεί στο ομώνυμο “Wisdomofcenturies”, άνετα το πιο ωραίο, ώριμο και προσωπικό σημείο των KHORSτου 2012, όπου το blackισορροπεί επιτέλους όπως πρέπει ανάμεσα στην ατμόσφαιρα και την ένταση.

Μαριλένα Σμυρνιώτη

→ http://www.rockhard.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2916:khors-wisdom-of-centuries-candlelight&catid=37:2011-04-04-12-14-47&Itemid=233

We Rock.Se "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Khors – Wisdom Of Centuries Ukrainska KHORS har lyckats undgå min radar fram till dess att jag fick promon till ”Wisdom Of Centuries”. Vad jag har kunnat utläsa från nätet anses bandet vara gravt undervärderat, men kanske kan det bli ändring på det nu då bandet har flyttat över till Candlelight Records från Paragon.

Jag kan verkligen inte utge mig varandes en black metalexpert, men KHORS musik är i mina öron ett fint tvärsnitt av en mängd influenser. Här finns drösvis av melankoli oftast representerat av bölande gitarrslingor, men också ett fint driv som emellanåt såklart går över i blastande. Men det är verkligen inte det som är mest framträdande på skivan. Snarare verkar bandet ha valt att fokusera på mellantempo och stämningsbyggande.

Jämför jag produktionen med tidigare alster så tar det inte många sekunder att fatta att bandet sökt sig till en mer varm ljudbild än på exempelvis ”Cold” från 2006.

Låtmässigt pendlar bandet mellan vansinnigt bra till rena axelryckningarna. Bra är man i låtar som Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes, The Last Leaves och The Only Time Will Take It Away, rent tröttsamma i inledande Through The Clouds Of The Past, Where The Grandeur Of Mountains Embraces The Space och Twilight som i mina öron är rent utfyllnadsmaterial och per definition inte något som jag uppskattar.

Men för det mesta bjuder KHORS på en fin lyssnarstund i den melankoliska skolan.

Bästa låt: Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes

/Martin Bensch

→ http://www.werock.se/Recension/visarec.php?id=833

Rhythm Revolt "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

New 2012 release from Ukrainian black metal act, Khors arrives with full force, delivering an album chalked full of tragic melody and burdensome depressive atmosphere that will leave you feeling drained and yearning for another spin. Wisdom of Centuries is one of the few recent depressive black metal albums I’ve really been able to sink my teeth into. For anyone into a somber good time, this album is certainly worth your attention.

→ http://rhythmrevolt.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/khors-wisdom-of-centuries-2012/

Metalfan "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

In mijn herinnering was Khors altijd dat Oekraïense bandje dat graag in de voetsporen van Nokturnal Mortum wilde treden, maar op een beduidend middelmatiger niveau bleef hangen. De twee platen die ik jaren geleden eens voor een prikje heb opgeduikeld (The Flame Of Eternity’s Decline en Cold), zijn na een gering aantal luisterbeurten langzaam maar zeker ondergesneeuwd onder een dikke laag stof. Middelmatige folk black metal: een soort derderangs Nokturnal Mortum (of tweederangs Kroda of Astrofaes zo u wilt), waarbij met name de songwriterscapaciteiten achterbleven bij de grote voorbeelden.

Anno 2012 zijn er nogal wat zaken veranderd. De band is inmiddels aan zijn vijfde full length toe, die ook nog eens via Candlelight Records verschijnt. Dan heb je toch wel iets in je mars, lijkt mij zo. Het dit jaar verschenen Wisdom Of Centuries biedt dan ook een uitgelezen mogelijkheid om eens te onderzoeken of wijsheid in het geval van Khors ook met de jaren komt. Het begin lijkt er in ieder geval wel op. Na een kort intro schiet Палаючі очі чорного лісу vol overtuiging uit de startblokken. Het ruim negen minuten durende nummer zit vol sfeervolle folkinvloeden, sfeervolle, bij vlagen melancholische riffs en subtiele keyboards. Bovendien laat de voortreffelijke productie alle elementen goed uit de verf komen.

Ook het stoere, epische Останнє листя maakt duidelijk hoe deze band gegroeid is in de afgelopen jaren. Het gaat me wat ver om dit nummer op één voet te plaatsen met de geniale laatste epen van Nokturnal Mortum, maar veel scheelt het qua niveau niet meer. Prachtige, uitgesponnen riffs, goed geplaatste keyboards, potig drumwerk en hier en daar zelfs een opmerkelijke, psychedelische solo zorgen ervoor dat dit nummer tot het beste materiaal van Khors tot op heden hoort. Helaas begint het album daarna een beetje te zwabberen, met twee weinig zeggende instrumentaaltjes.

Het duurt tot het zevende nummer (Лише час забере) voordat het hoge beginniveau weer wordt bereikt. Dan is het echter ook wel weer genieten. Qua sfeer (statig, majestueus en bij vlagen zelfs wat dromerig) doet Khors op Wisdom Of Centuries wel wat denken aan het laatste werk van Sear Bliss. Hoewel dit album nog geen échte topper is, valt Wisdom Of Centuries wel te omschrijven als een verrassend solide plaat van een band waarvan ik eerlijk gezegd weinig meer had verwacht.

Tracklist:
1. Крізь хмари минулого
2. Палаючі очі чорного лісу
3. Останнє листя
4. Де велич гiр обiймає простiр
5. Горизонтів гладінь
6. Мудрість століть
7. Лише час забере
8. Сутінки

Score: 79 / 100

Reviewer: Rik
Toegevoegd: 12 november 2012

→ http://www.metalfan.nl/reviews.php?id=7472

Don't Count On It Reviews "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

I've vented my frustrations at the Eastern European metal scene (black metal more specifically) so I'll try to contain myself here. But in the pantheon of good bands from that area, I do regard Khors to be one of the better ones, if not among the best from that area of the world. I really enjoyed their 2010 album Return to Abandoned so I was really interested in where they would take their sound next on this album.
I'll get my major complaint about this album out of the way first. This is an album with eight songs, and four of them are instrumentals. I don't have a problem with instrumentals, but I just think that it's a waste when you have a band who are so capable at writing songs to simply put out instrumental tracks. Maybe it's just me, but the inclusion of four instrumentals (two of which being the intro and outro) on an album so short is sort of disappointing. Even if the four major songs are quite lengthy pieces for the band, I found it a stumbling block that I was not able to overcome. With that being said however, all of the instrumentals (interlude or otherwise) were very well done and quite well crafted. The band have reigned in the more synth based elements from their last album and have developed their more progressive guitar melodies, which I actually think is an improvement on their part. Tracks like The Last Leaves prove to be more effective due to being the middle ground between more traditional black metal playing with the occasional progressive guitar riff thrown in to spice up the mix. I happened to think their blend was quite tastefully done.
In the context of where they're from, the Ukraine, I have always thought that Khors were up there with Drudkh, Hate Forest (and it's offshoot Blood of Kingu), and Astrofaes in terms of actually being quite proficient in all aspects of their sound. This album features all the quality elements that I've come to expect from them including some well suited clean production, nice atmospherics, clarity in each instrument, and a polished sense of songwriting. None of it feels rushed or simply thrown together haphazardly — which is more than I can say for many of their peers in the same region of the world. There's also a sense of pace that the band have, especially in regards to this album specifically, where each song feels like it has a place. I know that contradicts with my first statement about questioning the use of having four instrumentals, but my gripe is more with the there being just as many instrumentals as actual songs rather than them being any good or fitting in with the album. But the band know how to keep an album interesting to their listeners by having songs that are more straightforward and aggressive but also having depth, hear Black Forest's Flaming Eyes and The Only Time Will Take It Away and you'll hear the difference.
I thought this was a really well done piece of work that stands tall with the rest of their discography. Though this review is coming pretty late into the year, I still think that it's worth your time if you may have missed it. Black metal fans take notice, because this is not a band you want to look over.
Overall Score: 8.5
Highlights: Black Forest's Flaming Eyes, The Last Leaves, The Only Time Will Take It Away

→ http://dontcountonitreviews.blogspot.com/2012/12/khors-wisdom-of-centuries-2012.html

Rock'n'world "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Khors is the sound of Autumn's twilight. Khors arose from the somber nature of their Ukrainian homeland and have since released monumental breezes of black metal that can only be called pulchritudinous at heart. I fell in love with "Return to Abandoned"; the unbelievable amount of passion and daringness in their effort is still an exceptional experience. With "Wisdom of Centuries," the magic and elemental fury that makes Khors Khors seems a little lacking compared to its predecessor. The songs, although geared in a familiar term, are generally less captivating, overdrawn, and carry a we-dropped-the-ball essence without intention. The signs show this Ukrainian group could not match the ingenuity of "Return to Abandoned," yet I still somewhat enjoy parts of "Wisdom of Centuries."

You may notice "Wisdom of Centuries" actually has eight tunes, but only four are actual songs; the other half is a flock of instrumental transitions. Oddly enough, the total duration of this full-length record eclipses the thirty-minute mark in a slim race, so the material itself is quite limited. To make matters more complicated, the overall identity Khors practices includes brawny tremolo picking, keyboards, blast beats, harsh vocals and folk passages all sizzled over a reflective, introspective postulate that reeks of this band‘s previous endeavors. The atmosphere, however, feels synthetic and definitely not pure at heart. Perhaps this is due to the improved production compared to the lesser sound quality on "Return to Abandoned," or—more plausibly—the noticeable decline in songwriting content.

Yes, the songs just aren't gripping like they should be. Sure, they run through the motions, but that's the problem: "Return to Abandoned" took turns, boasted hooks, and piled on a fathomless amount of creativity, but this seems like a grayed version of Khors' power. "Black Forest's Flaming Eyes" and "Only Time Will Take it Away" (although some sources claim it's titled "The Only Time Will Take it Away," which sounds like something a Blabbermouth regular would write on his English 101 final exam after finally obtaining that elusive D- he needed to pass) are beyond excellent for what they represent; stellar riffs and textures are everywhere and they conjure a representation of classic Khors. The title track and "The Last Leaves" unfortunately fail to capture the magic of the other chapters; they are clearly recycling previous successes, albeit unsuccessfully.

With four of the eight pieces acting as segues and the remaining half photocopying Khors' bloodline, it feels like "Wisdom of Centuries" is merely Khors at half-capacity. The sad truth behind "Wisdom of Centuries" is that its creators are more than brilliant; otherworldly in most regards. Still, the feeling that this full-length record is merely a rushed EP at heart lingers around Khors' blatant lack of color, and the fading creative elements rear their ugly heads throughout much of the release's core, better known as the not-instrumental tracks. I'd say the intelligence and passion of "Return to Abandoned" are sorely missed, and you'll certainly notice the signs of a withering project here, as much as I hate to say it.

Khors — Wisdom of Centuries

Rating:6.0

→ http://www.rocknworld.com/thrashpit/reviews/12/Khors_-_Wisdom_of_Centuries.shtml

Zero Tolerance magazine

Khors — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 07:05:00 +0000

First off, what does the word "pagan" mean to you? How would you compare it to your definition of "pagan black metal"?

The word “pagan” has the only one mention but the values are different depends on personal perceptions. We know the paganism is the ancient religion which we are familiar with the lot of sagas, mythologies, ancient cultures, chronicles. Based on that I can note the “pagan” is the one brings the ancient history and culture of ancestors in his heart and in his soul and bring it to the future generations. Paganism was still fundamental religion even after christian religion was adopted so it has the strong enough roots still which can be found now in traditions of our people.

So if talking about “pagan black metal” then for me personally it’s a band presenting its vision of paganism through the music it plays (if talking about black metal so means through black metal). But we also know Pagan Metal just as separate music style so Pagan Black Metal might be also mentioned in media just as the synthesis of those separate two styles.

So, do you consider Khors a strictly "pagan black metal" band, then?

Actually we don’t consider Khors a strictly black metal band or pagan black metal one and black metal fans don’t like when Khors considered as black metal band too btw. We started from the straight stuff more in black metal vein on our first record but with the years our own vision of the music and sound for Khors changed a lot I’m sure and as we recorded our third album “Mysticism” we’ve found a definition of the music we play we considered the most suitable for us and it sounded like “Dark Metal”. From that we prefer to call ourselves as Heathen Dark Metal band.

With pagan BM, have you ever considered that it's an odd anachronism/contradiction — in other words, glorifying ancient times but with modern means (amplified instruments, recording equipment)? Or is it imperative to keep that tradition alive, as a sort of ongoing "folk language"?

If imagine paganism is fundamental religion nowadays if we would still drive our horses, wear tatters and shot a bow? Technological progress is about the development of the human race and not thanks to a christianity. For me all the ways of representing the ancient culture and traditions are right. If it be poems, music, art, etc. But no hippie games called as Pagan rituals, volkhves boys, Pagan communities please.

On “Wisdom of Centuries” we are a bit away from the theme of Paganism in favor of historical events in Ukraine in the last century.

we are a bit away from the topic of paganism in favor

You guys have steadily built the Khors sound, but you really came into your own with the amazing "Return to Abandoned," and now you top that with the even-more-amazing "Wisdom of Centuries" — what's the key to this development?

We’re happy to know you liked our new album but there were no any special requirements we set before ourselves for this new record be much better than the previous one. We just started a new chapter and it’s nice to know you consider it’s development.

Lately, Eastern European black metal bands (and particularly those from the Ukraine) have been going full-tilt with their albums and are now exuding a confident *professionalism* in all that they do – excellent production, epic length, varied instrumentation, high-quality art – and Khors is certainly among this favourable turn of events. Is it possible to have an underground attitude and yet aim for the highest peaks? And do you think this consumate professionalism will help change the perception of Eastern Europe being considered inferior compared to the supposedly more "developed" Western Europe?

First of all thank you for your appreciation. It’s nice for us to see such the development of the bands out from Eastern Ukraine too. But to tell you the truth I don’t think Western Europe ever will consider Eastern Europe say on equal. Many reasons for that but we don’t care. We just do the things we truly love and we don’t insult with such an attitude from the Western Europe. Turning to the theme of “aim for the highest peak” it would be silly to deny the wish to be a step up but first we loved to sound not worse than the bands out from “more developed Western Europe” and we consider the good production is mandatory attribute of the modern band regardless of country of origin.

Lastly, what is the "Wisdom of Centuries"?

It’s the cenotaphs of mournful times, smokes of the past fires, traces of bullets in crust, the lessons of dads and terrible majesty of Mother Nature.

True Metal Forum

Khors — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 07:05:00 +0000

- Приветствуем Khors на нашем портале!!!

Приветствую портал True Metal!

- О группе Khors масса информации в Интернете, на официальных страницах и различных порталах, но, готовясь к интервью, встретил-таки людей, которые мало знакомы с творчеством Khors или не знакомы вовсе. В связи с этим хотелось бы начать интервью с просьбы вкратце рассказать о себе.

Год образования — 2004, город — Харьков, страна — Украина. Оригинальный состав: Khorus, Khaoth, Helg. На данный момент выпущено 5 альбомов. Сегодняшний состав: Khorus, Khaoth, Helg, Jurgis.

- В информации о Вас в различных источниках стиль группы описывают как atmosperic/blackmetal. Как вы сами охарактеризуете свой стиль.

Источники близки к истине на мой взгляд, ещё можно добавить термин "Dark-metal". Но всё это в любом случае весьма относительно, у каждого слушателся своё восприятие нашей музыки.

- Ну и что бы закончить «ликбез» вопрос о текстах. В Интернете лирику группы характеризуют словом Paganism. Насколько верно такое определение?

Да, мы отталкиваемся в лирике от древних истоков и стараемся передать соответствующую атмосферу. Исключение — новый альбом, на нём мы решили обратиться к более современной истории нашей Родины.

- Группа Khors является представителем харьковской метал сцены, которая дала миру множество по-настоящему сильных коллективов. Чем на Ваш взгляд можно объяснить этот феномен?

Видимо боги так решили.

- Как складываются взаимоотношения между Вами? Есть ли конкуренция, соперничество?

Нормально. Все уже достаточно взрослые люди чтобы играть в какие то игры.

- Вы поддерживаете отношения с другими харьковскими коллективами или ограничиваетесь общением на общих выступлениях?

С некоторыми участниками групп я поддерживаю достаточно близкие дружеские отношения.

- Как складываются взаимоотношения между Вами и коллективами из России? Есть ли друзья или непримиримые оппоненты?

Дружеские отношения поддерживаем с участниками Djur и Небокрай.

- Группа Khors много гастролирует, в том числе и по Европе. Как Вас принимает публика на западе?

Хорошо, как правило нас везде принимают хорошо.

- Где, по вашему мнению, лучше выступать: на территории пост советского пространства или же за рубежом?

Лучше выступать там, где тебя желают видеть. А интереснее на западе, там мы играли меньше, в сравнении с пост-советским пространством.

- За свою историю Khors сыграли множество концертов. Помните ли вы свой первый концерт?

Да. Луганск 2005, приятные воспоминания, много людей, достаточно удачное выступление как для старта.

- Для Вас имеет значение с кем выступать на одной сцене в рамках одного фестиваля?

Да, приятнее играть с дружественными группами и на стилистически соответствующих фестивалях.

- Этот вопрос наверняка Вам задавали не один раз. Но я все равно не могу пройти мимо него. Как вы пришли к сотрудничеству Сandlelight records?

Достаточно обыденно. Контактировали на заключительной стадии записи альбома Мудрість Століть. Сandlelight предложили нам хорошие условия.

- Что для Вас этот лейбл? Это возможность издаваться с такими известными группами как Absu, Corpus Christii и др. или же просто хороший партнер?

В первую очередь хороший качественный партнёр, который будет профессионально заниматься распространением альбома и продвижением группы.

- Расскажите, как проходила запись последнего альбома «Мудрiсть Столiть»? С какими трудностями вы столкнулись?

Процесс проходил по нашей стандартной схеме, запись основной части инструментов в Киеве на студии Blacklight и запись клавишных на студии у Saturious'а. Единственным отличием от "Return..." было то что вокалы и соло-гитару мы записали на студии OSF. Сводилось всё у Shaddar'a на Blacklight и он подтвердил свой уровень.

- Вы довольны альбомом? Что получилось, а что нет?

Да, абсолютно.

- Если бы вы создали свой хит-парад из ваших СD, какое бы место занял «Мудрiсть Столiть»?

Каждый альбом имеет право занять первое место исходя из его значимости на момент выхода и вложенных сил. «Мудрiсть Столiть» наиболее душевный альбом из всех созданных нами и не только в составе Khors. Он имеет свою затягивающую и оригинальную атмосферу.

- «Мудрiсть Столiть» вы посвятили 95-тилетию Холодноярской республике. Почему Вы решили сделать это? Это дань истории или же Ваши политические убеждения?

Это наше отношение к событиям, которые произошли на Украине в 20-е годы прошлого века. Только с прошествием времени мы узнаём всё больше правды о том что в реальности тогда происходило. И мы понимаем что Герои для Украины это совершенно не те персоналии, которых нам навязывала коммунистическая пропаганда. Это же касается и героев второй Мировой войны. У Украины в ней свои Герои.

- А вообще, какие-нибудь политические взгляды, имеют место быть в творчестве Khors?

Предыдущий ответ, думаю, достаточно раскрывает, какие политические взгляды имеют место в нашем творчестве, если рассматривать подобное отношение к истории в политической плоскости. Если же нет, то судите по нашим текстам, оформлениям альбомов и другой информации о группе.

- Возвращаясь к альбому, какие из песен представленные на нем войдут в Вашу концертную программу?

Все 4-ре метал-трэка мы планируем играть на концертах.

- 8 лет не самый большой для жизни группы срок. Но определенный период жизни. Что удалось сделать из того, что задумывали в далеком 2004-м, а что наоборот?

Мы практически довольны всем, чего добились на данный момент. Но это не значит что мы остановимся на этом.

- Если я не путаю, то последний раз вы выступали в Москве примерно год назад. Может больше. Когда в Ваших планах жители России могут увидеть Вас вновь?

Да, всё верно, мы были год назад в Москве. А в России относительно недавно, в мае мы выступали во Владимире. Все планы зависят от приглашений.

- Увидеть хотелось бы как можно скорее ведь, зомбоящики всего мира предрекают в декабре конец света. И в связи с этим наш традиционный вопрос: ваше отношение к данному предположению в целом, и календарю Майя в частности?

Меня слабо привлекают события, на которые при всём желании нет возможности повлиять. Мы живём по обычному земному календарю, за окном ноябрь, дождь, довольно мерзко, я сижу и отвечаю на предпоследний вопрос вашего интервью.

- Огромное спасибо, что, несмотря на свою занятость, Вы уделили время нашему порталу. Удачи Khors и ждем Вас с новыми выступлениями как можно скорей!

www.true-metal.ru

Спасибо за ваше внимание и поддержку! Всего наилучшего!

Khorus. 09.10.2012

→ http://truemetal-forum.ru/viewtopic.php?id=1564

Eternal Terror "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 07:05:00 +0000

Although ‘Wisdom of Centuries' is the fifth full-length for Ukrainian Black Metallers Khors, I must admit that this is the first time I have ever encountered the band.

As the album starts, we pass through an ‘atmospheric' intro and into a world of melodic, depressive BM. I always find it striking when a band I had never even heard of come up with such a polished, mature sound. The song-writing is good too, with solid grooves and a pervasive air of majestic loss. And even though the approach is depressive and atmospheric (I think the lyrics refer to some dark part of Ukrainian history), Khors can blast out an up-tempo passage when required.

The second half of this album becomes more pensive and wandering, with greater reliance on acoustics and swelling keyboards and a bit more of a Pink Floyd style influence creeping in. It isn't less focussed than the first half of the record, but it does require a bit of work on the part of the listener, because if you don't stay tuned it, it can very easily pass you by.

Ultimately this is a good effort that won't disappoint fans of more thoughtful, progressive and melodic BM. Personally, I love progressive music, but prefer my BM screamed from the bowels of hell so this won't stay high on my playlist, I'm afraid.

http://khors.info/

www.candlelightrecords.co.uk/

→ http://eternal-terror.com/reviews/index.php?id=2884&type=B

Beowolf Productions "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 07:05:00 +0000

If your a Black Metal fan than you should know about the Ukraine's very own KHORS. These guys formed back in 2004. The band features former members of HATE FOREST, ASTROFAES, TESSARACT & DRUDKH. The name KHORS is the name of the Slavic god of sun and light. "WISDOM OF CENTURIES" is the bands fifth full length to date and their first for CANDLELIGHT RECORDS. The band plays a dreary dark and gloomy style of Black metal
music. This release has a much denser sound to it which comes in partly from the band using many ethnic instruments through out along with the standard instruments. This album also marks the first time the band performs their songs in their native tongue. The music has a very atmospheric full sound with more Folk Metal influences than previous albums.The band has a more clean and improved production over previous releases. Most of their fans will probably dig their older stuff, but I am digging the new direction they are going in with adding more less traditional instruments and more
Folk Metal influences. Four of the tracks present here are instrumentals, while the other four do contain vocals. Fans of more Folk / Black metal will get into this more than fans of their earlier work. I was a fan of their previous stuff, but I think "WISDOM OF CENTURIES" is their best album yet. Hopefully they keep going in this direction and deliver us some more amazing releases like this one!

→ http://www.beowolfproductions.com/Khors-WisdomOfCenturies.html

Parat magazine

Khors — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 07:05:00 +0000

1. I remember your name since band ASTROFAES, because older albums of this band are in Czech still very sell-able. In 2004 you left this band and together with Khaoth and Helg you founded KHORS. BTW, your co-members are known for HATE FOREST, ULVEGR or YGG. I think that they have here in Czech still very good place of fans. But why do you founded in 2004 absolutely new band, what do you wanted to change and do totally from it´s roots?

Hello to all the readers of Parat Magazine. It’s nice to know you watch my career. Nothing I can hide from you)) Well, in 2004 there was a moment for me to start all over again. There were too many reasons for that and I guess there’s no need to consider them in details now cause a lot of time’s passed since now. From the position of today I can only note that I made the right decision and there’s nothing for me to regret.

2. Helg was always noticed as frontman in case of composing music and lyrics, too. You said that without him it wouldn´t be KHORS at all. But then he left you on short time. What about band in that times, how it does work and how it would be without him, does it would exist without him? The composing of new songs, motives and that all, is it any himself priority or do you let it on him just for your convenient? Is he the head-composer of „Wisdom Of Centuries“, too?

Helg was not with us for about a year but we still had close contact and he continued to write music for Khors even as he’s not in line up. As for “Wisdom of Centuries” record so there were no head composer for this album. Three tracks are written by Helg, another three by Jurgis, one is made by Saturious and Khaoth and also one track of Jurgis was composed in his cooperation with Warth.

3. You are very often noticed as black metal band, but you mark yourself rather as „pagan atmospheric dark metal“. Do you try intently with new album to make off your black metal roots more?

Normally it’s up on media and music labels to specify the musical styles definitely as they’re interested in providing information and sales. It’s a little bit hard for us to specify our music style. Heathen Dark Metal is a concept which can reflect our music to some extent.

As for black metal roots so we never try to leave them and I guess it’s impossible. Rather we can say we develop our musical concept from album to album and evolving ourselves in each of them.

4. Athough your fans and listeners were used to your special sound, this new album will be very suprising for them I think. It is more experimental, epical, atmospherical – and stance of vocal songs and instrumental songs is balanced as 4:4. Do you feel with „Wisdom Of Centuries“ exactly that way, you want to go for permanent time?

Athough

“Wisdom of Centuries” is the conceptual record and lyrical component predominates in it. That’s the idea of 4 instrumental tracks and 4 metal ones. I don’t know what kind of music the new album will sound like but I can note we’ll continue and develop our experiments with ethnic instruments.

5. You changed label and get to cooperation with prestige name- Candlelight. Once you said, that end of your cooperation with Paragon Records could became only, if still tragical merchandise of musical albums goes totally down. You said, it would be time to go out from underground. I think, the time has come now.

We‘d like to thank so much again Paragon Records for those amazing years of our joint cooperation. That was really great time for us and we hardly would go if there’s no the offer from Candlelight Records. It’s just the another level for sure and another opportunities for the band. As for sales fall so it’s universal phenomenon and it affects the major companies as well. These are realities of today’s muisc business.

6. It´s clear what means for you that contract – better distribution, more chances, so why not.

Does it change any things around working in band, or process of composing new album were the same, so everything from composing to graphic were in your hands and only later, after finish you sent complete record not to America but to England?

It didn’t affect the work upon the album at all. We almost finished all the works on it when it’s signing with Candlelight. We contacted the main office in UK.

7. Have you with Candlelight contract only to releasing or are you in cooperation with them via any booking agenture even to concerts? I think that motto –as more concerts, more chances to sell – is still actual.

Candlelight is not obliged to manage tours and live shows for us but I sincerely hope they will assist it because the label has to be interested in that I believe. At the moment we reduced the quantity of live shows we can play due to our employment on the basic jobs but still we ready for interesting offers if there are some.

8. What about your lastyear´s concert here in Czech republic how did it work? Was it your first show in here?

When Ukraine´s band wanted to go on gigs on West, does it still cost many struggle and energy for organising all that papers and permissions? If I look on situation in Ukraine as Czech citizen, Ukraine is not in EU and many metal bands can tells about the terror around the crossing of abroads, which often is and mainly the experiences with customs officers J

Yes, the show in Brno last Fall was the first time for us in Czech Republic. It was a perfect show and that tour over Slovakia and Czech in the whole and we thank so much the guys of Ancestral Volkhves for the invitation and thank the fans visited those shows and supported us as well.

Yes there are really some problems with signing VISAs but I can’t say it’s too hard to get. We need to get some official documents and one’s from promoter and it really bores) But to tell you the truth to get VISA of EU country which is not in shengen zone is more complex) But I don’t think EU citizens can comprehend our complexities)

9. Just about every year there is „cause“ about some Ukraine´s black metal band, people blame it for hidden nationalistic radical thoughts inside itself music. Why do you think, that happens?

KHORS is totally anti-political band, but do you must face up to any blame, too anytime?

For me it’s hard to explain why it happens. We never claimed ourselves as nazi band and never been involved in NSBM scene. Our lyrics is not about these topics and we never did any provocations when on a stage but nevertheless we’re constantly exposed to different kind of ridiculous accusations the main meaning of which is that we are friends with the bands which are belong to NSBM scene as antifa decided. It seems a bit steep! First we’ll decide ourselves whom we’ll have friendship with and the second it reminds me a lot the history of 1937 when the whole families of repressed by communists people was sent to Siberia due to they didn’t want to renounce the repressed relatives. Which democracy European community’s talking about then?

10. Do you think, that West and East Europe feel words – nacism and nationalism so differently? From my own experiences I feel it like on Ukraine is nationalism about national pride, but many West European organisations feel it in wrong sense.

I think the same. It seems to me that modern society of Western Europe is a bit afraid of the word “nationalism” and either doesn’t want to dig the real meaning either try their best to be silent on this. It seems they really mix nazism and nationalism meanings and I think that there’s really problem that some countries of Western Europe still living under the heavy burden of the past and don’t want to throw the fascism away to a trash of history. Don’t look for fascism and nazism where it is not… Patriotism is an important part of our ideology and we view it through the prism of common sense.

11. Do you feel on Ukraine too, that completely strained topics about Second world war were about few last years go to unbounded? As longer interval that more witness died and younger generation feels many facts on thein own, with humour.

I don’t think there’s anything in WWII topic the young generation can feel humour on it. Besides there’s a special truth for Ukraine in that war and it differs from the one that was injecting into minds of residents of Soviet Union in post-war years. But the people’s mentality’s changing when political system’s changing and it usually brings another level of assessment of events that passed. The younger generation doesn’t experience the event as acute as people experienced it back in 60s – 80s years but they still remember the deaths of their grandparents.

12. Name KHORS became from ancient mythology and it according to ancient Pagans and old time´s Arian people. How many mythological roots stay in your new album and how much do you try to transfer your lyrics to nowaday´s reality?

Mentally we always feel our connections with the ancient world. But the new album is not about the ancient times. The lyrics on it‘s dedicated to the courage and patriotism shown by the defenders of Republic Kholodny Yar in the fight against the occupying forces of Soviet Red Army. These events occured in 20s years of the last century on the territory of Cherkassy Region, Ukraine.

13. Ancient pagan influences many bands often express by many instruments, even ancient or that which we call as folklore. Besides, your homeboys DRUDKH are regarded as the well-known performers of East-European symbiose of metal and folk. Why KHORS never goes that way?

We have our vision of creation the music for Khors. We do it as we feel it and if the time will come we’ll feel we need to add some folk instruments in our music we’ll surely do it.

14. Do you enjoy interviews and talk about KHORS? DRUDKH don´t matter about it, don´t care for talking about, they say that their music tells.. I think in view of their popularity, that might be on it…

The guys of Drudkh is kinda closed to the world and that’s their decision. They always was that kind even when world didn’t know about them. We contact them often but the essence of our conversations never goes beyond our communication. As for Khors we’re opened for any kind of questions although to tell you the truth not all of them are nice to answer)

15. Thanks for your interview and in the end of it, please tell me plans of KHORS to the end of this year.

Thank you for you interest and for your support. We plan to participate on some European festivals and we’re also continue working on the new tracks of ours.

Lord of Metal ‘zine

Khors — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 07:05:00 +0000

1. Hails! How are things in the Khors-camp?

Hi Roel, hi to all the readers of Lord of Metal ‘zine. We’re recently back from Romania where played on Metal Crush Party festival together with such bands as E-FORCE, NIGHT IN GALES and others. These days we’re working on our new songs for the future album.

2. Once again you’ve crafted a good album with ‘Wisdom Of Centuries’. How has the feedback been up until now?

Thank you for your appreciation. The feedback is good in the whole although it should be noted that not all liked its musical concept with 4 metal tracks and 4 instrumental ones there in. But it was our idea based on lyrical concept and to make such the atmosphere of the album and we liked the result.

3. Although ‘’Wisdom Of Centuries’ isn’t stylistically different from predecessor ‘Return To Abandoned’ in a radical way, I think the material is slightly more uniform and contains a more melancholic mood with slightly less emphasis on synths. This helps to create a solemn and nostalgic mood. What are your thoughts when comparing both albums?

You are right about uniform, melancholic and nostalgic mood. These are the very moods we were trying to lay in this new album and it refers to the lyrics and the whole spirit of the album’s concept.

As for the comparing it with the predecessor “Return To Abandoned” so I think they are quite different albums in structure, and atmosphere fillings. “Return…” is more complex album musically and much saturated while “Wisdom of Centuries” is heartier and has deeper feelings and we can note also our personal feelings when writing the songs for it. And I’m sure the listeners perceive these albums differently.

4. Is there a concept to the album? If so, could you tell us something about it?

Yes, this album has the special concept. It refers to the one of the most important pages of history of our country – the Republic of Holodny Yar. If to try to tell briefly then Kholodny Yar is the UkrainianRepublic (1919 — 1922) which is also called as The Last Cossack Republic. Insurgents of Kholodny Yar protected this last stronghold of UkrainianNationalRepublic from Bolshevism until it finally came to domination in Ukraine and has generated hunger, genocide of Ukrainian people and many others harm.

5. The album really has a fitting sound, with enough clarity and definition, but somewhat raw and organic or natural. How was the recording-process?

The process was not the kind of special but was typical enough for us. The album was recorded during Autumn-Winter of 2011-2012 in such studios as Blacklight (we recorded drums, bass, percussion and guitars there), Nightmare studio (we recorded keyboards tracks there), Oriana Stronghold Forge (lead guitars and vocals). In total the recording process took approximately 15 days for us. The album mixed and mastered in Blacklight Studio.

6. Since this is already your fifth full-length album, how would describe your musical development?

We develop with our every album and it’s really important movement for us first. As for the development I’d like the listeners speak about it but the main achievement I think is the every album and old and new ones have their own fans.

7. How should we interpret the cover artwork? How is it related to the music?

The artwork is chosen refer to the album’s concept and transfer it in full I think. In those pictures outside and inside there are all the feelings of the album: pain and despair, evil, tragedy and wisdom.

8. You are now on Candlelight Records. How is the collaboration so far and how did you come into contact with them?

We are satisfied with our collaboration with Candlelight Records now and I hope the things will go well in future. We contacted with Candlelight during our work on “Wisdom of Centuries”. They offered good conditions and we were glad to become a part of their roster then.

9.really would like to see you perform you live. Are there any plans in this respect?

We would like to visit Holland too but it’s not up on us. We have an offer from Aurora Infernalis festival promoters this year but failed. It’s hard situation for us with the shows in Western Europe in the whole. We are a bit far from there and the transfer is quite expensive so it’s the problem for the promoters out there.

10. What are your plans for the immediate and distant future?

We are working on the new songs now and also making a special set for the upcoming shows in Eastern Europe.

11.Thank you for your time and of course the final words are yours!

Thanks you for the interview and for your interest. Gods bless you! Appreciate you family and your history.

→ http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/nl/interviews/view/id/4508

Mortem 'zine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 07:05:00 +0000

Bůh slunce a světla si na nás opět posvítil dalším albem, jenž se zve „Wisdom of Centurie“. Bavíme se tu samozřejmě o ukrajinské kapele KHORS. Pro pořádek doplním nějaké ty klišé informace. Kapela vznikla roku 2004 spojením sil mimo jiné Astrofaes a Hate Forest. Za těch 8 let, co kuje své pohanské pikle, nám připravila 5 plných alb a nějaká ta DVD. Po vydařené nahrávce „Return to Abandoned“ se z luhů a hájů noří „Moudrost století“.

Osobně jsem velkým fanouškem této kapely, ostatně jako celé východní scény, která je vynikající. První album z roku 2005 „The Flame of Eternity's Decline“ bylo s lehce potemnělým zvukem. No přece jenom to byla jejich prvotina. Neříkám, že by „Cold“ a „Mysticism“ byla nějaká slabota, ale na nejstarší nahrávku to prostě dle mého skromného názoru nikdy nemělo. Roku 2010 pak přišlo album, jenž se mi navěky vryje hluboko do paměti. „Return to Abandoned“ je takový pomyslný vrchol tvorby KHORS, jelikož ukout lepší songy než „Mysteries of Kosmos“ nebo „Lost Threads“, se asi jen tak nepovede. Nicméně jak již bylo sepsáno v prvním odstavci, dnešním rokem zde vysvitla nová naděje, že by se snad KHORS dokázali překonat a stvořili ještě něco lepšího než před dvěma lety? No spíš ne než ano. Necháme tedy keců ohledně kapely, kterou jistě dost lidí zná a pokud ne, tak „http://khors.info/“ a mrknem se rovnou na onen počin.

Pln dojmů jsem si pustil promo a čekal, kdy to tedy začne. Po prvním songu jsem si řekl: „Tož dobré je to intro!“ Pak se to začalo postupně přilepšovat, až nastoupila třetí skladba „The Last Leaves“. Tehdy jsem si poprvé a naposledy promnul ruce, jelikož jsem slyšel KHORS tak, jak je mám rád. Riffy jsem sice už někde slyšel, ale jsme v roce 2012 a nemůžou se stále vymýšlet novoty, to dá rozum. Pak album zvolnilo. Šamanské bubínky mám sice rád, ale na to nemusím poslouchat pagan black metalové kapely. Sice by se našlo pár světlejších momentů, jenž mi evokují Viter a další východní bandy, ale celkově je to hodně pomalé a po zmiňovaném třetím songu následuje už jen kolekce outer. Při poslední stopě jsem skoro spal. Takže názor z mé strany rozhodně není totožný s ódami, jaké na tento výtvor často slyším. Atmosféra je sice parádní, ale mělo by to mít trochu větší potenciál, nemyslíte?

Album bychom tedy mohli ořezat do 4 stop. Intro nechat, pak další dvě písně (jelikož ty se jim celkem povedly) a nakonec jedno outro. A bylo by z toho EP jak víno. Občas se prostě potvrdí úsloví, že méně znamená více. Zde se to potvrzuje několikanásobně.

Palte mě, kamenujte mě, čtěte mi marxismus a leninismus, lejte na mě svěcenou vodu, nic nepomůže. Stojím stále pevně, jak „At the Stormy Gates of Mist“. Za mě se prostě toto album moc nepovedlo a jen kvůli jednomu songu si ho asi zas tak často pouštět nebudu, i když jsou to KHORS, tak prostě a jednoduše „Return to Abandoned“.

Hodnocení: 5.5/10

→ http://www.mortemzine.net/show.php?id=3377

Music Legends Magazine

Khors — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 07:05:00 +0000

1. How was it recording Khors latest album Wisdom Of Centuries?

The album was recorded during Autumn-Winter of 2011-2012 in such studios as Blacklight (we recorded drums, bass, percussion and guitars there), Nightmare studio (we recorded keyboards tracks there), Oriana Stronghold Forge (lead guitars and vocals). In total the recording process took approximately 15 days for us. The album mixed and mastered in Blacklight Studio.

2. Where did the name of the album come from and ideas?

The album has the special concept. It refers to the one of the most important pages of history of our country — the Republic of Holodny Yar. If to try to tell briefly then Kholodny Yar is the Ukrainian Republic (1919 — 1922) which is also called as The Last Cossack Republic. Insurgents of Kholodny Yar protected this last stronghold of Ukrainian National Republic from Bolshevism until it finally came to domination in Ukraine and has generated hunger, genocide of Ukrainian people and many others harm.

3.Will there be any tours?

Recently we’re back from Slovakia where we played some shows in and we have the only one show coming up this year on Oskorei festival in Kyiv, Ukraine. Perhaps there will be some tours in future if we will have the proper offers from promoters out there.

4. What do you think of promo videos nowadays with everything being going on YouTube?

I think such kinds of promo videos do help the spreading of music and it’s necessary part of advertisement for a band

5. What do you think of the music industry today and where it is going?

The musical industry suffers not good times now definitely but nevertheless there are still enough of people who prefer to have a CD in their collection instead of Mp3 files which was downloaded from the web. Labels still sign new bands and make the releases so I think the future behind those who adequately adapts the given situation.

6. Would you say the health of the Black Metal scene is becoming stronger?

It’s hard to estimate the situation on black metal scene exactly now. There are many good bands that make really perfect albums but still the world is overdosed by a lot of shitty stuff. In this situation internet helps us to sort out this.

7. What were your earliest influences?

When child and in my youth I did listen basically to the classic heavy metal bands just like W.A.S.P., Iron Maiden, Manowar and stuff like this but later my tastes changed a little bit and I preferred some thrash, death and black metal music.

8. What could we find interesting in your music collection at home?

I collect CDs and LPs for a long time yet and there are some rare stuff there but I can’t allocate any as I love them all greater or lesser. Otherwise there would be no place for them in my collection)

9. Could you describe what goes on in a day in your life as a musician on tour?

Basically the morning begins with the good or not so good condition depends on how many of beer was the last evening. Then a breakfast and departure to the next city, survey the interesting places and a dinner on a road, arrival, soundcheck, performance, beer and then the things keep going just like in “Groundhog Day” moving picture)

10. Any words for future musicians?

Be assured in yourself, look for the ways for your own progress, try to understand music with your soul

Chronicles of Chaos "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 07:05:00 +0000

Khors — _Wisdom of Centuries_
(Candlelight Records, 2012)
by: Dan Lake (8.5 out of 10)

Is it possible for metal to reach for pretty atmospherics à la Japanese widescreeners Mono without relinquishing its throat-crushing aggression? Now take five minutes to discuss amongst yourselves. (Who are we kidding? You're reading a review of a Khors record. You're clearly alone and seeking whatever sick form of meager validation is available to someone with questionable musical tastes and an Internet connection.)

Done yet? Did anyone mention Isis? Not that the Ukraine's Khors sound anything like the late progcore wizards, but there's precedent, at least. Sonically, Khors make deep, frothy love to the cinematic black metal clang 'n' buzz without letting its conjugal partner completely, um, swallow its identity. Tempos are crisp and deliberate. Agitated dragon vocals are menacing and expertly mixed into the fury that crashes around them. Blooming key drones frequently hover behind all the body-hacking axework. But the glory of _Wisdom of Centuries_ lies in the barely heard accents that bless the album's details: tasteful percussion and shimmery chimes on the two-minute intro; icy-sharp piano strikes and timid bongo patterns in "Black Forest's Flaming Eyes"; the moment in "The Last Leaves" when a beckoning / threatening warhorse cuts through the song's swirling attack; the wood block / carrion bird duet that haunts the center of the record's title crawler.

The mid-album march of "Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space" and serenade of "Horizons Glassy" put to bed any lingering concerns that contemplative means mediocre, or that Khors were in any way lukewarm about the broader cosmic concerns running through the record. Likewise, sadist murder hymns "Only Time Will Take It Away" and "The Last Leaves" summarily execute any notion that brutality could ever fall to second class status. It's the balance struck by _Wisdom of Centuries_ that makes it brilliant, and missing this heavy music bright spot would be an absolute — sorry, couldn't help it — khrime.

→ http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/Articles.aspx?id=2-6612

Darkside "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 07:05:00 +0000

→ http://www.darkside.ru/album/33399/

Queens of Steel "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 07:05:00 +0000

Desde la fría Ucrania nos llega el nuevo trabajo de estudio de KHORS, una formación de Black Metal compuesta por ex miembros de bandas del calibre de ASTROFAES, THUNDERKRAFT o HATE FOREST por citar algunas, y que desde luego, no pierde el tiempo, ya que este “Wisdom of Centuries” es el quinto disco en sus ocho años de trayectoria.

El aspecto sinfónico es algo vital dentro del sonido de KHORS, con una instrumentación sobria y elegante que dota a las canciones de un corte majestuoso. Tras una atmosférica intro de poco menos de dos minutos, con “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes” el trabajo se pone en marcha a través de una agresiva voz y unos pasajes bien diferenciados que son capaces de evocar en el oyente todo tipo de sensaciones; desde una melancolía extrema con partes instrumentales envueltas en una sombría atmósfera, hasta una rabia infinita con trozos de puro Black Metal rápido con un sonido muy cuidado y limpio. El carácter instrumental es algo esencial en las bandas ucranianas de Metal extremo, ya que todas ellas consiguen elaborar composiciones con muchos contrastes y detalles que quizás no puedan ser degustados a la primera escucha. Que KHORS es un grupo que hace gala de ello es que la mitad de los ocho cortes de “Wisdom of Centuries” son instrumentales, siendo a su vez perfectos interludios que contrastan con el resto de canciones como “Only Time Will Take It Away” o “Wisdom of Centuries”.

En resumen, KHORS te ofrecen casi cuarenta minutos de un poderoso Black Metal aderezado con una gran labor de unos teclados, piano e incluso efectos de sonido que te cautivará desde el primer hasta el último segundo del compacto.

Candlelight Records (2012)

Puntuación: 8,5/10

Sergio Fernández

→ http://www.queensofsteel.com/2012/08/khors-wisdom-of-centuries/

Metal Temple "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 07:05:00 +0000

I usually don’t review Black Metal albums, but I wanted to listen to something new and exciting so I took this album to check it out. KHORS is a pretty new Black Metal band with less that 10 years in the industry and part of the new wave of Black Metal that combines a lot of Progressive Metal elements, melodic and Gothic features.

The thing with “Wisdom Of Centuries” is that to me it’s more of an EP with 5 songs and 3 additional “passes” through the songs. On the other hand, it’s a very complex album full of interesting music, highly appealing with good production arrangements and even percussions like on the middle part on “Through The Clouds Of The Past” that add another dimension and an atmospheric facet to the track.

What I loved about this band is that for one that not usually listens to this style of music, they know very well how to structure of song and manage to make a good and smooth pass between the heavy more traditional Black Metal parts and the more modern soft and melodic parts. So in the end we get an album that it’s very fun and interesting to listen to.

In conclusion I enjoyed this release. It is a little too short to call it an LP in my opinion and I also think a little too diverse to call it Black Metal. You can definitely listen to the DIMMU BORGIR and SHINING (The Swedish Band) influences. Great Production and performance from the band. If you like Black Metal with a twist, or the bands I mention earlier, go and buy this one.

→ http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/k_2/khors-wisdom-of.htm

Metal Hammer (UK) "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 07:05:00 +0000

Formed by Khorus of Ukrainian legends Astrofaes and named after the Slavic sun god, Khors debuted in 2005 and have remained productive ever since, Wisdom of Centuries being the fifth full-length release by the band. As an outfit Khors share much with their compatriots and comparisons can quickly be made with Astrofaes (unsurprisingly), Nokturnal Mortum, Drudkh and Hate Forest, an ex-member of whom, Khaoth, drums here. For those unfamiliar with those names, the sound here is epic, mid-paced and reasonably melodic take on black metal, taking in a melancholy and sometimes introspective atmosphere and featuring plenty of folk touches, progressive flourishness and synth accompaniment. Likewise, while the band are quick to declare themselves 'non-political', they retain the national interests of thir peers, the album dedicated to the failed Ukrainian uprising against the Bolsheviks about a century ago. Whatever the concept — the lyrics are obviously pretty impenetrable for non-native speakers — Wisdom is an engaging, dynamic, immersive and reflective listen and up there with their country's finest.
7/10
DAYAL PATTERSON, Metal Hammer UK

MetalTalk "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 07:05:00 +0000

Originally a trio but after the release of their first album, 'The Flame Of Eternity's Decline', Ukrainian Heathen black Metal band Khors added a rhythm guitarist to strengthen their sound. They have continued to build upon their sound with the release of their fifth full length, 'Wisdom Of Centuries' and the music across their five albums is inspired by the spiritual ancient world of their elder ancestors.

I found this an interesting album, broken up by four short instrumentals. The first, 'Through The Clouds Of The Past' is an atmospheric opener which builds the mood before moving almost seamlessly into 'Black Forests Flaming Eyes', a reflective and atmospheric track with a dark melodic edge to it that gradually builds in intensity as it progresses.

This is a long track broken up into segments by several tempo changes, keeping things interesting. The tortured emotive sound to the vocals I really enjoyed and they are sung in their native language which adds a mystery to the overall product, something I think that always sits well with black Metal.
The next track, 'The Last Leaves' is a faster tempo, blackened track with a folk-influenced edge. The very catchy riffs within its construct make this a track to stick in your mind, probably my favourite track of the album.

Two back to back instrumentals, 'Where The Grandeur Of Mountains Embraces The Space', with ambient and atmospheric sounds and a simple drum beat and 'Horizons Glassy', which is gentle and guitar led, separate the first half of the album from the second.

Album title track 'Wisdom Of Centuries', has a slightly ominous sounding opening repeat pattern between drum and guitar. The tension builds as a very sinister vocal whisper that expands into a rasping growl is added to the mix. Raven squawks add extra atmosphere to what is another enjoyable and enthralling track.

A beautiful guitar opener greets you on 'Only Time Will Take It Away' before the strong tortured and emotive vocals kick in with a faster and more intense tempo, the track is broken up to maintain your interest by further switches between these two elements of the track's composition.

The final instrumental and closing track, the quiet sounding, ambient and calming 'Twilight', brings the album to a close.

An excellent album and one which I well be listening to a lot. 'Wisdom Of Centuries' is out now on Candlelight Records.

→ http://metaltalk.net/columns/20102990.php

Kiev Based Rock Club "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors — Мудрість Століть

Одразу, з перших анонсів п’ятого повноформатника KHORS, було зрозуміло, що ця платівка суттєво відрізнятиметься від попередніх. З точки зору звучання «Мудрість Століть» у контексті розвитку стилю групи – у певному сенсі альбом-експеримент, з точки зору тематики і мови виконання – новий етап творчості, ну а вихід альбому на потужному і авторитетному британському лейблі Candlelight Records не назвеш інакше як проривом і досягненням.

Якщо всі попередні альбоми KHORS були англомовними, то тематика альбому «Мудрість Століть» , за словами самих музикантів, не могла передбачати іншої мови виконання, крім української. Як зазначалось у прес-релізі, свіжий альбом присвячений 95-й річниці Холодноярської республіки, її засновникам та захисникам, а отже — й суворим рокам національно-визвольної боротьби з більшовицькими окупантами. Як я і сподівався, ця тематика в альбомі знаходить свій вияв насамперед у багатих поетичних образах текстів, які є не деклараціями, а візіями. До речі, їх (текстів) тут зовсім небагато – всього 4 треки з 8, які складають альбом, є піснями. Решта ж – досить різнопланові інструментальні номери, які є органічною та невід’ємною частиною концепції. Цікаво також, що група під час підготовки до запису альбому створила значно більше «металічних» треків, але, як зазначають музиканти, їх було відкладено для наступних альбомів KHORS.

В одному з інтерв’ю, які передували релізу, анонсувалась також похмуріша, ніж в попередньому альбомі, атмосфера, і зараз слухач може переконатись у точності цього визначення, адже саме цю особливість першою помічаєш, слухаючи «Мудрість Століть». Проте реалізована вона в оригінальний спосіб : не рухом в бік більш брутального, «сирого» звучання, а — завдяки традиційній для KHORS мелодійності та прогресивності звучання, в якому тут, на мою думку, є чимало від симфонічності. Тому, якщо порівнювати альбом «Мудрість Століть» з альбомом «Відчуженість» DRUDKH (також присвяченому життю та смерті в боротьбі, хоча натхненним дещо пізнішим періодом), — це будуть дві зовсім різні історії.

Крім того, згадана похмурість не є домінантою для всіх треків свіжого альбому – тут є і відчайдушність, і меланхолія. Найбільш оригінальною і водночас найнасиченішою за змістом композицією можна з певністю назвати трек, що й дав назву цілій платівці – «Мудрість Століть». Крім специфічних барабанних партій, вишуканих аранжувань і відмінної від інших трьох метал-треків подачі, його текст видається мені квінтесенцією месиджу всього альбому – недарма його демо-версія використовувалась групою для анонсів майбутнього релізу.

Актуалізована для широкого загалу завдяки бестселеру Василя Шкляра славна сторінка історії воюючої України надихнула KHORS на прекрасний альбом, який, попри природні паралелі в саунді з YGG та ULVEGR, є самобутнім творінням. Єдиний його мінус – невелика тривалість (трохи менше 40 хв.), проте це також частина задуму музикантів.

Рекомендується всім «друзям кривавої старовини».

Трекліст :

1. Крізь Хмари Минулого

2. Палаючі Очі Чорного Лісу

3. Останнє Листя

4. Де Велич Гiр Обiймає Простiр

5. Горизонтів Гладінь
6. Мудрість Cтоліть
7. Лише Час Забере
8. Сутінки

KHORS

Мудрість Cтоліть

2012

Candlelight Records

Максим Солодовник

→ http://www.rock.kiev.ua/article/2012/336/

The Last Leaves at Metal Heads' Mission festival 2012, Crimea, UA

Khors — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btDtG-mkaBY

Metal Rules "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

October 2012
Released: 2012, Candlelight Records
Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewer: Metal-Rules.com UK Team

This is the fifth album by the Ukranian Black Metallers and interestingly enough the first album that they have recorded in their mother tongue. But it’s black metal and I couldn’t make out what anyone was saying in the first place, so I’m not sure if it makes much difference really.

As with much Eastern European Black Metal, the sound, though distinctly in the traditional vein has a folkish element to it, something that shrouds the music like a cloak, under which you can gather under as tales of old are delivered by a village elder, sometimes they are tales of heroism, at others they are gruesome and gory, yet he tells them all with a wry smile.

There’s nothing remarkable about this album, bands like Negura Bunget or Drudkh are still leading the field, but Khors can find a firm place in the pecking order, even if they’re only a band you check in with once in a blue moon.

Review by Sam McKavanagh

→ http://www.metal-rules.com/review/viewreview.php?month=October&year=2012&pos=39

Cross Fire "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Einen sehr ansprechenden Mix aus Black und Melodic Death Metal mit Doom Anleihen, bieten die ukrainischen Khors mit ihrem mittlerweile fünften Longplayer „Wisdom Of Centuries“. Dabei wird eine bemerkenswerte Atmosphäre erzeugt, wie schon das schwermütige Intro „Through The Clouds Of The Past“ beweist, um dann mit dem starken Opener „Black Forrest´s Flaming Eyes“ auch den letzten Fan der oben genannten Genres zu überzeugen. Ob es die krachenden Gitarren, der ausdrucksstarke Gesang, die unterschwellige keyboardgetragene düstere Atmosphäre, die eingestreuten Soli oder die ruhigen, getragenen Momente, oder die Stampfer Passagen sind; all das lässt den Midtempo Song zu einem wahren Hörgenuss werden. Auch das folgende „The Last Leaves“ bietet ein dichtes Soundgeflecht und erhält einen hohen Wiedererkennungswert durch das, immer wieder durchlaufende, prägnant zelebrierte Gitarrenriff. (Einfach Astrein). Mit dem monotonem „Where The Grandeur Of Mountains Embraces The Space“ und dem melancholischen „Horizong Glazzy“ folgen dann zwei Instrumentalstücke, die Hoffnungslosigkeit in den Sphären vermitteln. Der aggressive Titeltrack leitet durch seine doomige Ausrichtung dann einen Stilbruch ein, bevor mit dem weiteren Highlight „Only Time Will It Take Away“ wieder pure Dynamik und Dramatik geboten wird, welche immer wieder durch verträumte Passagen aufgelockert wird. Aus anderen Welten werden wir mit dem ruhigen Instrumentalstück „Twilight“ herauskatapultiert in die Wirklichkeit, um dieses Machwerk weiterzuempfehlen, auf das der nächste Plattendealer richtig was zu tun bekommt.

Note:9 von 10 Punkten
Autor: Markus Peters

→ http://www.crossfire-metal.de/2460-0-KHORS-WISDOM-OF-CENTURIES.html

Metalland "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Groupe Ukrainien ayant compté en son sein pratiquement toute la crème des musiciens metal du pays, KHORS n’est pas un groupe vraiment extrême. Donnant dans un dark/black symphonique, KHORS arrive avec ses différentes personnalités pour un album qui n’est pas tout à fait au maximum de ses capacités au vu du changement de style plus ou moins prononcé du combo.

Là où Return to Abandoned sonnait franchement Païen, Wisdom of Centuries se veut plus atmosphérique, les claviers, beaucoup plus discrets mais néanmoins omniprésents sont toujours à la base de la musique du groupe.

Dès l’intro le ton est donné, des arpèges qui se perdent dans les ténèbres, une ambiance fantomatique, le groupe est fidèle à lui-même. "Black Forest's Flaming Eyes" et ses neufs minutes ouvre véritablement l’album en imposant son style, et nous propose une sorte de florilège de tout ce dont est capable le groupe, une rage propre au black, des solos superbement exécutés, des claviers grandioses, mais comme on dirait dans le registre culinaire, KHORS sort un petit peu le dessert avant la fin du repas. Parce que malgré une technique impeccable, malgré la beauté de certains titres et malgré tout le cœur mis à l’ouvrage, les Ukrainiens peinent à maintenir un rythme stable, cassé par l’enchainement de deux instrumental en milieu d’album ("Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space", "Horizons Glassy") le premier étant plus que dispensable, suivi d’un "Wisdom of Century" sombre a souhait mais qui ne décolle pas. Une once d’espoir apparait pour l’avant dernier morceau, qui reprend la dynamique de la première partie d’album à savoir un morceau épique très bien travaillé mais encore une fois, "Twilight", outro instrumentale vient nous ralentir le tempo.

KHORS alterne les passages planants et aériens avec des touches agressives typiquement black metal et ose même nous pondre quelques touches rock dans certains passages mais la sauce a du mal à prendre. Le groupe nous livre un album, qui, sans être mauvais, a du mal à retenir notre attention.

ZoSKiA
07.09.2012

→ http://www.metalland.org/chronique-3705-khors-wisdom-of-centuries

Metallian 'zine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

→ http://www.metallian.com

Metal Hammer magazine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

helpalongtheway.com

Khors — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

1. HAYW:

Tell us about Ukraine:

- what is the metal scene like?

- what is the culture of society like?

- are politics important to the band and Ukrainians in general?

KHORS:

Hello to all the readers of Help Along Your Way!

Our metal scene is versatile enough and I believe it’s known worldwide by its black metal component. I think you should know such bands as Drudkh, Nokturnal Mortum, HateForest, Blood of Kingu, Astrofaes.

As for the culture of our country so it has very deep roots refer to Trypillian culture, ancient Scythian culture, Kievan Rus and Cossacks. This basis influenced in general the mentality and development of our people. Politically our country has not the best times as we can’t speak about the democracy in modern society recently. There’s political party of usurpers rules the country having ignoring both moral and human norms.

2. HAYW:

Ukraine has cultivated a lot of great metal acts like Evroklidon, Angel 7, Holy Blood and of course KHORS — have any of these other bands influenced you?

KHORS:

Actually I don’t know any of the bands you’ve mentioned here so it’s impossible to talk about their influences on us. In the previous question I’ve mentioned the bands which really can be named true representatives of Ukrainian metal music. We can say they’re indirectly could affect us as we really like the music these guys playing.

3. HAYW:

Wisdom of Centuries is the new album to be released on Candlelight

Records (great label by the way):

- where did you record the album?

- was the recording done all in one session or multiple time frames?

- how many days total did it take to record the new album?

KHORS:

The album was recorded during Autumn-Winter of 2011-2012 in such studios as Blacklight (we recorded drums, bass, percussion and guitars there), Nightmare studio (we recorded keyboards tracks there), Oriana Stronghold Forge (lead guitars and vocals). In total the recording process took approximately 15 days for us. The album mixed and mastered in Blacklight Studio.

4. HAYW: Do any members of KHORS work in any other band?

KHORS: Yes, Helg has got the projects Ulvegr and Ygg.

5. HAYW:

What bands influence KHORS that most fans would NOT expect to be influential?

KHORS:

It’s hard for me to talk about some serious influences. We’re listening to different kind of music recently and sometimes that’s not a metal music.

6. HAYW:

For the atmospheric sounds — do you use synthesizers, keyboards, sampling wav files or a combination of all three?

KHORS:

We do combine the samples and keyboard tracks. There are some samples on the album but percussion played live. We used cajon and congas during the recording.

7. HAYW:

Will KHORS make it to the US in 2013? Thank you for your time.

KHORS:

If there are any proposals then we sure would be glad to come to USA. Thank you too for your interest and support.

→ http://helpalongyourway.webs.com/apps/blog/entries/show/19167432-khors-wisdom-of-centuries-the-interview

Infektion magazine

Khors — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

1. About “Wisdom of Centuries”, your fifth record, the band stated that its lyrical concept addresses to recent history of your native land, complicated and mournful times of 20th years of the last century. What were those events?

Hails to the readers of Infektion Magazine first. If to try to describe this history briefly so we have to refer to the 1917 year when there’s revolution in Russia as a result of which red communists became dominate and rule the empire. Ukraine, which is was the part of Russian Empire before those events, declared the independence then and Ukrainian People’s Republic was proclaimed but its sovereignty then was broken with Red Army in 1919. As a result of the full occupation of our country its territory then was added to the Soviet Union.

Those events accompanied with a lot of spontaneous uprisings and one of the centers became KholodnoyarskayaRepublic or Kholodny Yar (the Cold Ravine if on English). Its official fall dated of 1922 year but many of facts tell that small forces still resisted the communists until 1933. Directly on that refer the facts of hunger that Stalin provoked with the aim of the final destruction of the embers of resistance.

2. Although, Khors has declared itself a non-political band. Why have you said that, and in your lyrics you passionately appeal to ancient times?

In our lyrics we appeal not only to ancient times but to more recent history of our country as well as you can see it on our new record. We are patriots of our country and this feeling moves us mainly. If it’s ancient epoch or more recent times — it’s not so important.

3. What are the main changes you’d point out to 2010’s “Return to Abandoned”?

After we recorded “Return To Abandoned” we’ve got guitarist changed. Warth, who played on that record, was replaced with Jurgis who took a big part of work on “Wisdom of Centuries”. I can also note there are more spiritual experiences on the new album. More sadness, sorrow, depression, anger, hatred, love and despair feelings in comparison with more metal oriented and straight “Return To Abandoned”.

4. The record is the first one where Khors uses their native language. Was it to be more truthful to the concept? And why did you kept the song titles in English?

As we began our way we even didn’t consider other option except of to use English language for our lyrics. This was common for us from the past bands we played in before and we also consider English the standard for metal music. Our new album is a bit different from those we did before, it’s differs with many aspects and has the special atmosphere, inner power and conception. This album was supposed to be performed on Ukrainian.

5. The band showed also a more experimental side with sounding and atmosphere, using even some ethnic music instruments. Are the crescendos a better way to underline the message you wanted to pass to the listener?

I think the listeners could answer this question much better than me with their either positive or negative reaction. We’re happy with the work we’ve done on this album and we’re going to continue such the experiments in future.

6. It was amazing how you blend the traditional folk melodies with the Metal approach. Do you think it’s a natural step for bands that come from rich cultures as yourself, to introduce these elements into the sound?

Thanks for your appreciation.

I think it occurs on a subconscious level in each band in particular. I mean arrangements might be done not quite unconsciously but mainly under the influence of some feelings, personal experiences.

7. One of the strongest features of this album is the clean production. For the new record, the band has recorded in four different studios. Why?

The main studio we used for this album is Blacklight Studio from Kiev. We’ve recorded most of instruments there in and we did mastering and mixing there too. Keybords, lead guitar and vocal tracks was recorded later in some studios here in our city as it was more comfortably for us to use them to have much more time for experiments and recording.

8. In January 2012 you finished recording the album and the next month the band signed with Candlelight Records. How did it happen?

We’ve got the offer from Candlelight Records which was the most interesting amongst the others.

9. What could you tell us about the ukrainian Metal scene? Are there any bands you’d like to point out?

I’m not so interested in our metal scene to be honest. I can only note we have many of different metal bands here but the really interested ones are known outside our country yet.

10. Through the years, Khors have played in the main stages of Eastern Europe. Is the next tour a chance to see you playing elsewhere?

We are quite active band as for the live shows so it would be pleasant for us to visit your country and many others worldwide with the shows if any proposals.

11. Please, add some final words, if you’d like! Thank you!

José Branco

Thanks for your interest and your support. Let Gods bless you! Listen to the good music!

→ http://issuu.com/infektionmag/docs/infektion17

Thrashocore webzine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors Wisdom of Centuries

Le 24 saiptenbre 1982
Chair journal,
Aujourdh’ui que la maitraisse elle avait des bombons comme ceus que Mémé elle a à ça maison. C’est les noirs dehor et blanc dedent qu’ont le gout tro chouète du coca. Mè quant j’ai mi dan la bouche, s’étai pa du coca mais tous pa bon. Apré maman a dit qu’s’étai pa du coca mè qu’s’étai du raiglisse. Maman ell’a dmendé si s’étai bon mé je chavai pa passque moi je voulé du coca. Alors fau kun jour je reréssai le raiglisse.

Le 24 septembre 1992
Cher journal,
Depuis 3 jours j’étais à Barcelone ! C’est la deuxième fois puisque, souviens-toi, j’y étais allé début août. Je t’avais raconté comme la ville m’avait enchanté alors que les Jeux Olympiques battaient leur plein ! J’avais juré que j’y retournerais vite et j’ai tenu ma promesse ! Mais quelle déception ! Plus de Cobi le chien, plus de Derartu Tulu, plus de boxeurs cubains, plus de « youpi youpla » à tous les carrefours... J’aurais mieux fait de rester à Paris...

Le 24 septembre 2002
Cher « journal »... que personne ne lira jamais. Ou alors le moi du futur ? Toi, Aurélie « chérie » qui fouine toujours dans mes affaires ? Toi, la cheminée dans laquelle j’aurai jeté mon passé ? Enfin... cher journal... voilà, j’ai les boules.
Aujourd’hui j’ai revu Elodie... la bombe avec qui je sortais avant le mariage. La semaine dernière elle m’a envoyé un SMS tout chaud comme une tarte aux pruneaux qui sort du four et j’étais tout fou. J’allais revoir ses nibards XXL, son cul « fond dans la bouche pas dans la main » et ses cheveux blonds couleur excitation... On s’est donné rendez-vous au café où on allait toujours et j’ai préféré attendre de loin, histoire de savoir si c’était pas un coup tordu d’Aurélie. Mais non, elle était là, mais pas blonde ni bonnasse du tout ! Elle est passée brune ! Brune, bordel ! Et habillée en jean et chemisier genre « Je suis restée québlo dans les années 90 ». Refroidissement total, je suis rentré illico presto au bercail ! Aaaah déception !

Le 24 septembre 2012
Cher journal,
L’album de KHORS que j’attendais enfin est arrivé et j’ai suffisamment d’écoutes pour t’en parler. C’est déjà le 5ème album de la formation mais seulement le troisième que j’écoute. J’avais découvert avec le premier, sorti en 2005 chez Oriana Music mais qui n’avait pas assez de personnalité pour que je devienne accro. Le black y était déjà emprunt de mélodies particulières avec quelques touches de piano, mais gardait un côté sombre séduisant. Je ne m’étais donc pas intéressé à Cold (2006) et Mysticism (2008) mais j’ai retrouvé le groupe avec son 4ème album : Return To Abandoned (2010) qui, lui, m’a bien convaincu. On y trouvait toujours une forte base BM, mais avec des guitares au son distordu. Claires et trafiquées, elles illuminaient les titres. KHORS avait trouvé sa voie et elle passait par des cases progressives ou heavy. Elles n’étaient certes pas continues mais assez pour devenir une marque de fabrique ! Ce coup de maître m’avait donné l’espoir que le groupe poursuivrait dans cette voie, et voilà ce Wisdom of Centuries.

Et tu l’as senti venir, mon ami journal, mais l’espoir a fondu ! C’est un bonbon de réglisse alors qu’on s’attend à du coca-cola, c’est Barcelone juste après les Jeux, c’est Elodie en mode Beverly Hills 90210 ! C’est KHORS qui fait plus du KHORS ! Les éléments personnels ont été extrèmement dilués au point de faire perdre une bonne part de l’âme du quatuor ukrainien. Cela ne veut pas dire pour autant que l’album est mauvais, mais qu’il en prendra beaucoup à contre-pied ! Du coup je ne suis pas fan même si je reconnais l’effort de composition évident.

La plupart des titres offrent une ambiance de conquêtes et d’envolées et la triplette « Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes », « The Last Leaves » et « The Only Time Take It Away » sait jouer avec les sentiments. Il font assurément mouche et représentent le véritable intérêt de l’album. Le regret ? Leur tendance à plus ressembler à DRUDKH qu’à l’album précédent ! DRUDKH qui est d’ailleurs tout aussi ukrainien. Mais aucun de KHORS n’y est lié directement. Ils sont passés par ASTROFAES (le bassiste et le batteur), HATE FOREST (le même batteur) ou ULVEGR / YGG (le guitariste / vocaliste d’origine), mais pas par DRUDKH.

Un autre titre plus est plus lourd et sombre (« Wisdom of Centuries ») et vient aussi trifouiller dans l’esprit tout en manquant encore de personnalité. L’autre souci, peut-être plus important, vient de l’impression d’avoir un album bien trop court. C’est vrai, regarde la track-list ! Sur les 8 morceaux, 4 sont des instrumentaux ! Je sais pas pour toi journal, mais moi, j’ai du mal à garder mon attention sans vocaux et là, c’est joli mais sans plus.

Tu vas trouver que je radote, mais je vais te faire une petite synthèse : les 4 « réels » morceaux sont de qualité, mais pas dans le style que je voulais, pas avec la patte de l’album précédent. C’est dommage parce qu’il y avait un potentiel évident, et que maintenant ça décolle beaucoup moins haut ! Et maintenant, je te laisse journal parce qu’Elodie m’appelle. Ce soir encore on va manger des réglisses sur le port de Barcelone !

Sakrifiss
24 Septembre 2012 — 343 lectures

→ http://www.thrashocore.com/chroniques/chronique/4635-khors-wisdom-of-centuries-2012-chronique.html

Silent Scream "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Davvero non male. Black sinfonico, sì, ma non di quello che conoscono tutti e che è diventato popolarissimo nella seconda metà degli anni novanta, bensì di quello sulfureo, atmosferico, pomposo sì ma con una grande attenzione per il silenzio. In qualche modo li si potrebbe considerare una band a metà strada con il gothic, per certi versi, e di grande raffinatezza, dall'approccio anche eclettico se vogliamo, che ricorda qualcosa anche dei Dark Fortress, semplicemente una delle migliori band black della scena contemporanea (oltre che una delle pochissime band black tedesche che non meritino di morire torturate). Non è un disco per chi vive nel binomio black/solo blast beat, perché qua ci ritroviamo nel pieno di una concezione orrorifica del genere, con arpeggi inquietanti, distorsioni che spezzano all'improvviso la calma, tastiere che sottolineano i momenti di maggiore pathos senza ridursi a mera fanfara. Prevale la forma del mid tempo, che consente alla band ucraina di giostrare quasi tutto sulla perizia dei loro arrangiamenti, davvero da maestro. Meritano una chance!

Fulvio Adile

→ http://www.silentscreamzine.com/ReviewShow.asp?ReviewsID=8952

Metal Scrap Records

Khors — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Думаю, что бессмысленно представлять читателям данный коллектив, так как его деяния витают по всей Украине (и не только), чье имя далеко небезызвестно. KHORS – это гордость украинской метал сцены. Но я скажу большее, на мой взгляд, это тот коллектив, который просто вышел за рамки музыки. Назвать KHORS метал-бендом – означает ограничить и недооценить его. Это поток звуков, которые созвучны с природой и практически идентичны ей. KHORS – это не метал бенд, это – ВСЕЛЕННАЯ…

Интервью подготовил Виталий "Manson" Явнов

На вопросы отвечает ударник группы Константин Змиевский

1) Приветствую! Поведайте читателям портала metal scrap чем в данный момент занят KHORS?

Привет! Группа KHORS возвращается к деятельности после летнего отпуска.

2) Ваша музыка наполнена неимоверной атмосферностью. Как вы добиваетесь подобного эффекта? Это заслуга студии или вашей энергетики?

Вообще, конечно, в большей степени этому виной концепт, композиторская идея, аранжировка, но временами случалось, что мы получали на студии результат, который в конечном итоге слушался даже более атмосферно, чем мы изначально задумывали.

3) Как, по-вашему, должна воздействовать музыка на человека? И, конкретно, ваша музыка. Цель вашего творчества.

Цель нашего творчества это самовыражение и самореализация. Я говорю банальные вещи, но я не могу видеть другой цели. Тем более, принимая во внимание стиль музыки, в котором мы работаем, положение дел на метал сцене, это должно быть очевидным. По поводу воздействия. Ну мы не делаем лекарства от чего то, поэтому лучшим способом воздействия будет являться достижение того состояние, в котором хотел бы пребывать слушатель.

4) Кто из украинской сцены заслуживает похвалы? Назовите перспективные группы, на ваш взгляд.

Перспектива – вещь непредсказуемая и временами совершенно не поддаётся никакой логике, поэтому я не берусь судить, кто есть перспективен, а кто нет. Что касается наших фаворитов, то они с годами остаются неизменными: DRUDKH, NOKTURNAL MORTUM. Я лично недавно открыл для себя очень интересную группу RAVENTALE.

5) В нынешнее время рок-музыканты больше стремятся к хорошему звучанию или новомодным течениям, тем самым делая меньше акцент на самом творчестве. Как вы считаете, что в музыке важнее: качественная запись или сам материал? Ваше отношение к новомодным явлениям (прим. имеется в виду всякие альтернативы и коры).

Качество и материал – это две вещи, которые должны сосуществовать в гармонии в каждой команде. Мы же не задаёмся вопросом что лучше: иметь хорошую машину или уметь водить? Хотя я не сталкивался ни с одним музыкантом, который считал бы своё творчество не достойным. Здесь уже нам поможет т.н. рынок или то, что он него осталось. Хорошее звучание это обязательный атрибут. На сегодняшний день есть все условия в нашей стране получить звук не хуже, чем у наших более развитых коллег. Если раньше мы не могли этого получить по причине отсутствия должных аппаратных условий, то сегодня всё уже упирается в желания и/или собственный вкус.

Мы не особо следим за всякими новомодными движениями, не сказать больше, но мне кажется, что всякие альтернативы и коры уже не особо на плаву, нет? В любом случае, если существует определенная музыка и пользуется успехом, значит, так оно и должно было быть. Мы совершенно спокойно к этому относимся.

6) На последнем альбоме KHORS — лирика стала звучать на украинском языке. С чего такой резкий переход? Чем он обусловлен. Это эксперимент или внутренние изменения души?

Это эксперимент, связанный с внутренним изменением души) На самом деле, это новая глава в нашем творчестве, суть которой не могла подразумевать иного языка исполнения, чем украинский. Да и помимо того, возникла мысль, что доминирование английского языка в метал музыке уже дела прошлые.

7) Планы на будущее.

Творить и созидать дальше

8) Кем вы являетесь в обычной жизни? Есть ли у вас еще какие-то предпочтения помимо музыкальной деятельности?

Практически все мы женаты и имеем по двое детей, так что на личные предпочтения времени практически не остаётся. Но у каждого они свои, в основном связанные с досугом.

9) С кем бы хотели сыграть на одной сцене?

С друзьями)

10) Пару слов читателям, музыкантам и фанам.

Верьте в своё дело!

→ http://metalscrap.org.ua/ru/index.php/2008-02-13-09-42-06/45-%D0%98%D0%9D%D0%A2%D0%95%D0%A0%D0%92%D0%AC%D0%AE/3447--khors-metalscraporgua

Brutalism zine

Khors — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

- Hello Khaoth how's it going i hope all is well in the Ukraine?

- Hi there! It’s quite good here in Ukraine. We just had Euro 2012 Cup passed here and I can note it definitely passed well. The only thing’s sadden the situation is the current unhealthy political environment generating instability, political prosecutions and other bad things so we’re waiting for the autumnal parliament elections to try to affect the situation in a country and improve it with our choices.

- Sept. 11th the new album Centuries Of wisdom will be out in the states how well the album been doing in Europe so far?

- I know it is out a week after USA release so we’re waiting for it is out in Europe on September 17

- I was checking out the bands website from what i understand that the album is a commeration of 95th birthday of the Kholodny Yar Republic? can you go into more detail about the Kholdny Yar republic?

- Well, if to try to tell briefly then Kholodny Yar is the Ukrainian Republic (1919 — 1922) which is also called as The Last Cossack Republic. Insurgents of Kholodny Yar protected this last stronghold of Ukrainian National Republic from Bolshevism until it finally came to domination in Ukraine and has generated hunger, genocide of Ukrainian people and many others harm.

- I just finished reading seven days that shook the world which is about the death of the soviet empire the ukraine was one of the first baltic states to declar independence right?

- In fact Ukraine declared independence on 24 of August 1991. In the form Ukraine is the independent and unitary state, but on a content still controlled and ruled by the politicians from the Kremlin.

- After the war the ukrainians were one of the few people the had the courage to fight against russian rule and repression?

- There were partisan wars ruled by Ukrainian Insurgent Army in the forests of Western Ukraine but unfortunately finally knocked down by red armies of KGB in 1956.

- It's amazing how the ukrainian people despite being forcfully annexed by stalin the country in some way maintained that independent spirit?

- It’s very sad story. Stalin brought to Ukraine big hunger and genocide so the opposition to the tank of Stalin and communism has been doomed unfortunately.

- Sorry for getting off track with the history stuff please tell us about the upcoming album centuries of wisdom?

- Actually the album’s entitled “Wisdom of Centuries”. It’s our fifth full length on which we’ve addressed to the history of Ukraine as you’ve already seen. This is also the first album of ours on which we used our native language, on which we represented more melancholic and atmospheric part of our musical creativity and this is the first album on which we tried some ethnic musical instruments. A little more time and you'll hear and understand it yourselves.

- Why you decided to leave your old band Astrofaes?

- To play in Astrofaes became no longer interesting for me

- How this band different from the other bands you and your bandmates been involved in?

- It’s quite different from which we’ve ever done and do now. It’s just different stories)

- I haven't heard the band's previous work you feel the band gottten better as musicans on this album?

- This one’s different album from others we’ve already done. I think the previous album was much more interesting to the guys prefer more technical music but this one is a bit atmospheric and I don’t know if we became better as musicians or not but you may judge it yourself.

- How much input the band members had on the making of the album?

- There are different situations we have. Sometimes a band member brings a song to the rehearsal, sometime a part of a song but sometimes we do a song right in the studio.

- In a few days Khors will be appearing at the metal head's mission fest in the crimea i bet you guys are chomping at the bit to play in front of your home crowd?

- Yes, already played) You know, it’s great to play before your home crowd just as always. I think that’s good for them too)

- Have you ever by chance run into the tallest man in the world yet? I watched a show on him a few months ago he's from the ukraine too!

— Sorry, we didn’t. But it’s quite difficult to meet a man taller than me))

- Which band member came up with the album title?

- I don’t remember exactly. Perhaps it was Khorus

- How many days it took for complete the whole recording process?

— Several months

- You guys use the recording studio?

- Sure

- How was the metal scene before and after the fall of communism?

- I know the old metal scene from some LPs out from communist times. I only can respect guys could play in such difficult environments. I love some records. As for the scene of today so I can definitely say we have a lot of opportunities but unfortunately this conditions brought a lot of clons and a lot of not interested bands. But today is also difficult time for underground scene in any country cause of the fall of CD sales, no people on club shows and huge amount of the bands.

- Can you give the readers a brief summary of the songs on centuries of wisdom?

- There are 8 songs on the album “Wisdom of Centuries” including intro, outro. There are also a couple of instrumental songs and one of which is kinda ambient performed on cajon. It’s quite difficult for me to give a brief summary of the songs we recorded. You just refer to some reviews in the web.

- Is candlelight releasing the album worldwide?

- Yes

- You guys also got some merch available if the readers want to aquire some merch can they get it directly from the band?

- Sure. You may refer to the Merchandise section on our official website www.khors.info and contact us then

- I remember drudkh has toured the states before when your band's time is going to come?

- Actually Drudkh didn’t play live shows and I know they ain’t going to play live ever. I also don’t think we’ll ever come to play in USA cause it’s a bit too expensive but it would be great for sure.

- Thanks for doing this interveiw is there anything you like to add

- Believe in what you’re doing and what you're saying. Thanks for the interview. Thanks for your time.

Soundshock webzine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

For black metal, Ukraine is a diamond in the rough with bands such as Drudkh, Hate Forest and, of course, Khors. Ukraine is no stranger to begging, stealing and borrowing band members from one another, so it is no surprise that Khors’ drummer is an ex-Hate Forest member and for those that are experiencing Khors for the first time via this album, you may find that they share the same gritty sound as the aforementioned bands. So what makes Khors unique from their neighbours? The answer to that is their fifth full-length album ‘Wisdom Of Centuries’.

A brief interlude, ‘Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes’ blasts in, trading between furious tremolo picking and melodic, mid-tempo riffs. The brutality with which Helg pendulums between black and death metal vocals is almost an art form, ever changing to fit the mood. Closing track ‘Only Time Will Take It Away’ is classic black metal, but Khors have expanded upon this with sparing use of keyboards and monstrous riffs.

Bleak as ever, Khors are a figurehead of Ukranian metal, daring to experiment with their sound but, all the while, never relinquishing their dark and evil trademark.

Reviewed by Angela Davey.
Wisdom of Centuries is out now on Candlelight.

You’ll like this if… the sound of a Drudkh/Wodensthrone hybrid has you frothing at the mouth.

→ http://www.soundshock.com/index.php/cd-reviews/4358-khors-wisdom-of-centuries-review

Neckbreaker Das Metal Magazin "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

KHORS ist eine der bekannteren Projekte des äußerst verworrenen osteuropäischen Pagan Black Metal Undergrounds. Schon durch einige Veröffentlichungen konnte diese Kombo von sich begeistern. Dies lag vor allem in ihrer ungewöhnlichen Instrumentierung und ihrem dadurch unverkennbaren eigenen Stil begründet. Auf der nun fünften Scheibe „Wisdom Of Centuries“ gibt es einige Neuerungen, welche die Herzen der Fans bedeutend höher schlagen lassen werden. Im Gegensatz zu altem Material wird nun nicht mehr auf jazzig anmutende Aspekte, sondern auf emotionale Eingängigkeit durch felsenfeste Riffs und Läufe gesetzt. Durch das zurückgedrehte Growlen und dem stattdessen verstärkten Keifen wird der ganzen Geschichte ein etwas depressiver Charakter verliehen, was der Musik jedoch einen enormen Zuwachs an Intensität verleiht.
Dementsprechend ruhig und bedacht kommt die Instrumentierung sehr feinfühlig daher. Anstelle von geschredderten Riffs dominieren gezupfte Passagen, statt exotischen Instrumenten sind es hier feine Keyboardeinschübe, die dem Album eine monumentale Größe verleihen.
Bei allen für Kitsch anfälligen Nährböden überkam es KHORS offenbar nie, denn die authentische Rohheit wurde durch nur minimalen Einsatz der künstlichen Klangerzeuger zu keiner Zeit gestört.
Einziges Manko dieses Albums sind die teilweise etwas zähen Ambient-Passagen, die erheblich kürzer und spannender sein könnten. Auch sind einige Tracks durch zu ruhige Abschnitte etwas arg heterogen in ihrer Dynamik. Diese Unstetigkeit wirkt manchmal sehr unpassend.

„Wisdom Of Centuries“ ist dennoch ein fantastisches Album geworden, das man sich als Fan ruhigeren Post Black Metals sowie als Freund des aggressiven, rohen Pagan Black Metals anhören kann. KHORS bestechen hier durch facettenreiche Vielfalt, rhythmischer Perfektion und technischem Können. Eine solche musikalische Glanzleistung ist gerade in diesem Sektor eine Seltenheit, welche diese Band nun besonders hervorstechen lässt.
Wer DRUDKH mag, wird dieses Album lieben. Auch sonst sollte jeder Freund des naturverbundenen, eigenständigen und verträumten Metals diesem Album etwas abgewinnen können. „Wisdom of Century“ ist ein Meisterwerk und verdient darum eine dringende Empfehlung. (Jannick)

Bewertung: 9 / 10

Anzahl der Songs: 8
Spielzeit: 38:10
Label: Candlelight Records
Veröffentlichungstermin: 11.09.2012

→ http://neckbreaker.de/cd-reviews/5261-khors-wisdom-of-centuries

Metal Impact webzine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Comme tout bon album de Black dépressif qui se respecte les protagonistes se doivent de plonger l’auditeur dans un état d’angoisse flirtant parfois avec les pleurnichages. KHORS a tout compris, mais n’a jugé bon de consacrer à cet état de latence qu’une poignée de secondes qui suffiront à nous acclimater immédiatement avec l’ambiance qui dépeint leur Wisdom Of Centuries. Les Ukrainiens avaient peu coutume de nous faire traverser d’aussi mélancoliques paysages, il est vrai que lorsqu’on se penche sur leur discographie on avait jusque-là droit à un Dark/Black basique sans grande élucubration portée par un son plutôt sec un peu bâclé.

Ici le ton change et c’est à la nouveauté qu’on doit s’attendre, une atmosphère bien plus travaillée. Pourtant, souvenez-vous le titre « Misery » (Cold – 2011) nous avait donné un aperçu évasif certes mais néanmoins notable, de ce que pouvait concocter le combo.
L’omniprésence en toile de fond d’une mélodie engendrée par des claviers discrets sera donc cette fois un atout majeur dans le jeu et permettra de rendre la musique moins anxiogène et par la douceur des choses, plus digeste. On ne s’éloigne en aucun cas du Black primaire de leurs débuts puisque le chant reste intact et la lourdeur de rigueur.

Cette fois-ci la grande variété de percussions plus ou moins développées, latentes ou pesante à souhait lui confèrera un travers Pagan avec ses légendes insinuées dans la prestation de chaque membre. On peut imaginer sans mal des tribus entières en pleine prière à leurs ancêtres dans cette pépite qu’est « Where The Grandeur Of Mountains Embraces The Space », interlude bref qui précèdera à un « Horizong Glassy » guère plus développé, autant de prouesses prouvant la magie et la poésie mise en évidence ici et là. Or n’aurait-il pas été judicieux de ne pas les juxtaposer afin de pouvoir apprécier plus facilement des titres de plus grandes envergures comme le titre éponyme de l’album ?
S’ils ont tout misé sur le décor avec un peu trop de titres extrêmement court peut-être était-ce pour éviter la prise de risque, mais la durée totale du disque joue cruellement contre lui, surtout après avoir dégusté les quarante deux minutes d’un Return To Abandoned (2010) desservant un Black épique accrocheur. Malgré tout on appréciera la maturité qui émane depuis lui justement et maintient les musiciens dans un esprit de constant effort pour faire évoluer leur musicalité et ce dans un souci de rassasier au mieux les amateurs du genre.

A noter par la même occasion donc, l’évolution et la nette amélioration des arrangements depuis The Flame Of Eternity’s Decline qui ancrait fort bien la carrière naissante des Ukrainiens en 2005.
On avance, on tâtonne, on essaie de nouvelles choses et au final ça paye puisque Wisdom Of Centuries sera l’un des plus beaux adages des KHORS.

→ http://www.metal-impact.com/index.php?name=Reviews&req=showcontent&id=5028

Tempelores Magazine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Black Metal formation Khors formed in 2004. About a year later the guys from Ukraine released a debut album and they have been going strong since. This year their fifth full length album “Wisdom of Centuries” comes out.

Distortion works in your advance when you are a band like Khors, not all can make it work to the fullest but through the years it became something that the guys used to define their sound. Synths making it all fully hysterical, a good addition to the vicious riffing. The band takes you on the atmospherical route. Mystery, hysteria the feeling of being lost in sound is coming up. When the band brings their longest tracks you feel like you get the most out of them, their compositions are made in a way that you want to live into it and when they end too fast you might feel a bit disappointed. That is exactly their strongest point, the band makes you long for more, have a structure that builds onto a higher level and you know that the sky is the limit. Damn, “Wisdom of Centuries” is a strong release. Black Metal fans should absolutely look into it, their fifth release shows they are stronger than ever and ready to become a major.

→ http://tempelores.com/?p=6588

Crows n Bones webzine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Ukrainian band KHORS have been formed back in 2004 and they have so far released five albums also counting “Wisdom of Centuries”, which is their first on Candelight records. “Wisdom Of Centuries”, is addressed to black metal fans and particularly to listeners who are fond of the gloomy and atmospheric sound. The music holds a mid tempo, borrows doom elements while it shares some cool melodies. All lyrics are in Ukrainian language something that’s is not going to bother anyone as the vocals are overall rough. I can’t say that I haven’t enjoyed “WoC”, the thing is that for my taste this album is quite monotonous and feels like it is in a repeating mode, but maybe it’s just me.

→ http://www.crowsnbones.com/2012/10/khors-wisdom-of-centuries/

Hails and Horns webzine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Wisdom of Centuries is the fifth full-length release for Ukrainian black metalers, KHORS. This album is a little different in a fun sort of way: it’s their first release done entirely in their native tongue (bar some of the song titles) and with the use of a variety of ethnic instruments. What instruments you ask? I have no idea. I can literally name zero “ethnic Ukrainian instruments”, and I wasn’t provided with that information. Feel free to rip my ignorance to shreds. What I do know, is that whatever sort of eastern European brand of black magic they used to create said instruments sounds pretty fucking rad. The album oscillates between high and low points, going from an atmospheric earthy sound to a full on aural bludgeoning of a black metal symphony. My favorite track off the album is “The Last Leaves” with the title track coming in a close second. If you get down on black metal but want to get out of Scandinavia, pick up the new album from KHORS and you won’t be disappointed.

→ http://www.hailsandhorns.com/reviews/record-review-khors-wisdom-of-centuries/

Lords of Metal "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Roel de Haan: Na het uitstekende 'Return To Abandoned' is de Oekraïense pagan black metalband Khors terug met een nieuw album genaamd ‘Wisdom Of Centuries’. Deze keer via Candlelight Records. Wat meteen duidelijk is bij het beluisteren van het album is het verschil in de hoeveelheid progressieve elementen. Op ‘Wisdom Of Centuries’ zijn er aanzienlijk minder toetsenborden aanwezig, die zo'n grote rol speelden in' Return To Abandoned’s progressieve karakter. Dit album heeft een meer prominent heidense sfeer en hoewel er nog genoeg variatie aanwezig is, lijkt het album meer to-the-point en technisch minder complex. Echter, de sfeer, vol melancholie, verlangen en heimwee maakt dat meer dan goed. ‘Wisdom Of Centuries’ is een uitstekende pagan black metalalbum vol diepte en complexiteit en mag niet gemist worden door fans van het genre.

Score: 85/100

→ http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=22783

Ave Noctum "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 06:05:00 +0000

It’s been interesting charting the course of the Ukrainian BM sound this past decade or so; the rise and fall of Hate Forest; Drudkh’s journey from raw and obscure beginnings to mainstream popularity on a major label, and the seemingly symbiotic relationship forged with Winterfylleth and Wodensthrone, answering the Ukrainians’ call in England’s windswept North. Drudkh’s fellow countrymen Khors have always existed just outside my radar, but with their fifth album ‘Wisdom of Centuries’ released by Candlelight, it seems that they too are coming in from the cold.

The album starts off very promisingly. Opener ‘Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes’ recaptures that ancient, stoic sound, with a shifting, tidal momentum centered around a churning rhythm that conjures up roaring rivers and the eerie, watchful silence of some long-forgotten battlefield. A rich, rocky guitar solo of the kind Drudkh started using mid-career marks the song’s midway point before it plunges underground with a dissonant and depressive groove, tinged with strains of languid piano.

‘The Last Leaves’ starts off much more urgent and chaotic, thundering ahead with full force across undulating terrain, before switching unexpectedly to a catchy gothic riff that momentarily brings to mind Dark Tranquillity and Crematory. What the hell; it works. Surprisingly well, in fact. From here the song segues into searching, upbeat chords, climbing steadily higher with unabashed, post-rocky optimism before eventually plateauing triumphantly as the waves of BM come crashing back in. Suddenly laid-back and drenched in warmth, it’s no longer a sensation of clawing through dense thickets, the branches scratching at your face, but of driving along a winding road atop a crevasse, gazing across at thick forest silhouetted by a blazing sun.

At this point though the album gets a bit lost in a series of meandering detours and never fully recovers. First come two interludes back to back for some reason; one consisting of a simple drumbeat and rumbling horns, and the second a dull, meandering passage of clean guitars and piano with a bluesy, Mediterranean feel to it. The latter one feels very out of place, and the momentum of the earlier tracks is entirely lost. The subsequent title track is surprisingly disappointing too; a plodding, six-minute dirge of simplistic doom/sludge riffs and repetitive acoustic chords. All in all, it feels like ten solid minutes of interludes, leaving me wondering what on earth went wrong.

Thankfully, the epic-sounding ‘The Only Time Will Take it Away’ (sic) gets things back on track with its gentle, pastoral acoustics, rolling, melancholy riffs and brooding key-changes. It feels like too little too late though, and as the outro ”Twilight’ calls out from the primal past with its distant, echo-laden, metallic-acoustic ambience and ghostly synths, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the album feels frustratingly incomplete.

It’s nicely mixed, and comes across as both rousing and sincere, but it feels more like a (very strong) EP padded out with filler than an album-proper. There’s still plenty to enjoy here though, and fans of Wodensthrone’s epic, contemporary take on BM in particular would do well to give it a spin. It’s just a shame it feels so disjointed.

( 7/10 Erich Zann)

→ http://www.avenoctum.com/2012/09/khors-wisdom-of-centuries-candlelight/

Destructive Music "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

| WISDOM OF CENTURIES

KHORS | WISDOM OF CENTURIES

BLACK METAL | KHARKIV/ UKRAINE

RELEASED VIA CANDLELIGHT RECORDS ON 11.09.2012

KHORS FACEBOOK

Formed in 2004, Khors are a Ukrainian black metal band from the city of Kharkiv. In the context of metal certain areas seem to produce a really high quality and distinctive style of music, Gothenburg has melodeath, Stockholm has death metal as does Florida, Norway has black metal, and Finland seems a hotspot for folk metal. Well I feel you can also add Kharkiv to the list. I don’t know if it’s something in the water there, but when one city produces the likes of Drudkh, Hate Forest, Astrofaes, Nokturnal Mortum, Ygg, Blood of Kingu, Ulvegr, Mistigo Varggoth Darkestra, Dub Buk and Munruthel you do have to wonder, especially when there’s often such a distinctive style of black metal on display. I guess the question on many peoples lips will be, ‘Do Khors retain their identity and roots as a Kharkiv band, or has the shift to a bigger label come at a price?’ Well rest assured, whilst there is perhaps slightly more experimental at times than in the past, the core of the bands sound is still there.

The Bands first album The Flame of Eternity’s Decline showed real promise melding black metal with dark melodic music. Following that came the album Cold, which to my mind took things too far one way, I felt that the black metal elements overpowered their dark melodic tendencies, and it didn’t have same impact. However following album Mysticism took things too far the other way for me. As if they realised themselves how black metal Cold had been and tried to compensate. But I feel that whilst a good album, it was barely a black metal album. It was only with 2010’s Return to Abandoned that I feel the band really found their feet and got the right mixture of melody and aggression, and this time there was an added maturity. Finally they had realised the potential their debut hinted at. So with this album I felt it could go in a few directions. It could take the established sound of the last album and run with it, they could experiment and see how far they can push their sound, or they could regress and do something simpler like one of the past albums.

As it turned out, I feel they took the established sound and experimented with it. Beyond the obvious parts of the album that are different such as the inclusion of 4 none metal interlude type tracks, there’s also elements of progression in the bands sound. It’s a really dynamic and varied album, and you could almost say the band sound more mature again. There’s still the primal driving black metal assault that’s very typical of the Kharkiv scene, but there are a lot of nuances, be it an interesting drum pattern or a slightly darker doomier sound, and even post rock-esque climaxes complete with tremolo picked guitar melodies. The vocals are also notable for being the bands first to be in Ukrainian rather than English, a move which arguably goes against the grain of what quite a few foreign bands do, their fellow country men Viter for example. The vocals have the usual gruff eastern European bark/rasp that fits the music oh so well. It’s an album that whilst I feel is instantly enjoyable, does have a lot to offer with subsequent listening revealing more little passages and melodies.

One little niggle I have is the Length. It’s 38 minutes long, which seems a nice length in theory, but it’s a whole 5 minutes shorter than their last album. What’s that I hear you say? The first 3 where 47/48 minutes and 5 minutes really isn’t that big a deal? Well let’s take away the interludes and intro/outro, we’re left with a 29 minute album with 4 tracks. It’s practically an EP. I think the thing is, now the band are writing longer and generally better songs, I feel like I just want to hear more. 4 songs just isn’t enough for me. Another couple of tracks, or another 9 minute track and I think I’d have been easier about it. But like I say, it’s only a minor niggle which wont affect the overall score as it doesn’t have an adverse affect on the quality of the album.

Ultimately I feel that whilst a very good album, they haven’t quite managed to top Return to Abandoned. This is an enjoyable album, with a lot of promise, but it doesn’t always work. When it’s good it’s incredible, but when it’s not it’s a just good. Some of it I find interesting rather than enjoyable I think. And I feel there’s a bit of incoherency at time, I feel the two interludes together break the album up a bit too much for my liking. But again despite those minor issues, this is still a fantastic album, and one of my favourite this year so far. [8/10 — NEIL SLATER]

→ http://destructive-music.com/?p=2973

Metallized "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

È passato oramai quasi un secolo dalla nascita della Repubblica Popolare Ucraina, a ricordarci di ciò ci hanno pensato i Khors attraverso il loro quinto full lenght, intitolato Wisdom of Centuries e per l’appunto dedicato ai fatti che ebbero luogo agli inizi del 1917 in Ucraina. In questo album vedremo come la formazione originaria di Kharkiv abbia compiuto il tanto atteso passo in avanti rispetto a Return To Abandoned: un disco per certi versi non proprio riuscitissimo, costituito da pochi spunti buoni e da un comparto di tastiere a mio parere orribile. Questo salto di qualità coincide anche con l’entrata dei nostri all’interno del roster della rinomata label inglese Candlelight Records.

Le influenze derivano chiaramente da band del calibro di YGG, Nokturnal Mortum, Temnozor e Drudkh. In questa nuova fatica il sound dei Khors si è lievemente “addolcito”, compiendo una leggera virata verso il pagan metal e lasciando per strada un po’ di stilemi tipici del black più puro. Come sempre le tematiche non contengono riferimenti politici di alcun tipo, ma si legano in tutto e per tutto al paganesimo, al tema astrale dello spazio e al misticismo. Per quanto riguarda la produzione non c’è nulla da segnalare se non per il fatto che i piatti suonano leggermente impastati, ma per il resto tutto è al posto giusto. Il lavoro di mastering e mixaggio sono stati eseguiti dal chitarrista dei Semargl, ovvero Shaddar, mentre il suggestivo artwork è opera di Sir Gorgoroth, già autore delle copertine dei Nokturnal Mortum.

Si può chiaramente notare come Wisdom of Centuries sia suddiviso in due coppie di canzoni. Partiamo dunque da quella iniziale che risulta formata da Black Forest's Flaming Eyes e The Last Leaves. La prima incomincia con la classica cavalcata in stile pagan metal: batteria e basso compongono un muro ritmico assolutamente ottimo, mentre i riff di chitarra sono taglienti al punto giusto e in grado di muoversi con agio tra sonorità più basse e tra altre più melodiche. Il miglioramento rispetto al passato è dato dalla componente atmosferica prodotta dalle tastiere: in questo caso le keys vengono utilizzate con criterio per produrre una serie di suoni evocativi e belli da sentire, e non apparentemente usciti da una tastierina Bontempi. Il brano procede attraverso ottime soluzioni solistiche che assumono toni discretamente epici e coinvolgenti, merito senza dubbio del sottofondo elettronico e del potente cantato di Helg. L’insieme di questi elementi porta i nove minuti del pezzo a non subire mai alcun tipo di calo, rendendolo sempre interessante e per nulla noioso. La seconda The Last Leaves parte subito a razzo tra rapidi blast beats e sferzanti linee melodiche di chitarra; come al solito risultano assolutamente trascinanti le parti in cui sale in cattedra Khaoth a colpi di doppia cassa, sempre ottimamente supportato dalla restante componente strumentale. Allo stesso modo mi è parsa ammirevole la capacità dei Khors di essere atmosferici e introversi senza stravolgere eccessivamente l'equilibrio e la velocità della canzone. Per il momento non mi soffermo sugli intermezzi e passo alla seconda coppia di brani: la title-track viene introdotta semplicemente da batteria e chitarre pulite, il tutto accompagnato da un lugubre sottofondo di tastiere. Il cantato di Helg si presenta inizialmente sussurrato, ma arriva a sprigionare tutta la propria carica in concomitanza con l'entrata in scena delle chitarre distorte. Il brano, che nel complesso è molto buono, vive di mid-tempos, di lunghe parti arpeggiate e di una serie di elementi in stile ambient. La seguente Only Time Will Take It Away assomiglia quasi ad un viaggio musicale: gli iniziali arpeggi in pulito convergono in un miscuglio ordinato di colpi di doppia cassa, riff spaziali e vocals travolgenti. La ricomparsa delle delicate sonorità presenti nei primi minuti della canzone non crea in noi quella sensazione di già sentito, anzi, riesce a prepararci emotivamente per ciò che i Khors avranno da proporci successivamente.

Concludo citando anche Through the Clouds of the Past e Twilight, rispettivamente intro e outro che tutto sommato risultano sopportabili, anche se non posso dire lo stesso di Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space (intermezzo tanto ambient quanto inutile) e Horizons Glassy (intermezzo strumentale altrettanto insensato) che vanno a spezzare eccessivamente e in malo modo il naturale scorrere del disco. Detto questo credo che i Khors siano riusciti a produrre il proprio lavoro migliore, un prodotto decisamente consigliato per chi ama il black e il pagan dell’est Europa.

→ http://www.metallized.it/recensione.php?id=7714

Wisdom of Centuries is out

Khors — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

"Wisdom of Centuries", our new album is out on Candlelight Records now and you may order it through Plastic Head and Candlelight Records USA. Buy: http://candlelightrecordsusa.com/site/, http://candlelightrecordsusa.bandcamp.com/album/wisdom-of-centuries, http://www.plastichead.com/catalogue.asp?ex=fitem&verb=F&target=CANDLE365CD

→ http://candlelightrecordsusa.com/site/

Kaaos zine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

“Khors is the god of the sun and of the light”, ja yhtye on kotoisin Ukrainasta. “Wisdom Of Centuries” on yhtyeen viides täyspitkä ja kaksi dvd:täkin heiltä on tullut ulos. Bändi on perustettu 2004; jäsenillä on toki takanaan historiaa muissakin bändeissä, kuten Astrofaes, Ulvegr, Ygg, Hate Forest, Thunderkraft ja Tessaract. Musiikki on Pagan Black Metallia, vaikuttajana on selvästi mm. Nokturnal Mortum. Olin kuullut bändiä aikaisemmin yhden kovan biisin verran, joten odotukset olivat sen mukaiset.

Levy alkaa (tietysti) instrumentaalilla ” Through the Clouds of the Past”, josta ei sen enempää, kuin että kovin synkältä kuulostaa. Kakkosbiisi “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes” alkaa ihan hienosti, ja heti tulee mieleen Nokturnal Mortum, varsinki heidän viimeisin “The Voice Of Steel” -albuminsa. Khors ei ole ehkä niin majesteettista kuin Nokturnal Mortum, mutta yhtäläisyyksiä löytyy. Asiaan voi vaikuttaa sekin, että Nokturnal Mortumin pojat ovat auttaneet bändiä uran alussa studiossa. Kolmas kappale “The Last Leaves” on ihan kelpo biisi, jossa saadaan kuulla oikein kitarasoolokin. Seuraavaksi kuultavat ”Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space” sekä ”Horizong Glassy” ovat taas instrumentaaleja. Molemmat ovat ihan ok, mutta eivät mielestäni sovi levyn kokonaisuuteen. Seuraavaksi kuultava nimibiisi “Wisdom Of Centuries” alkaa akustisella meiningillä, josta voi jopa tulla mieleen Slayerin “Seasons In The Abyss”. Biisi ei oikein ala kunnolla missään vaiheessa, jonkinlainen slovari on siis kyseessä. Seitsemäs biisi “The Only Time Will Take It Away” on kuin suoraan yllämainitulta Nokturnal Mortumin levyltä, kappale on kuitenkin mielestäni levyn paras. Viimeisenä tulee sitten jälleen kerran instrumentaali ”Twilight”, jossa meni 1.30 hukkaan elämästäni.

Summa Summarum: ihan kelpo meininkiä, mutta levyä häiritsee pahasti neljä instrumentaalia ja vain neljä varsinaista kappaletta, joiden yhteispituus on noin puoli tuntia. Tästä olisi saanut erittäin hyvän minialbumin, jos instrumentaalit olisi jätetty pois. Nyt jäi vähän paha maku suuhun, kun ei oikein saanut irti enempää, vaikka oikeat biisit ovatkin erittäin hyviä. Vaikutteen kuulee selvästi, mutta jos esikuva on noin hyvä, ei tämä bändi varsinaisilla biiseillään kauas taakse jää. Ehkä ne instrumentaalit ovat “tunnelmaa” luomassa, mutta omasta mielestäni ne eivät sovi albumin kokonaisuuteen.
7/10

→ http://kaaoszine.fi/khors-wisdom-centuries/

ZwareMetalen.com "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors — Wisdom of Centuries
Candlelight Records, 2012

Wanneer black metal uit Oekraïne komt dan lijkt het steeds te draaien rond één welbepaald clubje van muzikanten dat zich wat situeert rond en binnen de bands Astrofaes en Nokturnal Mortum. Een goede zaak, want wat je te horen krijgt, is dan meestal nog wel iets waar meer dan behoorlijk over nagedacht is. Khors komt ook uit die contreien, maar eigenlijk kan deze band al min of meer als derde grote op het uithangbord van het land geplaatst worden. Niet voor niets vond deze band met haar vijfde plaat gehoor bij Candlelight.

Waar enkele jaren terug de band gewoon goed in elkaar zat, klinkt ze op melancholische schaal anno 2012 verdraaid lekker. Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes toont al meteen op sterke wijze aan dat deze distortiongitaren en synthrijke basis samen met de Slavische weemoedsschreeuwen een verbluffend resultaat neerpoten. Niet zomaar een zoveelste Dimmu Borgir-kopie, maar wel een machtige, haast psychedelische, emotionele golf van melodieuze waas, die me meer aan bands als Walknut doet denken. Daarnaast ook instrumentale mystiek die wat op het oudere akoestische Shining-niveau blijft hangen op Horizong Glassy, maar dan beter uitgewerkt. Op slepende en mysterieuze wijze wordt vervolgens vorm gegeven aan de titeltrack, aanvankelijk akoestisch, maar halverwege ook met overgang naar wat meer haat.

Het is zeker een krachtige combinatie die de band toepast op deze plaat. Op The Only Time Will Take It Away hoor je het eigenlijk het best, hoe mooie en zuivere akoestiek met gevoel kan overgaan naar bombastische en emotioneel geladen black. Duidelijk een plaat met een brok gevoel die zeker kwijlmateriaal zal vormen voor de fans van het werk van (oudere) Drudkh, Nokturnal Mortum en Walknut.
Tracklisting:
Through The Clouds of The Past
Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes
The Last Leaves
Where The Grandeur of Mountains Embraces The Space
Horizong Glassy
Wisdom of Centuries
The Only Time Will Take It Away
Twilight
Line-up:
Helg — Guitars, Vocals
Khaoth — Drums
Khorus — Bass
Jurgis — Guitars, Vocals
Links:
Khors
Khors Facebook
Candlelight Records
Candlelight Records MySpace
Score: 85/100

→ http://www.zwaremetalen.com/recensie/23529/Khors-Wisdom-of-Centuries.html

ShredderNet "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

A few years ago a friend turned me onto Khors, a band that was quickly gaining attention with their 2010 effort, Return to Abandoned. Their uniquely Ukrainian style of melodic/atmospheric pagan black metal infused with just the right amount of symphonic elements was both intense and refreshing. So, I quickly picked up their full back catalogue and gorged myself on their work over the next few months. When heavyweight Candlelight Records announced earlier this year the quartet had joined their roster, I became excited for the band as they were finally gaining the success they so deserve.

What made their earlier works so profound was their detailed attention to riffing, atmosphere, and overall production. While these attributes by themselves can refer to just about every bm release, having all of them together and so refined is what put Khors ahead of the pack. Instead of their countrymen in Drudkh who meander into the post-rock and acoustic territories on occasion, these Slavs have never compromised on their unique sound. Which is what makes their new full-length so desperately disappointing.

After a very typical ambient intro track, Wisdom of Centuries seemingly dives headfirst into the things that make Khors great. “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes” is cut distinctly in half, with the first four minutes pummeling along with fist-pumping intensity, but the song quickly halts its momentum and spends the rest of its existence at half the speed, cycling through the same chord progressions over and over. “The Last Leaves” picks thing up with tremendous power and doesn’t waver as it charges with its relentless double-bass attacks and focused shredding that make it one of the best tracks the band has written to date.

But the heaviness is fleeting. Confusingly, the 4th and 5th tracks are both ambient gaps much like the intro, with nothing more than simple drums and keyboard soundcapes and the occasional acoustic guitar playing proggy jams over the top. Having a bridge song to tie two halves of a record is not at all uncommon, but two in a row is a boring misstep, plain and simple. The title track then showcases the gorgeous production of the album, with the intro’s lone skinsman pounding out a jazzy beat that’s as sonically crisp as anything your ears can absorb. But it continues for far too long, taking a detour into a death/doom verse that sounds like a completely different band before again falling victim to inane repetition. “The Only Time Will Take it Away” is a powerful mid-paced anthem that’s right at home with what you have come to expect from Khors but it’s too little, too late.

The album offers yet another ambient filler track at its end – that’s four out of eight songs if you were keeping track – and you start to wonder just what Khors was trying to accomplish with Wisdom of Centuries. The excessive low-key instrumental journeys, the dual-natured tracks that feel forced and unimaginative, and a severe lack of substance leaves you questioning if the band has run out of ideas, or was trying to branch out into new territories. If the latter was their intent they most definitely succeeded, but at the cost of their soul.

5/10

→ http://www.shreddernet.com/2012/09/khors-wisdom-centuries/

Metal France "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

L'Ukraine est une terre de black metal de qualité comportant des groupes de renom comme Nokturnal Mortum, Drudkh, Hate Forest, Kroda … Khors fait partie de ces groupes de qualité. Le combo de Kharkiv s'est formé en 2004. Après un excellent Return to Abandoned et une signature chez Candlelight, le groupe sort cette année son cinquième album : Wisdom of Centuries. Qu'en est-il ?!

8 chansons composent Wisdom of Centuries. Through the Clouds of the Past est le morceau d'introduction. L'ambiance est planante et les notes de musiques sont inquiétantes. L'atmosphère de l'album s'installe de manière froide et progressive. Le reste s'annonce épique et c'est le cas avec Black Forest's Flaming Eyes. Une montée en puissance avec des gros riffs de guitares tranchants, une voix puissante et transcendante, des passages posés et épiques … c'est la plus longue chanson de l'album … et quelle chanson ! On continue dans l'excellence black/épique avec le morceau suivant, The Last Leaves. On reprend les mêmes ingrédients efficaces de la chanson précendente pour en faire un morceau des plus entrainants. C'est la meilleur chanson de l'album. Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embracesthe Space est une interlude ambient instrumentale de courte durée. C'est dommage car elle coupe l'élan épique des 2 précédents morceaux.

Comme une introduction à la deuxième partie de l'album, Horizong Glassy est une nouvelle interlude instrumentale. 2 morceaux de ce genre à la suite, ça commence à faire long … et ça perd le côté épique qui était si bien lancé au début. La chanson éponyme de l'album, Wisdom of Centuries, suit les mêmes notes que la précédente. La voix, au même titre que la musique, est inquiétante. Des notes de claviers sont en fond. Le rythme de l'album baisse en intensité et c'est une petite déception après un début épatant. On retrouve enfin un vrai morceau de Khors avec The Only Time Will Take it Away. Comme d'habitude, c'est excellent avec tout ce qu'il y a de puissant et d'épique dans leur musique. Twilight est une conclusion instrumentale.

Résultat des courses : 3 très bonnes chansons, une moyenne et 4 instrumentales. Wisdom of Centuries est un album hétérogène dans son contenu. C'est dommage car les véritables compositions du groupe sont vraiment excellentes mais trop peu face aux instrumentales. L'album de Khors aurait pu être très bon si il y aurait plus de chansons rageurs et épiques. C'est une semi-déception car le potentiel de ce groupe est grand. Mais Wisdom of Centuries reste un bon album dans le genre black épique mais il aurait pu être beaucoup mieux dans son contenu. C'est bien et dommage à la fois !

→ http://www.metalfrance.net/chroniques-albums-metal/khors-wisdom-of-centuries

Metallus.It "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

I Khors sono il perfetto esempio di come una band possa suonare sì derivativa, ma al tempo stesso elaborare al meglio le proprie influenze offrendo un ottimo lavoro. “Wisdom Of Centuries” è il quinto capitolo in studio di questo gruppo ucraino legato alla storia e alle tradizioni della propria terra. I nostri pagano un forte pegno alle vecchie sonorità di scuola nordeuropea, ma non dimenticano delle aperture melodiche a stemperare un black metal intransigente, confezionando dei brani ariosi e benché non complessi da un punto di vista esecutivo, sempre in grado di fare leva sull’emozionalità. Un esempio su tutti è l’ottima “The Last Leaves”, epica suite con profondi passaggi di tastiera che non snaturano l’essenza maligna del brano, un inno alla potenza della natura e alle divinità pagane nascoste dietro ad essa. L’ascolto non presenta comunque cali di tensione e una produzione buona ma sufficientemente ruvida, preserva il lavoro da troppe tentazioni commerciali. In un periodo in cui il panorama black non può certo vantare delle uscite fondamentali, “Wisdom Of Centuries” è indubbiamente una valida alternativa.

→ http://www.metallus.it/recensioni/wisdom-of-centuries/

Pavillon666 "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Le retour de KHORS, en cette année 2012, avec un tout nouveau contrat chez Candlelight Records, fera tout autant plaisir aux amateurs de longue date qu’aux sceptiques des deux derniers albums qui, il faut le dire, et en particulier pour « Mysticism », peinaient à convaincre et à insuffler cette dimension dramatique que les quatre Ukrainiens avaient parfaitement sublimée dans « The flame of Eternity’s Decline » (2005) et « Cold » (2006). Toujours composé de son ossature originale, avec Khorus (ex-ASTROFAES) à la basse, Khaoth (ex-ASTROFAES et HATE FOREST) à la batterie et Helg (ULVEGR, YGG et ex-RHUNES OF DIANCEHT) à la guitare et aux hurlements, le groupe de Kharklv a été rejoint en 2010 par Jurgis, à la guitare et aux vokills. Vous le voyez, le passif de ces musiciens est relativement lourd et connu dans la scène slave. Alors, qu’en est-il de « Wisdom of Centuries » ? Retour aux sources ? Poursuite dans la veine mélodique d’ores et déjà entrevue ? Changement de direction ?

Ce cinquième album, véritable continuation de « Return to Abandoned » est constitué de huit compositions, dont la moitié est instrumentale, pour une durée de 38 minutes expéditives mais plaisantes, une fois que l’on parvient à entrer dans l’univers musical et spirituel mis au jour par KHORS, tout en tension, tout en scansion, avec une nette dimension ethnico-mystique pour les amateurs d’ambient (notamment « Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Spaces, avec ses percussions rituelles). Continuation disions-nous, car on y retrouve cette pression, ce jeu sur les mélodies, et ce mur de son si caractéristique des contrées de l’Est, mis ici en valeur par une production plus nette, en un sens plus pure, et animant d’une dimension tragique la musique simple mais expressive de KHORS. Ainsi, si les déçus du passé, dont votre serviteur, insatisfaits par une certaine mollesse des derniers travaux, trouveront ici quelques motifs de critiques, l’effort est notable, comme nous allons le voir, pour redonner du peps à une musique qui en manquait de plus en plus.

Comme à son habitude, le quatuor ukrainien appuie tout son édifice sur le développement d’atmosphères et de mélodies lancinantes, sur la mise en place d’ambiances mystiques relativement accessibles, dans l’ensemble, tout autant exposées par la session rythmique guitares/basse au riffing simple, le plus souvent en doubles croches, ou en arpèges (comme dans l’instrumentale « Horizons Glassy ») leurs leads à la fois majestueux, épiques et dissonants, les nappes de synthé (toujours réalisées par Saturious) moins sirupeuses que dans Mysticism » et qui, dans « black forest’s flaming eyes » ou « The only time will take it away » (et sa désespérance paroxystique), confèrent une dimension introspective non désagréable. Monolithique, homogène, basé sur de longs développements thématiques, et espacés par des interludes et respirations intelligentes, le tout hanté par les hurlements érayés de Helg, « Wisdom of Centuries » est un album bien plus réfléchi, même si toujours imparfait et parfois trop monolithique, un poil ennuyeux, sans doute, et laissant un mauvais arrière goût d’inachevé... Mais l’esprit y est, et la réalisation aussi, oscillant entre des longues phases mid-tempo, (voire down-tempo dans le titre éponyme) et des accélérations soudaines, des tentations plus progressives, comme en témoigne le titre « The last leaves » et ses surprenantes inspirations made in Enslaved...

« Wisdom of Centuries » gomme ainsi, sans totalement corriger, les défauts rédhibitoires de ses deux derniers prédécesseurs. Et s’il ne convainc pas totalement, s’il lui manque encore ce je-ne-sais-quoi dans le développement et la structuration de l’ouvrage, c’est sans doute pour les mêmes raisons que « Mysticism » et « Return to Abandoned » avaient pu agacer. Il ne sera certes pas l’album le plus attendu et le plus marquant de cette année 2012. Ses ambiances caractéristiques lasseront peut-être, et sa durée de vie n’est pas si évidente à quantifier. Par ailleurs il n’y a au final ni évolution, ni révolution, un petit air de déjà-vu. Néanmoins ce black metal atmosphérique humble et tout ce qu’il y a de plus honnête, possède des atouts indéniables pour séduire, dans une autre catégorie que l’indétrônable DRUDKH. Et les amateurs de riffs épiques, mélancoliques retrouveront avec plaisir l’aura si particulière que possèdent les groupes de la scène de l’Est.

→ http://www.pavillon666.fr/chronique-metal-7468.php

Bleeding4Metal.de "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors — Wisdom Of Centuries
Review von grid vom 13.09.2012 (101 mal gelesen)
Im Jahr 2004 begannen die Ukrainer KHORS als Trio, dessen Mitglieder sich zuvor schon in verschiedenen Bands verdient gemacht haben. Verschiedene stilistische Einflüsse wurden im Laufe von vier Alben aufgenommen, angewandt, verändert und wieder verworfen. Mit dem diesjährigen Album Nummer fünf, "Wisdom Of Centuries", hat man die pagane Ausrichtung des Vorgängers "Returned To Abandoned" aus dem Jahr 2010 fast vollständig abgelegt und setzt nun mehr auf atmosphärischen Black Metal. Geblieben sind die harmonisch-weichen Leads, mit denen sie auf dem Vorgänger punkten konnten. Zuerst möchte ich loswerden, was mir an dem neuen Album nicht gefällt. Neben Intro 'Through The Clouds Of The Past' und Outro 'Twilight', beide von braver Macharcht, haben die Ukrainer zwei ambientlastige Instrumentalstückchen, 'Where The Grandeur Of Mountains Embraces The Space' und 'Horizong Glassy', im Mittelteil der Scheibe platziert, die man entweder als willkommene Trennung zwischen den "Vollsongs" oder als unnötige Einschübe ohne spannungssteigernde Momente ansehen kann. Ich hätte gut darauf verzichten können, da ich sie als störend für den Hörfluss empfinde. Denn die vier Tracks, die übrig bleiben, brauchen weder diese unspektakuläre Einleitung, Unterbrechung und nach dem Höhepunkt der Scheibe, 'The Only Time Will Take It Away', kann der Ausklang 'Twilight' nichts mehr steigern. Die Stimmung von "Wisdom Of Centuries" speist sich aus midtempo-verträumten Melodien der schwermütigeren Art und wird von wütenden Parts aufgebrochen. Raugesang geht zum ersten Mal in der Bandgeschichte mit der Muttersprache eine fruchtbare Symbiose ein, die sich als äußerst zuträglich für die Lieder erweist. Dazu weht ein unaufdringliches Keyboardlüftchen, welches zum einen für Leichtigkeit aber auch den nötigen Rest Mystik sorgt. KHORS setzen ihrem Black Metal eine ordentliche Dosis stimmungsvertiefende Düsternis und Schwere zu und bauen in 'Black Forest's Flaming Eyes' schnell und geschickt mit hymnischen Keys eine vielseitige Stimmung auf. Das nachfolgende 'The Last Leaves' groovt mit lässigen Leads aus den Boxen und ist der flotteste Song. Die doomige Stimmung des albumtitelgebenden Tracks verströmt Schwere, so dass der sanfte Beginn des Albumhighlights 'The Only Time Will Take It Away' als fast banal empfunden wird. Doch Vorsicht: Die Atmosphäre verdichtet sich zunehmend und KHORS kumulieren ihre Fähigkeiten, locker-leichte Melodien mit Melancholie und Wut zu paaren, perfekt. Hier zeigen sie, dass sie keine Angst vor der epischen Großattacke auf Gefühle haben. Ganz leichtfüßig kommt dieses Album beim beiläufigen Durchhören daher, bis man die Spielereien und Raffinessen wahrnimmt, die die Lieder interessant machen und dafür sorgen, dass man sich die Scheibe gerne wiederholt zu Gemüte führt. Anspieltipps: 'The Only Time Will Take It Away', 'The Last Leaves', 'Black Forest's Flaming Eyes' Gesamtwertung: 8.0 Punkte

Khors — Wisdom Of Centuries

Review von grid vom 13.09.2012 (101 mal gelesen)

Im Jahr 2004 begannen die Ukrainer KHORS als Trio, dessen Mitglieder sich zuvor schon in verschiedenen Bands verdient gemacht haben. Verschiedene stilistische Einflüsse wurden im Laufe von vier Alben aufgenommen, angewandt, verändert und wieder verworfen. Mit dem diesjährigen Album Nummer fünf, "Wisdom Of Centuries", hat man die pagane Ausrichtung des Vorgängers "Returned To Abandoned" aus dem Jahr 2010 fast vollständig abgelegt und setzt nun mehr auf atmosphärischen Black Metal. Geblieben sind die harmonisch-weichen Leads, mit denen sie auf dem Vorgänger punkten konnten.

Zuerst möchte ich loswerden, was mir an dem neuen Album nicht gefällt. Neben Intro 'Through The Clouds Of The Past' und Outro 'Twilight', beide von braver Macharcht, haben die Ukrainer zwei ambientlastige Instrumentalstückchen, 'Where The Grandeur Of Mountains Embraces The Space' und 'Horizong Glassy', im Mittelteil der Scheibe platziert, die man entweder als willkommene Trennung zwischen den "Vollsongs" oder als unnötige Einschübe ohne spannungssteigernde Momente ansehen kann. Ich hätte gut darauf verzichten können, da ich sie als störend für den Hörfluss empfinde. Denn die vier Tracks, die übrig bleiben, brauchen weder diese unspektakuläre Einleitung, Unterbrechung und nach dem Höhepunkt der Scheibe, 'The Only Time Will Take It Away', kann der Ausklang 'Twilight' nichts mehr steigern. Die Stimmung von "Wisdom Of Centuries" speist sich aus midtempo-verträumten Melodien der schwermütigeren Art und wird von wütenden Parts aufgebrochen. Raugesang geht zum ersten Mal in der Bandgeschichte mit der Muttersprache eine fruchtbare Symbiose ein, die sich als äußerst zuträglich für die Lieder erweist. Dazu weht ein unaufdringliches Keyboardlüftchen, welches zum einen für Leichtigkeit aber auch den nötigen Rest Mystik sorgt. KHORS setzen ihrem Black Metal eine ordentliche Dosis stimmungsvertiefende Düsternis und Schwere zu und bauen in 'Black Forest's Flaming Eyes' schnell und geschickt mit hymnischen Keys eine vielseitige Stimmung auf. Das nachfolgende 'The Last Leaves' groovt mit lässigen Leads aus den Boxen und ist der flotteste Song. Die doomige Stimmung des albumtitelgebenden Tracks verströmt Schwere, so dass der sanfte Beginn des Albumhighlights 'The Only Time Will Take It Away' als fast banal empfunden wird. Doch Vorsicht: Die Atmosphäre verdichtet sich zunehmend und KHORS kumulieren ihre Fähigkeiten, locker-leichte Melodien mit Melancholie und Wut zu paaren, perfekt. Hier zeigen sie, dass sie keine Angst vor der epischen Großattacke auf Gefühle haben. Ganz leichtfüßig kommt dieses Album beim beiläufigen Durchhören daher, bis man die Spielereien und Raffinessen wahrnimmt, die die Lieder interessant machen und dafür sorgen, dass man sich die Scheibe gerne wiederholt zu Gemüte führt.

Anspieltipps: 'The Only Time Will Take It Away', 'The Last Leaves', 'Black Forest's Flaming Eyes'

Gesamtwertung: 8.0 Punkte

→ http://www.bleeding4metal.de/?show=review_de&id=4492

Exclaim.Ca "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

By Natalie Zina WalschotsWhen you talk about Ukrainian black metal, many incorrectly believe that Drudkh are the only band of note fitting that narrow description, but this assumption leaves out sombre, devastating sonic engine Khors. Their 2010 full-length, Return to Abandoned, was a furious record, replete with strong melodies and the kind of genuine rage that leads you to believe the this music could only be played with shaking hands and a shredded throat. In many ways, Wisdom of Centuries conjures a similar level of intensity, especially on nine-minute track "Black Forest's Flaming Eyes," which roils and shakes, tremulous one moment and stormy the next, fierce and changeable as the weather. However, Wisdom of Centuries is a much sparer and starker record as well, in large part because it's simply much shorter. Fully half of the eight tracks are short instrumental interludes ― brief moments of reflection and meditation ― which do contribute to the atmosphere and brooding tension of the record. However, this also means that the album is really only four full tracks in total, making it feel much more like an EP ― the ideas have less time to develop and the concepts come across as oversimplified. While what is here is lovely, harsh and challenging, Wisdom of Centuries remains frustrating, in that there isn't enough of it.

→ http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/Metal/khors-wisdom_of_centuries

Teeth of the Divine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Eastern Europe has produced some excellent pagan black metal bands over the last decade or more, the most well-known being Drudkh, Negura Bunget and Nokturnal Mortum. Yet there are undoubtedly dozens of other quality, uniquely Eastern acts still sheltered by those untravelled hills and forests. Ukraine’s Khors is one of those treasures.

Wisdom of Centuries is their fifth full-length in 7 years, and a very worthy discovery if you’re a fan of the aforementioned acts (in fact, the band features two members from Astrofaes and Hate Forest, which are tangentially tied to Drudkh). Khors’ sound is also rich in rustic tone and melancholy, but rather than crafting their songs from a skeletal jangle of folky guitars and percussion, the band also blends in the dense and atmospheric sound of late 90s melodic black metal.

Mactatus, mid-career Gehenna and Daemonarch immediately came to mind as soon as the stately and somber “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes’ got underway, although Khors uses the more naturalistic Eastern palette vs the heaving swells of gothic keyboards from bands of that time period. Yet for its 9-minute running time, this track doesn’t really seize the imagination until its final third, when chiming piano and tribal, pagan drumming join in to create an immersive atmosphere.

That’s the case for the album as a whole, which trudges along at a somber and midtempo pace, interspersing a handful of longish, oppressive songs like the title track (crushing guitars, skyward bellows, cawing ravens) with some short and spare instrumentals (the best being the pretty, mid-album lament of “Horizong Glassy”). The palette is there, but it’s not always used as effectively as it could have been, or with enough variety.

That does not apply, however, to “The Last Leaves,” which is the album’s far-and-away standout, and for me, one of the best atmospheric black metal tracks of the year. It succeeds more than its companions because of its varied structure and more insistent tempo; a minute in, it switches up to a swift gallop which reminds me of recent work by Agalloch or melodic death/doom acts like Rapture or Insomnium. It even brings in a ringing tremolo melody line, something missing from some of the other tracks on the album. If there’s such a thing as blissful black metal, this is it.

After listening to Wisdom of Centuries a few times, I did my homework and checked out some of the band’s earlier releases. Their previous record, Return to Abandoned, has a similar sound, but a quicker overall gait and a more dynamic and generous use of keyboards and melody. I’ve been listening to that release more than this one, but just to put things in perspective, I still prefer both albums to much of Drudkh’s recent work (including this year’s Eternal Turn of the Wheel). That alone should be enough to get you hunting.

→ http://www.teethofthedivine.com/site/reviews/khors-wisdom-of-centuries/

FFM-Rock "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Auch wenn ich von den Pagan/ Black Metallern aus der Ukraine bisher nichts gehört habe und dies schon das fünfte Album der Band ist, war ich von dem spannenden Intro "Through The Clouds Of The Past" bereits sehr angetan. Das folgende "Black Forest's Flaming Eyes" hat dann einen verdammt geilen, epischen und leichten Bathory Touch mit seinen über neun Minuten Spielzeit. Der Beginn von "The Last Leaves" wird zwar ordentlich eingetrümmert, doch auch dann gehen KHORS in die Pagan Welt über, um dieses Stück auch wie ein hervorragendes Epos klingen zu lassen. Mit den beiden Instrumental "Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space" und "Horizong Glassy" wird es zwar um einiges ruhiger, aber die Stücke haben einen sher guten Charme zu bieten. Sehr heavy und mit einem tragenden Charakter ist "Wisdom of Centuries" ausgestattet, das musikalisch fast an die Doom Grenzen geht und auch mit akustischen Passagen zu überzeugen weiß. Herrlich , wie bei dem von Keys aus dem Hintergrund getragenen "Only Time Will Take It Away" eine weitere, epische und anmutend klingende Nummer ansteht, dem danach mit "Twilight" schon das Outro folgt.
Also ich muss gestehen, dass KHORS hier ein außergewöhnlich starkes Album fabriziert haben, auch wenn ein paar flotte Parts zwischendurch auch gepaßt hätten. Auf jeden Fall bringen die Ukrainer mit dieser CD frischen Wind in die Szene und werden hiermit viel Aufmerksamkeit bekommen.

→ http://allover-ffm-rock.de/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8975&Itemid=91

Meat Mead Metal "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Cult Series Day 1: Khors add folk power to black metal on ‘Wisdom of Centuries’

September 12, 2012 §Leave a Comment

I appreciate a long-standing institution that isn’t afraid to try new things to keep everything fresh. Case in point: I just saw Rush last night, and they pulled about as unpredictable a set as you’re going get from a band that storied. Great stuff.

Similarly, Candlelight Records could just keep putting out records by its main roster and certainly get by on their history alone, but apparently that doesn’t satisfy them creatively. So they’ve created this Cult Series of releases that injects some fresh new blood into their catalog and keeps their eyes and ears geared toward the future.

Originally, I was going to take the three releases they’re putting out and do one whole entry on them. But the more I listen to each one, the more I realize each record deserves its own entry. So for the rest of this week, we’ll tackle Candlelight’s Cult Series by shedding a light on each release, why they’re important, and how they differ from each other. And trust me, if you pick up these albums by Khors, Wodensthrone, and Reverence, you won’t just be getting a grouping of things that sound exactly alike. Each band has its own ways, its own approaches, and even if they come from the same centerpoint, they get to their destination in unique ways

First up, we’ll look at Ukrainian band Khors, comprised of artists who have been in/are in other notable bands such as Hate Forest, Flying, Tesseract (I know, I know), Ulvegr, Ygg, and many more. The group’s new record “Wisdom of Centuries” is their fifth overall, and follow-up to 2010′s “Return to Abandoned,” and their melodic, flurried, nature-leaning black metal certain should give fodder to listeners who choose to take on their music while walking through forests. It also has a taste of their homeland’s folk stylings, giving you a bit more than just a blast of violence with some nice colorful edges to go along with their metallic servings.

Admittedly, I was a little late to the Khors party, as I didn’t really catch onto the band until “Abandoned” was released in 2010, alongside their “The Flame of Eternity’s Decline/Cold,” a reissue of the group’s first two records. But being that I like the style of ethnic black metal that is these guys’ specialty, the music struck me right away, and I spent a great deal of time playing catch-up to where we are now. “Wisdom of Centuries” just may be their best record yet, and considering it has the force of Candlelight behind it, the album could be the one to make an impact in America with people who dig Drudkh and Negura Bunget.

Khors, who take their name from the Slavic god of sun and light, also have a bit of a cosmic bend to their music, as if they’re fusing the wonders of our planet to what’s beyond. It won’t make you feel like you’re taking an intergalactic head trip or anything, but enough of it’s there to make it seem as if you’re floating with the stars. The band itself is comprised of guitarists/vocalists Jurgis (a newcomer on this record) and Helg, bassist Khorus, and drummer Khaoth, and they do a fine job setting up an atmosphere, adding their brand of storming and keeping things succinct and trim on “Wisdom.” They’re in and out in a little over 38 minutes, proving brevity can accentuate power.

“Through the Clouds of the Past” is an ominous instrumental opener that lets the fog into the room and sets up the ambiance. That allows “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes” to charge into the room, with its aggressive melodies, windy keyboards, and hand drumming to establish both sonic power and rustic beauty. “The Last Leaves” has more of a classic metal feel, with airy keyboards and … for some reason … a horse whinnying out of nowhere. It’s pretty weird. “Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space” manages to get a bit trip-hop, as it wooshes and exhales otherwise, acting as a lead-in to “Horizong Glassy,” another instrumental track that reaches into the cosmos for inspiration and leaves you in a sleepy trance. The title track then erupts, acting fearsome and daring, with some mid-tempo melodies, whispers, a pinch of sludge, and birds cawing to perhaps counteract the horse. I guess. All kidding aside, it’s a muddy little thing that’s really well put together. “The Only Time Will Take It Away” has some of the most pronounced folk sections of the entire record, but it eventually leads into some chaos, cascading, emotional peaks, and a conclusion that really wells up in your eyes and chest. It’s quite affecting. Outro “Twilight” leaves you room to take a deep breath, relax, and consider what you just experienced, and the cool haze in which this is washed makes for exceptional daydream fodder.

Khors deserve to have more recognition and accolades than they have collected so far, as they’re a refreshing, thought-provoking unit. As noted, having Candlelight behind them should help, as should the strength of this exceptional fifth record. Do make a point to check this out if you dig folk-minded black metal, outer space, or aggressive star gazing. You’ll be rewarded heavily for your investment.

→ http://meatmeadmetal.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/cult-series-day-1-khors-add-folk-power-to-black-metal-on-wisdom-of-centuries/

Metal Discovery "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

As the remarkable ambient opener ‘Through the Clouds of the Past’ segues into the black metal might of ‘Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes’, this could easily be mistaken for another black metal album frontloaded with an atmospheric intro chillingly laced with a bunch of sounds intended to put the listener on edge in anticipation of the violence soon be unleashed. But the atmospheric mass that is ‘Wisdom of Centuries’ is a much more complex and rewarding beast than that. Shifting through a host of darkened moods and feels, Khors not only know how to create absorbing ambiences, dense atmospheres and rich textures, but how to craft an album that continues to develop and move the listener out of all that is familiar into a landscape through which they must journey in order to savour its spoils. Such is the quality of the tracks, this could easily be divided into two EPs – the first comprised of the ambient instrumental passages, the second of the heavier elements – and you’d have two EPs of two very different genres that would stand far and above what’s already out there. But to think of this as an album that’s made up of disparate entities would be to misunderstand ‘Wisdom of Centuries’. It must be taken as it is: a whole, a unified configuration that engulfs the listener completely with its twisted momentum, sheer intensity, and opulent complexity of the dark and the light woven together to produce a rich sonic splendour. A wonderfully multi-faceted creation, ‘Wisdom of Centuries’ is ambient and atmospheric as much in its subdued rhythms and soft density as it is in the most ferocious aspects of the album. The optimistic ring of the tremolo-picked melodies fuses into the galloping thunder that underpins the album and elevates it to a level of sheer elation that delivers the listener into a wholly different domain. From start to finish, this is an astounding journey. Essential listening.

9/10 Review by Jason Guest

→ http://www.metal-discovery.com/CD/cd_review_khors_wisdomofcenturies.htm

Wormwood Chronicles "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

KHORS

"Wisdom of Centuries"

by Octopi Mills

Khors is a Ukrainian project consisting of former members of Hate Forest and Drudkh, and this is cited as being their fifth full length release, which will be available through the label known as Candlelight Records. The first song is instrumental, and difficult to describe, though not leaving a strong emotion. The music seems to be a modern black metal overall, and I immediately recognize it as being something predictable, though perhaps I am wrong.

The length of the second track takes its toll on me and by the time I have made it to the interest of the big change in the piece, i am somewhat uninterested in the style of music presented here-it is not that the musicians here do not have talent, as i often say, but that they have become too qualified at almost all times and in almost all cultures, or it could be that I simply cannot appreciate it for the disease of the vocalist, though i must confess that the song has some decent moments like the primitive style drumming and calm flow towards the end. This is a common theme that is often replayed to me and mirrored in the whole length of many recordings, being uninteresting to me and having moments that are somewhat interesting at times. As far as sound and balance in production, it is good, indeed-but, to be frank, I am not here to talk about production values or get on rants about such other preferences or the industry standards of such...the guitars hammer around here and there and at times sparkle as gay as dust devils, and there is an epic feeling contemplated, and hollered and drawled with themes of paganism, and the feel is intimated to my own ignorance by the universal language by the music, of course...The theme also comes through in the use of "ethnic" instruments, and even somewhat in the standard effect of keyboards or synths,which one so often hears as a mandatory expressive force for this sort of music.

I find myself enjoying the ringing strings of the fifth track, with its drop offs and dark, lazy- forest mood-By the sixth, which is the title track, I am like a senile old woman who is disturbed by the beat of the drums which open up for some really good, dark string picking and whispering voice...the song has a good atmosphere to it, and begins to feel powerful....a crow calls from somewhere in the ambiance, and all vocals like this remind me of the same thing that detracts and feels forced in many other extreme metal projects...the song is one of the best thus far.There are guitar parts that aim to hammer and blast with the music in outbursts of fury, and then mixed with moments of calm and atmosphere, and this seems to be where the music excels.

Though this is not a favorite nor even something i find enjoyable myself, the good news is it will probably appeal to the listeners of Drudkh, for instance, and is more atmospheric metal, though there are many other words that are left out in that description.

→ http://www.wormwoodchronicles.com/torture-chamber/khors

Heavymetal.dk "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Anmeldelse

90%

Khors er et ukrainsk black metal band, der ligesom andre Ukrainske black metal bands som drudkh og Nocturnal Mortum tager de gamle elementer fra ældre black metal bands som Bathory og kombinerer det med en speciel og unik atmosfærisk lyd, der passer utrolig ind

Deres nyeste udgivelse, Wisdom of Centuries lægges ud med en guitar med ekko på, der stille og roligt kaster lytteren hen i en tung og afslappet stemning, før ”Black forest's flaming eyes” sætter albummet i gang for alvor. Man kan hurtigt konkludere ud fra første nummer, at Khors er ambitiøse med deres musik og ikke blot ønsker at gå ind under den monotone og stereotype black metal. I stedet danner de variation med guitar fills og synthesizere, og vokalen er også unik og varieret. Og endnu bedre er, at lyden hele tiden indeholder varierede elementer og lyde, så albummet ikke bliver repetitivt
Udover at Wisdom of centuries indeholder Otte sange i alt, er fire af dem dog instrumentalnumre, der udgør de lidt kortere sange på højst 3 minutter, mens de større numre ligger på ca d 6-9 minutter i længde. Det er dog alligevel de længere numre, der lægger mest vægt på de elementer, der gør Khors originale, og et godt eksempel på Khors's gode lyd er skivens andensidste nummer ”The only time will take it away”

der er ingen tvivl om, at man kan mærke på Khors, at de er et ambitiøst band, der stræber efter at nå igennem med deres musik. Selvom jeg kun har hørt Wisdom of centuries kan jeg sige, at jeg i fremtiden vil tjekke resten af deres musik ud og følge med i opdateringer i den nærmeste fremtid. Wisdom of centuries er et album, der anbefales til enhver fan af den ”atmosfæriske” og dystre genre af black metal

→ http://www.heavymetal.dk/releases_view.php?id=5241

Metal Sound "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

I have to admit that I have never listened to this Ukrainian black metal combo before, even though I am huge fan of Eastern European pagan black metal scene and names such as Nokturnal Mortum or Temnozor, and even though Khors have made the name for themselves in the underground some time ago I have somehow missed them so this promo that came from Candlelight is a nice opportunity for me to atone for my sins. Even though I have mentioned Nokturnal Mortum and Temnozor who are definitely similar to Khors in musical department, keep in mind that Khors do not share controversial political views with them and are totally politics-free band by their own claim. Now that we got that out of the way if you even care about such things (I for one do not share same opinions with Nokturnal Mortum, music is all that should matter imho) let us go describing the music that is found on “Wisdom Of Centuries”… It should be noted that this is Khors’ 5th full length and the first one that is sung in their mother tongue which maybe seems like a bit odd timing since they are premiering on big Western label with this one, but I am personally satisfied with the use of Ukrainian language since it fits very well with this brand of black metal, we Serbs are anyway very close to Eastern countries so I feel one more spiritual connection there. “Wisdom Of Centuries” is around 38 minutes long which is also one more plus in my book since I got slightly tired of overplayed and stretched out albums, Khors really gathered all their strengths in short amount of time which is always a cool thing. Music is, as I have already stated, pagan black metal of Eastern European brand and I am reminded of all the brightest stars from those areas here – for example, when Khors roll down some mournful hypnotic riffs Drudkh immediately springs to mind, when they decide to go full speed ahead Hate Forest is invoked and when they throw keys into the mixture there you have something like Nokturnal Mortum so those in the know can already imagine the sound found on “Wisdom Of Centuries”. I must also give my compliments to very nice production work and tight playing abilities of all the members so all those who want to dismiss this album in advance as some unprofessional UG product couldn’t be further from the truth. “Wisdom Of Centuries” consists of two kinds of songs: short interludes and long epic hymns, all of those are full of genuine atmosphere and all of it is packed in mentioned short time. All in all, “Wisdom Of Centuries” really surprised me pleasantly with its quality and made me want to examine their past works as soon as possible and I guess that it will be similar with all the listeners they will gain with Candlelight, the label that is recently gathering some very strong rising black metal hordes such as Khors, Winterfylleth and Wodensthrone.

Trifunovic Slobodan (8)

→ http://www.metal-sound.net/reviews.php?read=1487

Popdose.com "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

September In Metal, Part I: Khors, Midnight, Cocks Arquette and An Autumn for Crippled Children Dave SteedAugust 31, 20121 Comment and 1 Reaction

Album: Khors, Wisdom of Centuries
Label: Candlelight (Cult Series)
Release: September 11, 2012

I’m a big fan of the Candlelight Cult Series, not always of all the music but the concept at least. I love discovering new music and the next big thing and that’s pretty much what the label does with the albums that are part of this. Khors is one of those groups that have steadily improved over time and while maybe not quite known enough to get full backing, it’s recognized that there’s something about them that’s going to make them big.

Wisdom of Centuries is the Ukranian band’s fifth album in seven years. I’m sure there aren’t many in the US that have heard of them, especially the first two or three records due to them being on a very small label and I’d bet not even seeing a release here. But having dug them all up, I can safely say this is a band to watch out for.

They play an atmospheric brand of black metal that has progressed from rawness, to precision and darkness over time. They’ve always used keyboards giving their music somewhat of a psychedelic sound and even prog-ish at times though with this new album they enhance their sound better than on any other disc. At first glance I was thrown off a bit by the track list consisting of four songs all 6+ minutes in length and four short instrumentals with back-to-back ones smack dab in the middle (it probably works nicely and the end of side 1 and start of side 2 on the LP). They’ve put instrumentals on their records before but never to this extent. But thankfully all the parts align well enough to create a solid recording.

This is the first album sung in their native tongue (though like most black metal releases, this could have been in any language as you can’t really understand much anyway) but the vocals are still cleaner than a lot of what their peers put out. The production quality is great for a smaller release with the fantastic guitar riffs and superior drumming really standing out. Of the four with vocals, “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes” really stands out not only for what are two or three really mesmerizing riffs but also they keys adding an atmospheric touch making darkness and light come together. And the title track is led by some really non-black metal sounding drums and some fantastic grimness to the rhythm while the keys bring this kind of spooky element to the tune, like something out of a horror movie. I still might argue that the short, mellow interludes take away from the brutality of the other tunes but take them out and you have a fantastic EP. As a whole, it’s still a great LP which should only help bring some name recognition to a damn good group.

→ http://popdose.com/september-in-metal-part-i-khors-midnight-cocks-arquette-and-an-autumn-for-crippled-children/

Metalnews.de "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

"Wende hin zum Weltformat"

Kamen aus dem Vorhof Russlands — im deutschen Volksmund auch Ukraine genannt — mit einer politisch rechten Aura umgebenen Black-Metal-Truppen in den Genuss, eine kleine ausländische, nach allen Seiten offene Hörerschaft aufzubauen, so hat die emsige Vorarbeit Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmanns dafür gesorgt, dass Bands mit mehr oder weniger eindeutigem Hintergrund Salonreife erlangen und nun den neutralen Massenmarkt als Plateau für weiterführende Expansionspläne nutzen. Da die vorliegende Mannschaft jedoch zu den gemäßigsten Vertretern des großteils weggebrochenen, hierzulande eher zweispältig aufgenommenen Dunstkreises der international bekannten Namen zählt und scheinbar von Anfang an um eine, von jeglichen aktuellen Ideologieblöcken befreite Herangehensweise bemüht war, bietet es sich folgerichtig an, Gnade vor Unrecht walten zu lassen und auf den mittlerweile fünften LP-Ableger ihres Schaffens näher einzugehen.

Liegt mein letzter Kontakt mit der Arbeit von KHORS schon einige Jahre zurück und hinterließ damals keinen berauschenden Eindruck, so berichtigt "Wisdom Of Centuries" jenen nicht nur umgehend, sondern zudem auch noch in fundamentaler Weise: Sieht man von den zwar stimmungsfördernden, aber dennoch einiges an Spielzeit wegfressenden Intros, Interludien und dergleichen ab, breitet sich ein auf epische Bandbreiten ausgelegter, frühe SEAR BLISS, spätere KAMPFAR sowie BATHORY als stilistische Paten ausgesuchter Schleier über den Probanden aus, der schwer atmende Nostalgie zum höchsten Gut erkoren hat. Wohl überlegt marschieren die vier Hauptstücke voran, wobei beispielsweise "The Last Leaves" gerne auch mal auf dem schrill-schnellen Skandinvaien-Ross reitet und mein persönlicher Favorit "Only Time Will Take It Away" die majestätisch aus dem Hintergrund hervorschwebenden Tastenbeiträge auspackt. Überhaupt gelang den vier Ostlichtern ein rundum abgestimmtes Gesamtpaket, in dem jeder Musiker zu seinem Moment kommt und lassen sich nicht von allerlei verlockenden Fettnäpfchen wie dem schnell dahingeschriebenen Black 'n Roll-Songdisaster vom Kurs abbringen.

Überhaupt legen KHORS hiermit ihr bislang bestes, weil stimmigstes Zwischenergebnis vor. Die Rechnung vom politlosen Miteinander scheint also aufzugehen; hoffen wir, dass weitere, wenn auch nicht unbedingt aus demselben Pool herausschwimmende Neulinge ihren Weg an die resteuropäische Wahrnehmungsspitze im metallischen Paralleluniversum schaffen werden.

Trackliste:
01 — Through The Clouds Of The Past
02 — Black Forest's Flaming Eyes
03 — The Last Leaves
04 — Where The Grandeur Of Mountains Embraces The Space
05 — Horizons Glassy
06 — Wisdom of Centuries
07 — Only Time Will Take It Away
08 — Twilight

Spielzeit: 00:38:49

Line-Up:
Helg — Gesang, Gitarren
Jurgis — Gesang, Gitarren
Khorus — Bass
Khaoth — Schlagzeug

Michael Bambas [Micha]
04.09.2012 | 18:55

→ http://www.metalnews.de/cds/Khors+-+Wisdom+Of+Centuries.7613.html

Allmusic by Rovi "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

review [-]by Eduardo Rivadavia

More than any other ambition, the members of Ukrainian avant-metal band Khors would probably wish for their fifth studio album, 2012's Wisdom of Centuries, to help them shake off the weight of previous bands clogging up their CVs (namely Drudkh, Tesseract, and Hate Forest), and finally gain more recognition for their considerably creative current exploits. The album's introductory instrumental, "Through the Clouds of the Past," may be just a brief slice of menacing psychedelic guitars put to cross purposes, but the more ambitiously fleshed out epics that follow reveal the extent to which Khors is willing to break with black metal tradition in order to state their case for individuality. While most bands of this ilk still find it irresistible to fall back on done-to-death devices like glass-gargling vocals, buzzsaw guitars and blastbeat percussion, Khors really put in the work to subdue those instincts under numerous genre-bending ingredients and foreign instruments, both traditional and futuristic in nature. In fact, it's hard to even place the exact pedigree (probably, but not with 100-percent certainty, synthesized rather than analog) of sounds, like the insistent note flourishes and eerie pings heard on "Black Forest's Flaming Eyes" and the horn-like baritone brays of "Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space." Even more intriguingly, one could argue that melancholy tracks such as "The Last Leaves" and "Horizong Glassy" owe as much to the Cure's melancholy new wave goth as to Bathory's epic black metal, while the title track's off-kilter, mildly jazzy, underlying beat serves as a springboard for further anomalies like whispered vocals and disorienting violin stabs, offset by explosive metallic displays. As the end of this wild ride approaches via the fairly intense "The Only Time Will Take It Away" (as black as this metal gets), there is no longer room for doubt: Khors' unpredictable songwriting is more than adventurous enough to set them apart from the many other so-called avant-garde acts that are in fact still beholden to black metal underneath it all. Here's hoping that, through Wisdom of Centuries, they will finally get due credit for their efforts.

→ http://www.allmusic.com/album/wisdom-of-centuries-mw0002410630

Angry Metal Guy "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors – Wisdom of Centuries Review

By Steel Druhm On September 6, 2012 · 0 Comments and 1 Reaction · In 2012, 3.0, Black Metal, Candlelight, Reviews, Ukrainian Metal

Khors // Wisdom of Centuries
Rating: 3.0/5.0 — Less wise than its learned predecessor.
Label: Candlelight Records
Websites:khors.info | myspace.com
Release Dates: EU: Out now! NA: 09.17.2012

Ah, the ever refreshing Khors; arguably the finest Ukranian black metal beast currently at large (yes, better than Drudkh) is back with Wisdom of Centuries. As eager as I was to get this into my stereo, I was admittedly worried they wouldn’t be able to follow-up the slobberknocker badassery of 2010′s Return to Abandoned, which is one of my favorite black metal albums of the past few years. That platter was so awash with hooky melodies, diverse moods and controlled, icky black rage, equalling or topping it seemed a near impossible challenge. Sadly, Wisdom of Centuries is indeed a step backward. For starters, it’s essentially an EP in length, with only four real songs and four short transitions. That isn’t much material to work with, regardless of the quality. Still, that undeniable charm from Return makes some reappearances and it’s still an enjoyable and proficient example of melodic black metal; but it’s no return to…Return.

After a brief interlude, the lengthy “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes” rocks out in much the same style as Return. The trade offs between furious trem-riffing, blasts and melodic, mid-tempo segments are as well executed as ever and some of the mellower riff patterns are top quality, as are Helg’s brutal vocals, which swing from black to death to suit the moods. Moments of moody, bleak grinding run alongside acoustic strumming, plucking and twinkling but understated keyboards and it work very well. It isn’t breaking any new ground, but it makes me want to hear more. Better still is “The Last Leaves,” which showcases the Khors penchant for staging somber, melancholy, SIG:AR:TYR style riffing in the midst of blastery and aural chaos. The riff at 3:00 is Khors at the top of their game and the simple-as-hell solo at 3:20 is elegant in its simple but catchy minimalism.

While the title track is decent, it drags along in slow burn mode with only moments of partial ignition. Epic-length closer “The Only Time Will Take it Away” (ESL point deduction) is more in keeping with classic Khors and packs a buttload of emotion and epic black riffing into a rambling but enthralling journey. There’s mournful trem-riffing, melodic trem-riffing, angry trem-riffing; its all here! The song structure is classic black metal but expanded in interesting ways to allow the riffing plenty of room to breath and reach the maximum hook factor. All the while, Helg uncorks a plethora of bestial black rasps and unchristian death roars. The keyboards are used sparingly and only for subtle accents instead of overblown pomp. This is the stuff I want to hear from these chaps.

As this album is the first with new guitarist Jurgis, I suppose they can be forgiven for having fewer of the locked in, hook-heavy riffs than the last album had. He and Helg do manage to bring the goods though and there’s plenty of interesting trem-based riffery, but there are also more moments of pedestrian blackened leads as well. As a vocalist, Helg sounds as good as ever and I have no issues with his performance. Overall, I just don’t think the material is as good this time out, and there really isn’t a lot here material-wise to dig into.

And there’s the major rub for Steel Druhm. If you release a full length album and it’s actually only four real songs and four short instrumentals, you actually haven’t released a full length. I’m certainly not in the camp advocating a twelve song album clocking in at 75 minutes, but this thing feels mighty skinny. The instrumentals, as nice and fine as they are, aren’t what I’m looking for from Khors. I simply want more Khors. This album doesn’t leave me feeling like I got enough of the high-level Khors banquet blackness, despite three out of four songs being high quality.

So, this feels like a short, tide over release instead of a righteous follow-up to a superb album (if you haven’t realized you should check out Return toAbandoned by now, check your pulse). I like some of it quite a bit, but there’s just not enough meat on dem dere bones. It’s bad enough I expected a Big Mac and got a McNugget, but if I have to wait two years for another dose of Khors, expect a highly cranky Steel Druhm venting, whining and carping his way across the blogosphere. Lord help us all.

→ http://www.angrymetalguy.com/khors-wisdom-of-centuries-review/

About.com Heavy Metal "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors, one of black metal’s best hidden secrets, continues to excel with their new album, Wisdom Of Centuries. For years now, Khors has dug in and transcended from an above-average raw sound to a gripping, atmospheric venture. Their last album, Return To Abandoned, signified the completion of the transition between the two styles. Wisdom Of Centuries further points away from standard black metal with prominent keyboards and an even split between instrumentals and full-fledged compositions.

Having an equal number of instrumentals is one of the weaker points of Wisdom Of Centuries. A standard intro and outro are present, the former of which takes the form of a slithering synth-y prelude. The other instrumentals reside in the middle of the album, which almost grinds the tight flow of the previous songs to a halt. “Horizong Glassy” is a mellow blend of light piano and loose guitar leads, but “Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space” is an inept interlude incapable of keeping interest for two minutes.

The fleshed-out songs, with their winding structures and vivid nuances, fit much better to the progression that’s been made since The Flame Of Eternity's Decline. Glimpses of their ruthless early days peek out, but it’s a mature approach thanks to the improved production. “The Last Leaves” can be counted on for that stinging array of intensity, not hiding any bit of aggression from the listener. The chilly mood on “The Last Leaves” is enhanced by a series of keyboard strokes from Saturious, who once again helped out as a session keyboard player.

Unlike Return To Abandoned, which held off the loftiest track until near the end, Khors puts it right in the beginning. “Black Forest's Flaming Eyes” is a fantastic track in all aspects, from the thumping bass and fast percussion to the low-key outro. The title track aims for a heavy, dense vibe that doesn’t involve anything tremolo-picked. It suits the band well, better than the circles they run in with the languishing “The Only Time Will Take It Away.”

Though it’s not as substantial as Return To Abandoned,Wisdom Of Centuries can still be considered a worthwhile release for black metal fans. Khors has not gotten the attention they should be receiving, though the album being released on Candlelight Records might help push them into new crowds. Always engaging and full of light symphonic touches, Wisdom Of Centuries is an underground black metal gem worth digging around for.

(released September 11, 2012 on Candlelight Records)

→ http://heavymetal.about.com/od/khors/fr/Khors-Wisdom-Of-Centuries-Review.htm

Northwind Promotion "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

KHORS | Wisdom of Centuries

Sometimes I wonder how many great bands are out there that I have never heard of. Until I got the offer to review “Wisdom of Centuries”, Khors were one of them. I was quite surprised that these Ukrainian black metalheads have been around and very busy since 2004. “Wisdom of Centuries” is already the fifth album so far. The line up has also been remarkably stable since the first album, with the three original members still in the band.

The cover artwork looks quite nice, but it’s really nothing outstanding, I dare say. But, hey, what counts is the music, right?

Just like on the last album “Return to the Abandoned”, the journey begins with a very atmospheric intro before the first real song starts. “Black Forests Flaming eyes”, a nine minutes epic, immediately shows in what direction the album goes (one might think at first listen). We have atmospheric keyboard layers that combine with the guitars and the rest on a much more organic level than it was the case on previous albums. We have crunchy guitars (also some nice lead guitar work) and a very interesting song structure that does not get boring, even after the 50th time you listen to it.

But I wasn’t telling the whole truth when I said that would be the way the whole album goes. “The last leaves” comes up with more tempo, shredding lead guitars and blast beats, the perfect contrast to the rather epic opener. The album also contains four instrumentals, two of which are intro and outro, as well as two interludes that lead from song to song, giving the listener the chance to take a breath. Especially “Horizon glassy” with its slight jazz touch is noteworthy here.

For me, the title track is the strangest, yet also on of the most interesting songs of the album. Beginning with a very slow drum beat, psychedelic clean guitars and whispers, the song develops into a very dark down-tempo song that sounds completely different than the rest. At the end of “Wisdom of Centuries” we get another very melodic, epic song in the style of the opener. “The Only Time Will Take It Away“ again combines clean guitar melodies with thick layers of keyboard and outstanding vocals.

The production is at the top level of what underground bands deliver nowadays. No muddy sound here; instead, every instrument is distinguishable, which enables the listener to discover new details all the time. Yet, what disappoints me in a way, is the extremely short running time of only 38 minutes. I mean the music is awesome, but I always have the impression that the album ends when it is just about to start. Maybe it is all a thought-out concept of some way, but I would have wished for another song or two. Obviously, these guys know how to write good songs.

All things considered, “Wisdom of Centuries” has become a very good black metal album that might help the band to stand out in the crowd. The Ukrainians have delivered a record that is made of many different elements, all together forming the unique sound of Khors. Fans of atmospheric and melodic black metal should by all means check this album out. As mentioned above, the only thing that keeps me from rating this one better is the short running time. Although Khors are of course not the only band to deliver a rather short album, I usually expect at least 45 up to 60 minutes on a full-album.

7,5/10 Criss

→ http://northwind-promotion.org/khors-wisdom-of-centuries-review/

Metal Obscur "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors – Wisdom of Centuries (2012)

I fully recognize having a taste for Ukrainian black metal. Strongly inspired by local traditional music and Slavic paganism, it is gaining popularity due to excellent releases of pioneer bands such as Astrofaes, Nokturnal Mortum or Drudkh. Once confined to Eastern Europe, these groups are now able to obtain contracts with renowned labels and improve their audience. This is what happened for Khors, a Kharkov native quartet that has just sign a deal with Candlelight Records. For the occasion, the band launched a fifth full-length called Wisdom of Centuries (2012). This album is dedicated to Ukrainian first republic, which was founded 95 years ago and soon after crushed in blood by the Bolsheviks.

I do not know how this commemoration spirit influenced song writing, but Khors members borrowed a much more atmospheric and contemplative path on this new album. This is an important change of artistic direction compared to Return to Abandoned (2010), their previous album, marked by several bouts of brute force. This time, no less than four tracks are strictly instrumentals (including an introduction and a conclusion) and rely on a misty keyboard-generated music and distortion-free guitar. As for the other songs, I noticed that their construction and rhythms are really close to Finnish Melodeath practiced by groups like Catamenia or Kalmah, with catchy melodies and sequences. Developing a constant exchange between keyboards shaping the atmosphere and guitars that add roughness, songs Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes and The Only Time Will Take It Away adopt an epic and grandiose posture, but in the album second half, tempo slows down more, especially on title track.

It seems pretty obvious that the band seeks to give luster, majesty, to a record so important for their career. By choosing to emphasize a particularly tragic historical theme for their country, members of Khors probably manifest their desire to act as ambassadors for their nation. However, Wisdom of Centuries is not up to this ambition. The few good songs to be found are insufficient to dispel a general impression that the band had not pushed too much its talent or originality. Despite some nice effects and quick magical moments, the result is very thin and does not permit to fully appreciate band’s potential. 6/10

→ http://metalobscur.com/album-reviews/#Khors%20-%20Wisdom%20of%20Centuries%20%282012%29

Sturmglanz Webzine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors — Wisdom of Centuries (Candlelight Records 2012)

Datum: 02 Sep 2012 Kategorie: klmno

Khors — Wisdom of Centuries (Candlelight Records 2012). Pünktlich zum neuen Album der Pagan Metal Band kursieren im Netz wieder zahllose Übermittlungen sogenannter „Szenekenner“ über die Zugehörigkeit der Ukrainer zur NSBM Szene. Fakt ist doch eines, mit Nokturnal Mortum, Hate Forest, Reusmarkt oder Drudkh, um nur einige zu nennen, spielen Khors in der Championsleague des Pagan Metals. Und jetzt haben sie mit ihrer Fünften Langreise „Wisdom of Centuries“ einen weiteren Meilenstein tief in die Muttererde der schwarzen Szene geschlagen.

Das Motto lautet: zurück zu Atmosphäre und Vielseitigkeit... Wie bereits im Sturmglanz Interview angekündigt war, haben Khors ein Album eingespielt, welches unglaublich melodiös und episch klingt. Nicht nur das spannende Intro bereitet den Hörer auf eine sinfonische Schlacht vor, dass ganze Album muss man sich an einem Stück anhören um es verstehen und wirken lassen zu können. Die Gitarren sind hart und kalt klirrend, dass Keyboard steuert eine bedrohliche und dennoch schönen Klang hinzu. In den Titeln gibt es immer wieder geile Gitarren-Solis, die mal rotzig, mal düster aus den Boxen dröhnen. Der Unterschied zu anderen Epic Metal Kapellen ist allerding, dass es trotzdem nie verspielt oder kitschig daher kommt. Geradlinig und nachvollziehbare Klangeinlagen die mal knüppelhart sowie an anderen Stellen wieder sehr folklastig und ehrfürchtig erklingen. Eine weitere Besonderheit sind die zarten Keyboardpassagen, welche zum Teil völlig selbständig und separat zwischen den Gitarrenriffs agieren und somit einen druckvollen Kontrast hervorrufen. Das Khors ihre Botschaften nicht nur einfach nur herausbrüllen wollen, beweisen demnach auch die vier (inkl. In und Outro) Instrumentalstücke, welche viel Spielraum für seelische Ausflüge in eine enstpannde Naturvielfalt bereit hält. Zumindes sehe ich das so.

Fazit: Mit wunderschönen Klängen, viel Abwechslung, Ideenreichtum und einem eigenem Charakter spielen sich Khors auf ganz hohem Niveau in den Olymp des Ukrainischen Pagan Metal`s. Natürlich wird das Fahrrad hier nicht neu erfunden allerdings wird es mit viel Individualität und Kreativität bestückt. Einzig die Spielzeit von nur knappen 38 Minuten gibt Anlass zur Kritik. Eine absolute Pflichtveranstaltung.

Reinhören: http://www.youtube.com/watch?

Tracklist:
01. Through the Clouds of the Past
02. Black Forest's Flaming Eyes
03. The Last Leaves
04. Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space
05. Horizons Glassy
06. Wisdom of Centuries
07. Only Time Will Take It Away
08. Twilight

LineUp:
Helg — rhythm guitars, vocals
Jurgis — rhythm and lead guitars, vocals
Khorus — bass
Khaoth — drums, percussion
Guest:
Saturious — keyboards
Astargh — backing vocals and arranging

Thurock

→ http://sturmglanz.de/klmno.php?subaction=showfull&id=1346572159&archive=&start_from=&ucat=10&

Blistering "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors — Wisdom of Centuries (Candlelight Records)

By: David E. Gehlke

[8/10] Drudkh — in their infinite and snow-covered mountainous glory — aren't the only black metal band from the Ukraine worth fussing over. Obviously, Khors is the other and if their countrymen weren't so imposing and majestic, they'd be the first name in Ukrainian black metal. And there's no real signpost for Khors like Burzum is for Drudkh; rather Khors is their own secular entity and band that should be taken seriously thanks to the strength of their fourth full-length, Wisdom of Centuries.

Eight songs in this lot, although curiously, four are instrumentals, none of which go past the three-minute mark. A bit of a head-scratcher, for most black metal bands find any excuse to slide in an atmospheric interlude to break up the running order. At any rate, Khors' ability to blend all eras of black metal is thrust to the fore on more than a few occasions here, specifically on “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes,” a song that clicks thanks to a slow, curdling atmospheric verse, and a handful of full-frontal, primal BM riff-action.

“The Last Leaves” finds the Ukrainians headed down a melodic path that ends up being the album’s highwater mark, thanks in large part to a starling dissonant, speed-picking section around the 2:59 mark. Elsewhere, the band finds restrain in “Horizing Glassy,” one of the four instrumentals included, while “The Only Time Will It Take Away” serves as Wisdom of Centuries’ most climatic moment, volleying between sparse guitar chimes and roaring mid-90’s black metal.

More than just the alternative to Drudkh, Khors’ full-on assault on the black metal template is what makes Wisdom of Centuries such a success. There’s variety to the hilt here, furthermore, songs with character and the sort of the genuine artistry that is has become a lost art in the black metal scene.

→ http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/templateid/28023/menuid/2/tempidx/4/link/1

Metalsucks "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 06:05:00 +0000

KHORS PUT THE “PI” IN “EPIC” (OR SOMETHING) ON WISDOM OF CENTURIES

In an act of unabashed bushleague greenhornery, I asked Fenriz about his feeling on “unpolished, underground production quality,” to which he was kind enough to respond that he was more focused on the “RIGHT sound for my songs, not most clear or most ugly” (as opposed to “You think I haven’t heard this question 28,000 times in the last fifteen years, fuckface?”) This way of thinking is lost on the vast majority of black metal, who view minimalist recording technique as a prerequisite instead of a tool. Usually this viewpoint results in mediocre Burzum ripoffs lost in tape hisses, but every now and again, a brilliantly composed slab of grimness is marred by unnecessarily scuffing it up. While the best raw black metal makes the production a part of the tapestry, decent melodic black metal in the raw only leaves one wondering what could have been.

Ukranian sad bastards Khors wisely sidestep this problem on Wisdom of Centuries, employing huge, lush production that fills up all available space with melancholy chords and fascinating orchestration. While this certainly isn’t navelgazing post-black or a chalice-full-of-red-wine operatic doom affair, the band are better serviced by the clarity a good attention to sonic detail provides. Wisdom of Centuries is an enthralling listen, providing equal parts emotional depth and clenched-teeth burliness. It’s a great argument for the fact that maybe it’s not so bad for black metal to get out of the basement every now and again.

The band’s best point of reference would be fellow countrymen Drudkh, sharing their penchant for lush, rural soundscapes that seem to borrow as heavily from shoegaze as they do from the OG churchburners of yore. But unlike Drudkh, who seemingly discovered Dischord Records and Slowdive in the last five years and decided they wanted to make albums that sound like that now, Khors still lean heavily toward black metal. Wisdom of Centuries is full of charred vocals, tremolo-picked minor chords, and drums comfortably volleying between Celtic Frost strides and traditional black metal blasts. It’s the quiet moments, though, that are the most evocative: while many of their peers are content with downshifting into folk or unintentionally-‘80s keyboard symphonies, Khors drape warm layers of synths over their frosty dervish. The pair of instrumentals in the middle of the album work as a fine palate-cleanser, relying on Wagnerian brass and Deftones-esque drumming in equal parts to relieve and build tension. It’s not the most innovative black metal album, but the tweaks that are implemented work beautifully.

What makes Khors stand out from their contemporaries is the sheer force that’s still behind them. The aforementioned Drudkh beautifully integrate resignation and despair with pastoral black metal; Khors is deeply rooted in anger and aggression, even if they’re willing to build layers to add complexity. Which is why, in the end, the band come off more unnerved than sad. Wisdom of Centuries offers a full, well-defined picture of the emotional spectrum of black metal. And a good producer brings that picture the kind of clarity that’s necessary. They can’t all be Ulver’s Nattens Madrigal; sometimes you gotta let that shit breathe.

(4 out of 5 horns)

→ http://www.metalsucks.net/2012/08/22/khors-put-the-pi-in-epic-or-something-on-wisdom-of-centuries/

Abysmal Hymns Blogspot "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors : Wisdom of Centuries

I guess the fifth time is the charm for this Ukrainian metal band who in my opinion wears the black metal label loosely and ever looser the pagan metal tag, unless I missed the memo from Mordor and pagan metal is not similar to folk metal and means caught somewhere in between power metal and black metal. I tried on their previous album "Return to Abandoned" for size and at the time it didn't do a lot for me but I think I was coming off of an Agalloch kick . Their most recent release "Wisdom of centuries" is pretty impressive.

To me "return to abandoned" struck me as something more closely akin to Dark Tranquilty than black metal and there were these pseudo signing parts than I dunno, just felt cheesed out. While comparisons to fellow country men Drudkh, will be drawn Ifeel this album is superior to the bulk of of Drudkh's work. While this is my first time giving this one a listen , I'm surprised how seamless the flow of these songs are . Carried by moody melodic guitar, this is not cvlt black metal but large lush and allows the dark edges to spread out like fog in the night.

in some ways their epic proportions remind me of Moonsorrow , though the are less Lord of the Rings, which baffles me why this keeps being called pagan metal aside from the fact they are named after the sun god of their homeland. The riffs are well written and fit together like puzzle pieces meant for each other rather than being forced or having any awkward transitions , asthe one two three go time to get blasty, when then drums do build its the next logical step and the more relaxed passages move just as smoothly. So the arrangements are the albums strong point, all most to a fault as the songs they are stand alone pieces but all parts of one long monolithic composition.
So in the Albums tone, they don't use a wide palate of colors ,we have varied shades of gray and blood red cast on a pitch black back ground.

This similarity of tone makes for a easy listen but hard for me to score this one song by song. I can say the first song comes on pretty balls out, at first this is to the point where I thought they had just picked up for where they left off with their previous album, until the chorus or where a chorus would be which here means time to turn up the epic.from this epic turn the album doesn't look back only inward.

The beginning of "the last leaves" is some of the albums heaviest riffage, the chords are more tenderly picked out in what would be the chorus as guitar is layer in some interesting patterns which almost border on the post rock feel Drudkh leans towards but more majestic and without the drone. Also on this song I was able to pick out the bass where on other songs it got a little lost despite the evenness of the mix.

This song is followed by an interlude which they try to pass off as a song it's barely two minutes of drums and synth,but it leads into "horizon glassy" an instrumental that still feels like another part though the guitar work gives nods to pink Floyd so it forgivable, but could have been a lighter intro to the darker turn the title track takes.the whispered hiss of the vocals is the first time they switch it up vocally as the vocals are delivered with a Nargal like roar through out and this song even has a behemoth like build in the guitars that reminds me of the song "lucifer". Though after I started hearing Behemoth there the I started to hear it every where, though there's a much more organic feel to what they do than Behemoth,and the break down I the second verse of " only time will take it away" took the Behemoth comparisons from mind mind ,though it's safe to say if you are a fan of Behemoth who only flirts with the idea of black metal Khors are a gateway drug to take you a step close to Taake or old Enslaved.

The album end with a minute of ambiance ,so if we are going to count the pink floyd interlude there are six songs or five metal songs however you want to see it. The more I listen to the album, the more i can pick the songs apart, as the wheel isn't being reinvented here. Some of their influences are more more blatantly on their tunics than others so I feel a 7.5 is being generous as the moodier moments I really like.

→ http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2012/08/khors-wisdom-of-centuries.html

Casus Belli zine "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Стрела лета еще на излете, а украинский KHORS со своим новым альбомом «Мудрість Cтоліть» уже обжигает осенним пожарищем, золотом заката опаляет вершины крон, настигая еще одну веху своего творческого пути. Первое определение, которое удается вычленить из чувств и эмоций после прослушивания материала – Могучий. Как натянутые жилы тисового лука, как вздутые вены на холке дикого тура, здесь звучит первобытная ярость природы. Гитарный шторм буквально прожигает насквозь, оставляя после себя лишь иссушенную, словно страницы той самой «мудрости столетий», листву, «фирменные» Khors’овские соло, возникающие где-то за пределами гравитации, расплавленным янтарём мерцают в глубине композиций. Всё это обрамлено хтонической бронёй воронёного black metal, который бьеёт в грудь лесистым холодным полумраком. Рудиментарные полуэмбиентальные всполохи (“Крізь Хмари Минулого”, “Де Велич Гiр Обiймає Простiр”, “Сутінки”) крадутся по альбому белёсыми ведьмами, наполняя чаши слуха зельем из толчёных волчьих зубов и когтей, тем самым умножая и расширяя общую музыкальную сакральность. Количество подобных штрихов и нюансов сталкивает «Мудрість Cтоліть» с какой бы то ни было орбиты: данный акт харьковчан является не круговым движением, а неумолимым, прожигающим полётом черногривого жеребца – сквозь пульсары и квазары, мимо умирающих звезд, вброд через Млечный шлях. Возможно, это будет лишь отголоском субъективного мнения, но KHORS здесь представили самый атмосферный из всех, которые были прежде, материал. Ближайшим родичем тут, пожалуй, будет предыдущий «Return To Abandoned», но сила, полновесность и эмоциональность на «Мудрість Cтоліть» получили еще больший размах.

Пронзительный до боли в груди (особенно эпохальнейший размах “Лише Час Забере”), беспредельный, меланхоличный: здесь тёплый пепел еще пахнет опавшей хвоей, если его растереть между пальцами, а прикосновение к звуку – это прикосновение к самой земле. Украинский (хотя, вероятно, точнее будет сказать «харьковский») атмосферный блэк невозможно перепутать ни с чем.

Даже когда затяжные осенние дожди смоют все краски, а затем изморозью слягут росы, расплавленное золото листвы этого альбома будет согревать своим дыханием и вспыхивать маяком-зарницей у окраины горизонта, не для всех, но для достойных. Альбом полностью оправдывает свое название, действительно представляя собой мудрость: ему доступно нечто неведомое, скрытое, и самое лучшее, что можно сделать в данном случае – молча прикоснуться к нему, словно к древнему менгиру, впитывая пульсирующие, обжигающие сплетения энергий. «Мудрість Cтоліть» – это короб, полный сухих трав – тех, которыми все мы были когда-то (или еще будем), растя на седых курганах.

Если первая половина года была за великолепным «Вічный Оберт Колеса» от DRUDKH, то сейчас, кажется, KHORS перенимает титул Сохатого Короля чащоб. Это «пылающий» взгляд из «черного леса», который будет преследовать слушателя очень долго.

→ http://casusbellizine.com/reviews/item/khors-2012.html

Metal Reviews "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 06:05:00 +0000

KHORS — Wisdom of Centuries
Candlelight Records

Melodic Black/Death Metal

8 songs (38'10")
Release year: 2012
Candlelight Records

I would be willing to admit now that back in 2010 designating Album of the Year for Ukrainians Khors, Return to Abandoned arrived at the very opportune moment, when towards that year’s end I did not have anything vaulting itself to the top of the heap. The wonderful newfound melodic muscle by Khors on Return to Abandoned completely swept me off my feet at that very moment, and I could not have felt any better about my designation at that time. The critics started chiming in soon, some people saying they were bored and could not get into the album at all. As much new music as I have to go through sometimes, it wasn’t often that I got back to Return to Abandoned. Yet, get back to it I did from time to time, and I fully stand behind the aforementioned designation.

Having preserved the core of their lineup of Helg, Khaoth and Khorus, the band is back with Wisdom of Centuries, the album pretty much cut out of the same cloth as Return to Abandoned, taking us on the dense powerful melodic journey in the economical 38 minutes. Just like Return to Abandoned took earlier mysticism and added muscle to the atmosphere, Wisdom of Centuries ceases on the same wall-of-sound riff intense approach delivering again with a cleaner production than what can be expected from an underground Ukrainian band. Rather than the forestry image, Wisdom of Centuries breathes decadent power of the ancients, long gone and forgotten, yet brought back to life by Khors guitar foundation. I am further reinforced in this interpretation looking at the monumental crosses on the album’s cover art.

The longer full vocalized songs on Wisdom of Centuries take me to that primordial realm, with their rolling double bass drums, constantly building layered guitars, hints of keyboards and outwardly going all out growls. When I hear Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes and The Last Leaves I definitely remove all my doubts about the direction Khors has been taking on the last pair of albums. The fact one can hear equal measure of Wodensthrone, Winterfylleth, Insomnium and Opeth in these compositions, without losing their Ukrainian authenticity, speaks to the quality of the band Khors is. Not content to play along the single plane, Khors experiments on Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes reaching for a more dissonant core in the middle. Transitioning through the slower laboring doomier moments and then bringing out piano notes, the song covers the range from transcending to trance to triumphant.

The ancients apparently had all sides to them, according to Khors. The title track is both heavy and prehistoric. Percussive and mysterious at the beginning, it builds on those ritualistic and shamanistic moments, reaching the prehistoric heaviness in its latter buildup. Stunning Only Time Will Take It Away opens up with quiet atmospherics reaching the tormenting storm of emotions, while being no less beautiful throughout.

The shorter instrumental tracks in between longer songs provide for the needed atmospheric moments, giving the needed break and release. Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space is the sound of battle approaching, Horizons Glassy is withdrawn bluesy piece, while closer Twilight is a quick nautical descent into nothingness.

I am going to wait and see now where Wisdom of Centuries will end up at year’s end. Even if Album of the Year this is not, it will certainly make the year’s end list. The album hasn’t left my player for a couple of weeks now and Only Time Will Take It Away is on constant repeat. Candlelight did extremely well bundling Khors alongside Wodensthrone in its Cult Series.

Killing Songs :

Black Forest's Flaming Eyes, The Last Leaves, Only Time Will Take It Away

Alex

90 / 100

→ http://www.metalreviews.com/reviews/detail.php3?id=7760

Wicked.Channel.Com "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Featuring former members of Hate Forest, Tessaract, and Drudkh, Ukraine’s Khors present their fifth full-length album with Wisdom of Centuries, which has a release date set for September 11, 2012. Khors if known for their use of various ethnic intruments in their arrangements and Wisdom of Centuries is no different. Their unique style of atmospheric black metal is evident with every track.

Khors tests the boundaries of any known genre, so a direct classification is near impossible, but whichever genre you want to lump them in, put an asterisk next to their name because they are on the verse of something special. I am not known to say that about many bands, so that is surely high praise.

The opening track, Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes, is a 9+ minute opus that sums up the album nicely. With unique sounds thrown into the mix of a bleak, desolate picture that Khors is creating, this track shows the promise that the rest of the album fulfills.

Directly following Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes is The Last Leaves which is just riffer madness. There is so much going on during this song and every part of it benefits the song entirely. This one is easily one of my favorites on the album. The melodic riffing is hypnotic and there are even a couple of guitar solos thrown into the mix. That is not something that you see in a lot of black metal, but it just seems to fit here.

If I had to file a complaint of Wisdom of Centuries, I would say that there are only 8 tracks, 4 of which are under 3 minutes. The album could benefit from a few more songs, but that is just me being greedy.

→ http://wickedchannel.com/2012/08/metal-review-khors-wisdom-of-centuries-2012/

Indie Horror News "Wisdom of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors – Wisdom of Centuries
Candlelight records, Sept 11 2012

I will admit right out front that I had never heard of Khors before today. I also have been listening to more death/black metal recently so I think I know what to expect here. Khors have been around for 8 years or so and this is their 5^th full length release. That’s some kind of output. I do not know what their earlier albums sounded like but I really dig this one. Although classified as Black Metal it’s very melodic and atmospheric. More like a Doom/Death metal album. The music is very accessible and the vocals although rough/harsh area bit back in the mix and actually quite good.

The album opens with a short instrumental track and follows with a 9+ minute mid-tempo track “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes”. Of the 8 tracks on the album, half are instrumentals, which give this album a trippy feel to it. “The Last Leaves” follows and is much more in the vein of Black Metal but still very melodic. The guitar riff on this track should be patented. Two more short instrumentals follow. The title track “Wisdom of Centuries” is the heaviest track on the album. It starts slowly with a drum intro, then bass and guitar, and then some whispered vocals slowly building until it hits you in the nose. As you regain your senses you hear a crow off in the distance and whispers. Then, smack, again. Holy fuckin Shit!! Can I say Holy Fuckin Shit? I just did. Twice!! “Only Time Will Take It Away” is the last track with vocals. It starts out really heavy, and then goes mellow, then really heavy again with some nice sounding keyboards throughout. The album ends on another short instrumental “Twilight” and takes us home safe but not sound.

The keyboards, piano and effects all contribute to the sound of Khors. The production is almost perfect. I can hear everything, even the bass. As mentioned above the vocals are rough/harsh but sound really good and fit well with the music. There are several excellent riffs, on the only 4 non-instrumental tracks. The drums are heavy and fast when needed. The keys added atmosphere to every track especially the instrumental tracks.

Overall, Wisdom of Centuries by Khors was not at all what I expected in the best way possible. The only real complaint I have is the length of the album at 38 minutes was a bit too short. But with 4 previous releases and a DVD it is time for me to go on the hunt. I loved this album and recommend it to all metalheads.

Indie Horror News Rating:
(4.5 out of 5 skulls!)

HAIL!!!

Dougie666

→ http://indiehorrornews.com/?page_id=1355

Metal Review "Wisdom Of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Just as my last review for Ereb Altor mentioned Bathory reverence above all else throughout their work, the latest from the Ukranian Khors reflects Nokturnal Mortem, a band 10 years their senior. Interestingly, where NM has NSBM ties (however tenuous and/or exclusive to their music itself), Khors professes to have no political ties. All the better, because from what I hear through Wisdom of Centuries, the students have surpassed the masters.

Most important: They use atmosphere perfectly, regardless of fidelity. The guitar is vibrant and pushed to the front lines, and the keyboard — while sparse — feels deliberately so. You’ll feel light sprinklings throughout “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes” but unless you have a solid listening system, parts will be missed (like half the drums in the last couple of minutes). I know it’s cliché, but I had dramatically different experiences between a home stereo, car stereo, go-to earbuds, standby earbuds, fiancé’s earbuds, and the favorite: my Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headset. To me, this presents more of a problem than a challenge, especially for less diligent folks who may dismiss the album as poorly produced; an exercise in subtlety, it is not to be ignored nor passively explored.

The mix actually seems to improve as the album progresses, though. “The Last Leaves” is scintillating, as its boldly breakneck charge slows to comfortable canters, with interlaced synth that grows subtly louder with each pass. And be sure to hold tight when a mighty neigh — from a creature who seems more zephyr than horse — harbingers the crushing concluding minute.

You will owe them salt.

Back to the atmosphere, and something else that should not be dismissed: the arrangement. It’s imperative to imagine this sequenced as a two-sided LP, rather than a CD, because then the twin mid-album instrumentals strike not as filler, rather bookending the individual 'sides' of the album. “Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space” has a beckoning essence that envelops the listener and draws him forth to the other side, where the curiously-titled “Horizong Glassy” awaits, awash in lush continuum with clean keys and dreamily lilting guitars; it could easily be a lost treasure from TheFucking Champs.

The seductive title track plays with your senses, taking two minutes before swinging into a lurching, growling groove punctuated with piercing synth strikes that jizzlob straight into my ear, as though culled from the great Roddy Bottum. And again proving no stranger to animalistic samples, crows cackle the wayward doomed during a brief respite.

But then, dudes… then… hooboy. “Only Time Will Take It Away” is just. fucking. perfect. The initial setting; the echoing ebb and furious flow; the fleeting keyboard beacons; and then a proper departure with “Twilight” — not just an outro, but a portal back to reality.

Most — if not all — of Khors's members' other projects were birthed in their Ukranian motherland; some had stints in Astrofaes or Hate Forest or Blood of Kingu. (Drudkh was also claimed in advance promo materials, though I can’t find supporting evidence.) Wisdom of Centuries may be album number five for the Khors clan, but I think the revamped lineup has found the formula for their most engaging endeavor yet.

→ http://metalreview.com/reviews/6798/khors-wisdom-of-centuries?reply=81252

Metal Heads' Mission Festival XIII. Afterwards

Khors — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 06:05:00 +0000

We'd like to thank you guys for coming around that night at Metal Heads' Mission festival. It’s always pleasure for us to see so many friends, having fun and play for you just as always. Thank you so much for your kind words of sympathy and support. Thanks to the festival promoters, organizers and technical crew. See you soon!

New merchandise from Musical Hall Distribution

Khors — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 06:05:00 +0000

New merchandise from Musical Hall Distribution “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes” TS is available in S, M, L, XL and XXL sizes.

Occult Black Metal 'zine "Wisdom Of Centuries"

Khors — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors are a band from Ukraine that has been featured before in this zine with a musical style that I would describe as being atmospheric pagan black metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "Wisdom Of Centuries" which was released by Candlelight Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown into the music at times as well as mixing in some tribal sounding percussion, while the synths bring a very dark, pagan and atmospheric sound to the music with some ambient elements being utilized at times, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast atmospheric pagan/black metal riffs that mix raw and primitive element with a great amount of melody as well as a more modern sound mixed in with some more progressive influences, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos and leads that utilize a great amount of talent and skill, as for the acoustic guitars when t hey are utilized they use finger picking to add to the more progressive elements of the music.

Vocals are mostly high pitched hateful black metal screams that utilize a deeper tone at times as well as a brief use of whispered vocals, while the lyrics cover darkness, nature and paganism, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful and heavy sound without sounding either to over or under produced in addition some of the songs are very long and epic in length.

In my opinion this is another great album from Khors and if you are a f an of this band, you should enjoy this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Black Forest's Flaming Eyes" "The Last Leaves" and "The Only Time Will Take It Away".

RECOMMENDED BUY.

→ http://occultblackmetalzine.blogspot.com/2012/07/khorswisdom-of-centuriescandlelight.html

New merchandise from Hammerbolt Productions

Khors — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 06:05:00 +0000

New merchandise from Hammerbolt Productions - "Heathen Dark Art" T-Shirts in three colours.
- Dark Grey. (B&C — 190 gramm) with black prints (logo on front + back print done in 3D method / 1mm of thickness). Limited edition to 20 copies.
Available through Hammerbot Productions. Price:13 Euro/pcs. Sizes: M, L, XL
- Khaki (military green). (B&C — 190 gramm) with black prints (logo on front + back print done in 3D method / 1mm of thickness). Limited edition to 20 copies.
Available through Hammerbot Productions. Price:13 Euro/pcs. Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL
- White. (B&C — 190 gramm) with black prints (logo on front + back print done in 3D method / 1mm of thickness). Limited edition to 20 copies.
Available through Hammerbot Productions. Price:13 Euro/pcs. Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL

Delivery terms you may find following this link: http://hammerbolt.ncse.pl/sklep/product_info.php?&

→ http://www.hammerbolt.pl

No Clean Singing webzine "Wisdom Of Centuries"

Khors — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Khors are a Ukrainian band on the verge of a breakthrough. Though their star seems to have been rising steadily over the course of four albums beginning with The Flame of Eternity’s Decline in 2005, their signing with Candlelight Records in May for release of the band’s fifth full-length album will likely lead to significantly greater exposure, especially because that fifth album is so damned good.

Wisdom of Centuries tests the limits of genre classification. It combines elements of black metal, progressive metal, ambient music, doom, and to a lesser degree folk metal, producing something that is bleak, beautiful, and often mystical. Distancing themselves from the black metal label, Khors characterize the music as “heathen dark metal”. Perhaps that’s as good a shorthand description as any, since “dark metal” is so often used to describe music that doesn’t neatly fit anywhere else.

To the extent one seeks guidance from lyrics in helping to understand the inspiration behind the music, the quest will be difficult because this is the first album in which all the band’s vocals are in their native tongue (though the song titles are translated). However, Khors have explained that Wisdom of Centuries “is dedicated to the 95th anniversary of Kholodny Yar Republic, to its founders and defenders.” My own feeble research indicates that this refers to a rural partisan uprising against the Bolsheviks and the Russian Red Army occupying the Ukraine, which ultimately failed — and then the Iron Curtain descended

Fittingly then, the emotionally resonant, atmospheric music on the album creates moods of longing, loss, and anguish. But calling it “depressive” would go much too far, because the songs are as melodically rich and vibrant as they are melancholy and wistful. Wisdom of Centuries has the feel of a journey through memory, an exploration of a tragic but heroic past that lives on in spirit.

As for the structure of the album, it begins and ends with short instrumentals (less than two minutes each), and two more relatively brief instrumentals appear in the middle of the 8-song, 40-minute collection. What remains are two long songs before the mid-section and two after. But trust me, you won’t feel cheated by the instrumentals.

The opener, “Through the Clouds of the Past”, sets the tone with a bass-heavy ambient drone, the slow booming of the tom’s, and the whisper of a cymbal, ringing guitar chords providing an eerie astral melody.

Then comes the album’s longest track (at more than 9 minutes), “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes”. Its powerful beginning is a contrast with the introductory song, all double bass and tremolo buzzing, with an ethereal keyboard melody floating through the wall of power. A synthesizer provides an epic overlay, and the mid-range harsh vocals are passionate, even anguished.

At the midpoint, the sound subsides to a low drone, like the sound of a Gregorian chant, and wrenching, distorted guitar notes. Following that interlude, the song kicks back into gear with a rhythmic, rock-style beat and a long, mournful instrumental section at the end, accented by (of all things) the sound of congas. It’s a dramatic, vibrant piece of music (and you’ll get to hear it at the end of this review).

“The Last Leaves” ups the pacing, with blasting drums and a blur of tremolo chords. Rhythmically varied and awash in dense guitar melodies, the aura of the song is perhaps the most hopeful in an album mainly shrouded in sombre colors.

Then come the two mid-section instrumentals. “Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space” is composed of infectious drum rhythms (which include the sounds of a cajon) and the ambient music of a synthesizer, in which an ominous tone reminiscent of a bassoon periodically rises and then disappears. “Horizons Glassy” is a beautiful song, with a rich layering of drums, guitar, and synthesizer and a clean lead guitar arpeggio that’s a blend of the soulful and the astral.

The dark title track follows, opening with the snapping of a snare drum, the thump of the tom’s, and the ringing of the high-hat. As the other instruments join in, the music takes on a distinctively progressive air, hypnotic and ambient. And then at the two-minute mark, things get much more harsh and discordant, without losing the rhythm or the core melody established in the inroduction. About halfway through, the music again becomes more subdued — a repeating guitar riff, faint percussive accompaniment, a background synthesizer melody, and the cawing of birds. Then the music explodes again, with grinding guitars, howling vocals, and sledgehammer chugs.

In “Only Time Will Take It Away”, Khors deliver the last of the non-instrumental tracks, and it’s a blockbuster. It opens with a dual guitar arpeggio, a slow drumbeat, and more synthesized ambience. A variation on this dreamlike instrumental section appears again later, but the main body of the song ripples with might, though the vocals have an intensely anguished and harrowing quality.

Khor use the synthesizer to build the potency of the song, and a melodic tremolo-picked guitar plays a significant role in the song’s latter half, as Khors again use a dense layering of instrumental tracks to create an almost overwhelming emotional intensity. It’s a powerful, moving, memorable experience.

Almost anything following the end of “Only Time Will Take It Away” would have been an anticlimax. Khors chose to end the album with “Twilight”, and the contrast is almost jarring: it’s a deep, dark, vibrating synth drone, peppered with unplaceable noises and the subdued sound of choral voices wailing in the distance.

Khors’ days as a cult band with a scattered following in pockets of the underground may be about to end. Wisdom of Centuries is an album that is never less than good and frequently brilliant, with moments that generate genuine wonder. Both hypnotic and galvanizing, it pulls at the heartstrings and fires the blood. I think it has the potential to appeal to fans of bands as diverse as Blut Aus Nord, Opeth, and Insomnium, though it doesn’t follow directly in the footsteps of any of them. It will be well worth the money when its official release arrives on September 11.

→ http://www.nocleansinging.com/2012/07/19/khors-wisdom-of-centuries/

American release date and new track streaming online

Khors — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 06:05:00 +0000

American subdivision of Candlelight Records announced the release date of our new album on label’s website. “Wisdom of Centuries” is out on 11.09.2012 for North America and European release date will be announced later.
No Clean Singing webzine’s posted the review yet where you may find new track “Black Forest’s Flaming Eyes” streaming there in officially provided by Candlelight Records. Check it here and we hope you will like it: http://www.nocleansinging.com/2012/07/19/khors-wisdom-of-centuries/

→ http://candlelightrecordsusa.com/site/news/candlelight-cult-series-returns-this-autumn-wodensthrone-reverence-khors/

OST Festival 2012. Afterword

Khors — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 06:05:00 +0000

We’re back from Bucureşti, Romania where we had the opportunity to play on the amazing OST Festival. We’d like to thank Mihnea Badea, Olivia Ignatescu, Octavian Medis and Cavalleria Events crew for the invitation and for taking care of us during our stay on the festival. Thanks to Titus Constantinescu, Robert Pieptan and Adrian Tabacaru for the nice time, to the nice crowd supported us, Project Events for the organization of that great festival and of course Evgeny Pylypenko once again for the invaluable help. Mulțumesc!
Those who have nice menories from our concert in Bucharest could have a copy of our CDs and t-shirts from our Romanian dealer: http://www.letsrock.ro/search.php?key=khors&search_type=2&search_category=0
Or by e-mail: titus@letsrock.ro

"Mysticism" on LP

Khors — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 06:05:00 +0000

"Mysticism" — our third and the most ambiguous album is out on Osmose Productions on LP format soon.
"Mysticism" album has been recorded during since September 2007 till June 2008 in studios Blacklight, Audio Alchemia and Buddha Cat. It’s mixed and mastered then in Blacklight Studio in summer 2008 and in the end of the same year it is out on American Paragon Records on digipack CD. In the beginning of 2009 "Mysticism" is out by Irond Records from Russia exclusively and especially for CIS countries. Subsequently the album has received a lot of positive reviews in many musical editions, and both of CD pressings are sold out for a moment.
The release date will be announced later.

→ http://www.osmoseproductions.com/heading/2-120/latest-news.html

KHORS signs with Candlelight Records

Khors — Tue, 22 May 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Glad to announce that our new album entitled “Wisdom of Centuries” is out on well known Candlelight Records this September. The album is dedicated to 95^th anniversary of Kholodny Yar Republic, to its founders and defenders.

→ http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk

Sturmglanz Black Metal Manufaktur

Khors — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 07:05:00 +0000

Sturmglanz: Greets, thanks for your time and your interview with Sturmglanz. Could you introduce Khors to our German readership?

Khors: Hails to all the readers of Sturmglanz 'zine. Khors band was established in 2004 year. The band consists of ex members of such bands as Astrofaes and Hate Forest. For the moment we have 4 full length albums released. Our music can be described as Heathen Dark Metal.

Sturmglanz: I want to talk about your latest record "Return To Abandoned". In West Europe just a little amount of webzines and magazines present your new album. But those who did just gave positive feedback. Could you give us an overview about the songs and their content?

Khors: On this album we tried to unite the power and density of our early recordings together with the atmosphere of our recent stuff. What's came of that it's up to listeners to judge it.

1. The Arrival (intro)

It's kinda introduction of alistener to the album's atmosphere. Immersing into it.

2. Lost Threads

Powerful track with complex structure and with deep acoustic deviation in its middle.

3. Asgard's Shining

The most successful track for my opinion where speed and melody are combined well enough in.

4. Song of the Void

Slow track with shrouding and absorbing keyboard line in its middle.

5. The Fog (...and Grief Still Moans)

A bit special track. Lyrically it's a termination of trilogy we started on our first album with "Moan of the Grief" song then continued on our second album with "Misery" song. The first part of this track sounds similar to those songs from our early recordings but the second part much more dynamical and even positive in some view. Hammond solo performed by our guest musician Saturious passes the atmosphere of funeral feast, paradoxical fun with a background of funeral.

6. Mysteries Cosmos

This track intertwines with "Lost Threads" in some degree. Power and complexity

7. The Seas Burn of Omnipotence

This song consists of mid-tempo beginning which then passing to long and atmospheric acoustic guitar lead. Perhaps this one is the most ambiguous song on this album.

8. Sacrament of Buyan.

It sounds like a hymn to ancient times, hymn to freedom for people, freedom for nature. As the image there was chosen Buyan, the island from ancient myths.

Sturmglanz: How much are you and your music influenced by history and cultural events of the Ukraine?

Khors: The history of our country, its ancient culture sure has major value for us. Our music is far from the standards of folk music. It's not our style. We're interested in a little bit another kind of music.

Sturmglanz: Do you also play in other bands? If yes, which one?

Khors: Our guitar player Helg has a couple of projects namely Ygg and Ulvegr.

Sturmglanz: Some time ago Osmose Production had released "Return To Abandoned" on vinyl. How does this happen?

Khors: We contacted with Herve, head of Osmose Productions right after our "Return To Abandoned" album was recorded but at the end we decided to give this album to Paragon Records in some reasons. As we had the rights for LP version from Paragon Records we propose to Osmose Productions to release it then and have agreed a little bit later.

Sturmglanz: In Germany some Ukrainian Bands, like Nokturnal Mortem, Kroda and Temnozer, cause regularly trouble with miscellaneous groups. Do you recognize it? (Because you play with those bands on the same stage, for example on Kolovrat Festival)

Khors: Yes, we know such troubles for sure. But not the only bands you've mentioned had those kind of troubles but some European ones also. We are not into this kind of politics and had never been involved in. But I believe in your country there are some problems with mixing of concepts of "nazism" and "nationalism"

Sturmglanz: Apropos Kolovrat Festival. In March 2011 you released a live DVD from the Kolovrat Festival. Why should Fans own this DVD at all costs?

Khors: Actually this one is kinda official bootleg filmed on a single handycam with a decent enough sound.Something like for fans only.

Sturmglanz: This kind of Festival is at the moment impossible in Germany. Do you have any plans for live gigs in Germany?

Khors: Kolovorot festival is no more in different reasons one of which was the political implied sense on which you hint as I understood you right. It was always just a Music festival with Pagan bias for us and nothing more. We had never been interested in politics. As for the festival reputation worldwide — it's up on some bands ever played there on. We never had any proposals from Germany and I doubt there will be some cause of the attitude of your media to our Kharkov based black metal bands.

Sturmglanz: The recordings of the incoming album "Wisdom of Centuries" are finished. Where do you see the differences in music and composition between "Wisdom of Centuries" and "Return To Abandoned"?

Khors: "Wisdom of Centuries" is absolutely another kind of album on which we experimented with some ethnic musical instruments and we reduced the keyboard tracks and leads to make the atmosphere of the album a bit gloomy and depressive. It's our first album performed on our native language and thematically it will transfer a listener to hard and tragical times for Ukraine — 20s years of the last century.

Sturmglanz: Could you briefly describe your new Compositions?

Khors:

1. Through the Clouds of the Past

Ambient/ritual intro

2. Black Forest's Flaming Eyes

Black metal mixed with ritual experiments with congas

3. The Last Leaves

The most dynamic song on this album. Density and power in its sound

4. Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space

Ambient/ritual track on which we used cajon

5. Horizons Glassy

Acoustic instrumental song with depressive atmosphere

6. Wisdom of Centuries

Symbiosis of black metal, dark metal and ambient

7. Only Time Will Take It Away

The very emotional song, perhaps the most sad and depressive one in all our activity

8. Twilight

Outro. Short atmospheric termination of the album

Sturmglanz: When and under which label will it be published?

Khors: Unfortunately for the moment we have no specifics in this issue.

Sturmglanz: How do you partition the songwriting? How works this progress? Do you experiment together in your rehearsal room, or do you write new songs at home on your computer?

Khors: As a rule a bandmember (Jurgis or Helg) bring a song or a part of on rehearsal and we`re working on its final structure together then. As the stuff is ready to be recorded we use the help of professional studios. For our first albums it was Audio Alchemia and Buddha — Cat Studio from Moscow, RU. Starting from "Mysticism" album we use Blacklight Studio from Kiev and some stuff we record on local studios OSF and Dark Essence.

Sturmglanz: In Germany my searches for a Khors T-Shirt are still in vain. Are in this aspect official distributions planed?

Khors: One can order our merchandise through our official website at www.khors.info We have PayPal so I think one can order our stuff from any point of Planet Earth and get it then by express service. There are also Musical Hall and Paragon Records who distribute our records and merch so you can also order it from there.

Sturmglanz: Are there any bands or forms of art which have great influence to you?

Khors: If talking about literature and moving pictures so the most interested for me the ones with historical bias. As for music so we are a bit impressed with different kind of metal music such like hard rock, classic heavy metal, death metal, doom metal, black metal, thrash metal (Deutsch in general!!!), progressive and etc.

Sturmglanz: Which is the typical Ukrainian dish you eat often?

Khors: Perhaps it's a borscht!

Sturmglanz: Last Question ...Football — European Championship 2012 — Are interested in that or do you don't care?

Khors: Yes we are interested in football and in Euro Championship in particular. Our team Metalist, Kharkov is a unique Ukrainian team which now represents our country in European League. There are almost 40 thousands of spectators come to stadium almost on each match. We divide top ranking in this parameter with Shakhtar, Donetsk here in Ukraine. We can be called a football city and be sure we'll adequately take Euro 2012 this year here.

Sturmglanz: Well I don't have any other questions. If something is still unsaid, you can say it now. Otherwise thanks for the interview and I wish you the best for your future.

Khors: Thanks for your time and you patience. Gods bless you! Listen to good music and don't be exposed with some unreasonable complexes.

Thurock (März 2012)

→ http://sturmglanz.de/bands139.php

Recording of the new album is finished

Khors — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:05:00 +0000

We’re glad to inform you that the recording of our newest album is finished. It’s our 5th full length yet and it was named “Wisdom of Centuries”. The works on mixing and mastering will be finished soon on Blacklight Studio.

On this new album we’re experimented with sounding and atmosphere using some ethnic music instruments, nonconventional for metal music. Besides of that “Wisdom of Centuries” became the first album in band’s discography performed on native language. Its lyrical concept addresses to recent history of our Native Land, complicated and mournful times of 20th years of the last century.

The recording process was starting at September, 2011 on Blacklight Studio then some instrumental stuff was recorded in studios Oriana Stronghold Forge and Nightmarestudio. The album contains traditionally 8 tracks, approx. 40 minutes in total.

Below you will find a complete track-list of the album “Wisdom of Centuries”:

Through the Сlouds of the Past
Black Forest's Flaming Eyes
The Last Leaves
Where the Grandeur of Mountains Embraces the Space
Horizons Glassy
Wisdom of Centuries
Only Time Will Take It Away
Twilight

The information regarding release dates and label are soon to come.

Bes Webzine

Khors — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:13:00 +0000

1. Greetings to Ukraine! What news are in the camp of the Khors from release the album Return To Abandoned? I noticed that you recently released DVD Winter Stronghold. What is the current activity of the band?

Hi there! After “Return To Abandoned” is released we played some shows presenting this album just as we do it usually. This year we’ve got line-up changed and our original guitar player Helg is back so we’re feel glad about that cause Helg’s also the main composer for KHORS, not only just guitarist and vocalist. Talking about “Winter Stronghold” it was filmed during Kolovorot festival in 2009 and released only not so far. It’s bootleg DVD kinda “for fans only”. We’re still active after a couple of months of so called respite as we sometimes do and now we’re into composing of new tracks and preparing to play some shows as well.

2. Yes, I noticed that, when Helg was outside of band. What was his reason to leave a band and his quickly return back to band?

There was time Helg had no possibility to play as much as it was needed. He couldn’t play live shows, couldn’t attend rehearsals due to his extreme being busy with his family. He became father second time in May but as a year passed since he left us we realized that we can’t write music in the way of KHORS and we felt something like stupor. We invited Helg back just to write music further but as more we did this way the more we saw that Helg should be in basic line-up and Helg did realize the same. So as our guitarist Warth exposed us and left the band Helg then played a show with us already a week later. This line-up we have now I think much more powerful and we’re glad our old friend Helg’s found enough time to be in a band with us again.

3. I´m interested, why band is named by slavic deity "Khors". Have you got some deep relation to this deity or it was spontaneous?

The name of Khors, the God known long before he’s appeared in Old Slavonic pantheon. Ancient Aryans worshipped Khorset, the God of the Sun had this word meant “shining”, “brilliance”, “glory”, “grandeur”, “special well-formedness by Gods”. All this had sacral meaning for the ancient ones. White light – the universe had such a name. The days of Khors God concur with Summer and Winter Solstice – the important festival for ancient pagans. Modern Russian language remained radical of Khors name in such words as “good”, “became better”, “round dance” and Ukrainian town Korsun’ Shevchenkovsky also has radical Khors in its name. So there are no spontaneous things but you will find no any special legends in our band name’s choosing).

4. The last album got quite nice assessments from various zines. Are you satisfied with the response of the audience or would you change something on the album, if you had the opportunity?

Nice assessments it’s always pleasant for sure so it would be silly if I’d answer I’m not satisfied with that. But to tell you the truth we didn’t expected such good reviews after melodic and romantic “Mysticism” as we thought people want some deeper and atmospheric stuff from us just like a prolongation of the line we started on “Mysticism” but we recorded much brutal album instead of to do that and got great response as a result. It’s pleasant twice. I don’t know if I’d like to change something on this album if I had opportunity. I think we’ll better record another one.

5. „Return..." was issued by overseas label Paragon Records. How did you get to cooperate with this label and Are you satisfied with their work ?

Before “Return To Abandoned” we have got our previous album “Mysticism” also released by these Americans. We’re searching for a label after recorded “Mysticism” and we’ve got some proposals amongst which the proposal from Paragon Records was the best one. Since our first agreement Paragon Records released two our last albums and re-issued two first one as Double CD with some bonuses. We’ve got wide distribution and great support from the label so sure we’re satisfied with our co-operation with them. We don’t know if Paragon will release our next albums due to a critical situation with CD sales in recent years but all they have done for us we appreciate and respect.

6. Is the "Return..." conceptual work or each song tells its own story? What is the main idea of the work, also interests me a lyric site of music – who writes lyrics? What are they about and what would you like to express with them?

“Return…” is conceptual work but each song tells it’s own story)) You know, I can’t answer your question definite cause all the songs we do are about mystical ancient world, ancient beliefs, breathe by ancient mythologies, sacramental woods, strongholds of Nature. The concept is one but this is beyond of one story. There are Helg and Khorus who write all the lyrics. We just express the mystical and dark side of our ancient world both through the music and lyrics.

7. What are you interesting on ancient mystical world? Why you choose create about him music?

It’s just interesting things for us. What can I say more?

8. Let´s still remain with lyrics. I wonder why you used in two songs names of places from different mythologies? I´m referring to songs Asgard´s Shining and Sacrament of Buyan.

Ancient belief it’s not the one certain mythology only so we may use any of them. And Nordic and Slavonic mythologies are of ancient belief and that’s why I can’t say “Return To Abandoned” is conceptual album cause it’s based not only on one mythology but it’s still conceptual cause about ancient mysteries and belief in a whole.

9. Your music over time is increasingly adopting a progressive elements, it is the result of long-term development or you use these elements on purpose? However, you had titled yourself as "Dark Atmospheric Pagan Metal", by what you derive the genre?

I don’t know how to answer your question right. One side we write the songs for it to sound just as we want it to but other side we don’t want our albums sound similar. After we record an album we think what we’d like to experiment with on a next one but I also don’t deny that we progress as musicians for the years and those so called progressive elements are the result of that I think. As about genre title so it’s right the result of our so called experiments. After our “Mysticism” album is out it was explicitly specified then as “not black metal” by many of musical issues and the very best definition of our music we considered as Atmospheric Dark Metal. I think we don’t offend black metallers anymore with our “black metal” as they was so dissatisfied. But to tell you the truth I don’t think the definition of musical style is so important. If the music you play is not just the collection of riffs you will not think much about careful definition. Just listen and feel it.

10. Let´s talk now about your live performances. The official website have offered us quite a lot of concerts. Some of them are already done and others just will be. Tell us more about those concerts.

We love to play live but unfortunately we can’t play as many shows as we’d like to by some reasons. Now we’re going to play on big Pagan festival in Moscow, Russia then we’re going to visit Slovakia and Czech Rep. to play some shows there. So hope we’ll meet there.

11. Exactly, on Slovakia you will be playing on Perunica fest in october and if my information correct so you will play on two place. First place where you will be play is Prešov and secondary it´s Nitra. Are you played on the Slovakia even before ? How you feel now, before visiting Slovakia, Do you plane to look our natural or cultural relic and monuments ?

KHORS didn’t play in Slovakia before but I did with my death metal band back in 2007. I loved a much Tatras and cities I was in so I hope we’ll have enough time to look and natural and cultural relic and monuments.

12. If you look into the past which concert do you remember like the best one? Have you fulfil your dream to play with your favourite band?

I can’t note the only one best show we played. There were great shows, good shows, not so good shows amongst ones we played and there are many factors by which you can consider the show’s good or not starting from your own feeling, through the venue type, equipment used there in, fans support, promoter’s adequacy but I think the best shows we played are the ones with good support. Having the great support you can close your eyes on many factors you think are not so good. I can’t say we’d like to play with the bands we love. Whereas the reality of Ukrainian shows playing with that kind of band as support one means you play on worse equipment, have no time for soundcheck, have no dressing room and so on. Doubtful pleasure))) We’d better just visit the shows of the bands we love with relax feelings. In fact we prefer to play together with the bands we are friends with. That case we can help one each other and we’re sure we’ll have great time.

13. Is Khors the only band of his members or as musicians you are also active in other projects?

The very active band member is Helg. He has three projects he’s writing music for and plays guitar there in. I play in couple of bands just for my pleasure. One of them is not metal at all.

14. Have you ever thought about the possibility to express old pagan elements in your music with folk music instruments?

Sure we thought about that but we don’t hear it in our music. Our music concept is a bit in minor key and Ukrainian folk are in major key in general. We have to be in good balance in it and sometimes we try some minor key folk in our music as you can hear. We all consider insipid the mixture of evil death/black metal riffs, blastbeats and so on with jolly folk instruments and jolly folk riffs so there must be good balance. Personally for me the best balance between metal and folk is in our DRUDKH band.

15. Now we skip a little bit into the future, I am interested if the band has some visions of the new material? Are you preparing some news? If so in what stage of preparing are you and when we can see these news? Alternatively how would you characterized new material?

Actually we prepared almost all the songs for the new album till now and we’re going to enter the studio in late September. I think this new stuff is kinda experimental. There will be atmosphere over the riffs, too many frames of mind, estrangement and some ambient. I’m sure the listeners will be a bit surprised with our new album and I think this album be like nothing we did before.

16. Are you watching your home scene in Ukraine? Are you keeping as a band friendly relationships with other bands or have you got personal favourites?

Sure I know well the state of affairs on underground scene here in Ukraine but as about friendly relationships with other bands I can only note our good and old friends from NOKTURNAL MORTUM, DRUDKH and REUSMARKT. We know many guys from different bands and we’re friends with them but we have close friendly relationships for many years only with the bands I’ve mentioned before.

17. What about our Slovak scene? Do you know any Slovak metal bands?

I know many Slovak bands and have first-hand knowledge of Slovak underground as I played in Slovakia with my death metal band some years ago. I can note ANCESTRAL VOLKHVES, the band we all know much better than the other ones from out there.

18. How the band puts on the political themes in music, which are at east Slavic black metal bands quite common?

We have no politics not in our music, not in our lyrics. We have enough politics in our common life living here in Ukraine, believe me. But it’s another long story for additional interview I think.

19. Ukraine must be beautiful country. If you have to show me the most beautiful place in your homeland , which would it be? Alternatively, to which places on Ukraine are you proud or like to visit?

Depends on what’s interesting for you))) Most popular place for foreign tourist here is Pripyat’, Chernobyl and alienation zone there. Excursions cost a bit expensive btw. But if serious there are a lot of beautiful places here. Personally I love Carpathians, Crimea, Western Ukraine cities most of all.

20. The last question I directed a little more personal. Do you believe in old ancestors faith or you just sing about them? Are you participating on some feasts? Are you members of some pagan groups?

If you are about some kind of role plays, ostensible rituals, hippie games and drunken feast as ceremonies so I can definitely say we’re not into it and we’re not interested in any so called Pagan communities. We keep ideals of ancient belief in our hearts. To honour your blood, to keep your traditions and ancient sacraments, to love your motherland, to know your history, to bring up your children. And we don’t need any fests or communities for that.

21. Thanks Khors for the interview and great music! The last lines are for you.

Thanks you Zoreslav for your questions, warm words and interest to Khors. Take care! Slava!

Question by Zoreslav
Translated by Azog

→ http://beswebzine.eu/rozhovory/khors/khors_en.html

New track online

Khors — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:05:00 +0000

Today before our performance on Oskorei Pagan fest which will pass in Kyiv, Ukraine on December 18 we decided to share with you our new demo track which is called "Mudrist' Stolit'" ("Wisdom of Centuries") from our brand new album the recording process of which is almost finished. The new album is out in the second part of 2012 but the details of that will be posted later...

You may check this new track on our Myspace page: http://myspace.com/khorspagan either download it from here: http://mediafire.com/?vclkkvjmlmkv1ul

Double LP "Return To Abandoned" is out now on Osmose Productions

Khors — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 06:05:00 +0000

Our “Return To Abandoned” album is out now on Osmose Productions as double gatefold LP (glossy laminated 350 gr.) limited edition in 500 copies as it was announced before. 200 copies include vynils in olive green. You can buy this release through label now for 16/18 Euro.

→ http://www.osmoseproductions.com/item/2/0-110402-0-1-0/115037229/khors-return-to-abandoned.-olive-vinyls.html

Perunica Fest Autumnal Tour. Epilogue

Khors — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 06:05:00 +0000

We've back home after series of shows Perunica Fest Autumnal Tour during which we played in Slovakian cities Prešov and Nitra then in Czech cities Brno and Prague. We’d like to thank great comrades of ours of ANCESTRAL VOLKHVES band for made these beautiful days been possible and shared it with us. Also big thanks to the promoters and their assistants for great organization, invitation and hospitality, thanks to the bands we’ve played together with, thanks to the guys visited these shows and supported us. Special hallo and cheers to Hyozt, One of Thorns & REUSMARKT, Igor Kmit’, Josef Kmit’, Peter, Milan ‘Mikkie’ Šteger, Martin ‘Matyk’ Gibej, Matúš Jaško, Daniela Marcinovova, Sally, Michal ‘Waldemar’ Marcinčin, Draco, David, Premek & Magdalena Kiselá. Ďakujeme!

Xtreem Music "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Lejos queda aquel sentimiento crudo y desolador de esta formacion ucraniana de Black Metal con aires paganos, que si bien en cierto que en sus inicios practicaban un Black bastante crudo, ahora con “Return to Abandoned”, han dado un nuevo aire a sus composiciones, como ya se podia vislumbrar en trabajos como “Cold” o “Mysticism”.

Tampoco estoy diciendo que se hayan ablandado en exceso, simplemente que incorporan nuevos matices a su musica, haciendola mas elaborada y completa. Voces puramente Black, ritmos a medio tiempo con buena pegada, riffs oscuros y algo melodicos, geniales teclados setenteros, del palo de los grandes AMORPHIS, geniales melodias de guitarra, solos con autentico feeling y buenas bases de acusticas, crean un ambiente estupendo, donde se disfruta de cada momento del album, de una forma singular. La base ritmica es contundente, sobretodo la que corresponde a las batacas, que suenan de miedo en la totalidad del trabajo. Han anadido la dosis justa de melodia a su hechizante propuesta, sacandose un album definitivamente, muy bueno.

A los que conozcan un poco la escena ucraniana, KHORS les encandilaran a base de bien, solo hay que echar un vistazo a sus miembros para hacerse una idea, gente de ASTROFAES, NOKTURNAL MORTUM, HATE FOREST, FACE OF DEATH, etc... vamos, buen nivel. A mi forma de ver, han dado con una formula, que por lo menos intenta alejarse de los tipicos cliches, obteniendo un resultado altamente satisfactorio. Recomendado al 100%.

8.5/10

→ http://www.xtreemmusic.org/index_query.html?q=http%3A//www.xtreemmusic.org/reviews/criticas/php/critica.php%3Fid%3D3617%26varbus%3D%26chkrel

Recording of the new album’s started

Khors — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:05:00 +0000

On September 24 we entered Blacklight Studio, Kiev, UA to record our new album there in. During three days of studio work we recorded drum section, percussion, bass guitars and rhythm guitars parts. Other part of the album will be recorded at OSF Studio in Kharkov, UA then the whole recorded album will back to Blacklight Studio for further mixing and mastering. We have no album title yet but we’d like to note that its conception definitely will be the new phase of our creativity experimental enough and something new for us and for listeners. The updated information about terms of recording, album title and release date will be announced later.

Darkside

Khors — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:05:00 +0000

→ http://darkside.ru/interviews/510/

Metalship "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Chronique de Return To Abandoned
Khors Return To Abandoned (Album)

7.5/10
Retour gagnant!

L'annee 2010 est decidement celle de Khors. Outre la recente parution d'un double-album reprenant ses deux premiers opus, le groupe ukrainien propose mi-decembre son quatrieme album, le bien nomme Return to Abandoned.
Pour l'occasion, Khors a de nouveau enfiler son costume paien, alliance d'un Black typiquement slave a des elans progressifs et atmospheriques vraiment interessants. Ainsi vetu, le combo originaire de Kharkov ne se contente pas seulement de distraire l'auditeur, il l'invite a se joindre a lui pour un voyage glacial, depaysant, qui se revele au fil des ecoutes...

Difficile de ne pas mentionner les precedents efforts de Khors pour decrire Return to Abandoned. Ce nouvel album semble etre en effet une sorte de synthese de tout ce qu'a pu faire le groupe jusqu'a present, n'hesitant pas a revenir vers un Black Metal plus 'basique', vestige des debuts de Khors ("Asgard's Shining" ou "The Fog (... and Grief Still Moans)"), ou au contraire prolonger les idees de l'excellent Mysticism ("The Seas Burn of Omnipotence" et son final enchanteur, "Lost Threads" ou encore "Sacrament of Buyan").
L'effet est saisissant: un veritable relief se cree, brisant toute monotonie. Les premieres ecoutes peuvent etre certes destabilisantes, comme si l'on ne parvenait pas a positionner Return to Abandoned dans la chronologie des albums des ukrainiens, mais ce n'est que pour mieux surprendre l'auditeur qui se laissera par la suite submerger par ces melodies caracteristiques...
Et c'est bien la toute la reussite de cet album. Khors parvient a embarquer son auditeur dans un univers singulier, le malmenant a des moments cles ("Lost Threads"...) pour ensuite le bercer par la seule force de ses riffs couples a un clavier soigne ("Song of the Void"!)...

D'un autre point de vue, certains regretteront surement ce leger manque d'audace qui aurait pousser Khors a faire evoluer sa recette (et encore, quand on ecoute "Mysteries Cosmos"...). Mais comment pourrait-on blamer une formation qui a semble-t-il trouver sa formule? Car c'est bel et bien l'impression que renvoie Return to Abandoned: les ukrainiens maitrisent pleinement leur sujet, proposant une musique de qualite arborant fierement le sceau Khors.

Les atmospheres etant un ingredient majeur des compositions, il est normal de constater qu'elles ont ete une nouvelle fois tres travaillees, que ce soit dans la composition comme dans la production. L'exploration de l'opus se voit ainsi facilitee, notamment grace a un mix imposant qui n'hesite pas a mettre en valeur le jeu de basse de Khorus.
D'une certaine maniere, et a titre indicatif, Return to Abandoned s'est vu dote du meme son que son predecesseur, Mysticism.

Au final, ce quatrieme album confirme toutes les bonnes pensees que l'on pouvait avoir a l'egard de Khors. Oui, les ukrainiens restent fideles a leurs sonorites, mais le tout sonne admirablement bien (mention speciale a "Lost Threads", "The Seas Burn of Omnipotence" et "Song of the Void"). L'impact atmospherique des compositions devient une rigueur constante chez Khors, a un tel point que l'auditeur se laissera facilement emporter dans l'univers du groupe.
En s'eloignant des cliches recurrents du style, Khors propose avec Return to Abandoned une musique personnelle et inspiree, elevee a un stade de maturite qui fait plaisir a entendre. Il y a fort a parier que ce nouvel album fera de nombreux adeptes en soif de Black Atmospherique...

→ http://fr.metalship.org/albums/13024-Return_To_Abandoned#2514

Mortemzine 2 "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS sleduji od prvniho alba a jejich vyvoj je neoddiskutovatelny. Zatim vsak nebyl tento vyvoj na ukor kvality a kapela si stale drzela velmi vysoko nastavenou latku. „Return to Abandoned“ je vsak snad prvnim albem, ke kteremu mam vetsi vyhrady. Nejenze nenabizi prilis VELMI zajimavych momentu, na ktere jsem byl zvykly, ale ani neprichazi s nicim novym. Jedinou zmenou oproti „Mysticism“ je snad jen navrat k rychlejsim partum a celkovy spad desky. Co mi vsak vadi a nedokazu prekousnout, jsou klavesy. Nikdy jsem k nim nemel vetsich vyhrad, co se KHORS tyce, ale na „Return to Abandoned“ jich mam snad sto. Staci si pustit „Song of the Void“ a cloveku zakonite musi vrtat hlavou, jakeho efektu tim kapela chtela docilit. Klavesy nijak nepodporuji kytary, jen je rusi a vyluzuji „mimozemske“ zvuky, ktere zni jak nekde z pouti (trochu prehnane prirovnani, vim). Toto povazuji jako hlavni zapor celku. Zbytek malych nedostatku bych presel bez vetsiho povsimnuti. Trochu me to mrzi, ale i tak se da „Return to Abandoned“ parkrat slusne otocit.

7/10

Fastred

→ http://www.mortemzine.net/show.php?id=2478

2LP «Return To Abandoned» is out soon on Osmose Productions

Khors — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 06:05:00 +0000

«Return To Abandoned» album is out soon on legendary Osmose Productions in Double LP. This special edition will include studio version of album on the first LP and audio version of band’s live performance recorded during Kolovorot Pagan fest in 2010 on the second LP.

As shown on label’s website at www.osmoseproductions.com this special edition be released limited to 500 copies only 200 copies of which will include vinyls in olive.

LP1: "Return To Abandoned"

The Arrival (intro)
Lost Threads
Asgard's Shining
Song of the Void
The Fog (...and Grief Still Moans)
Mysteries Cosmos
The Seas Burn of Omnipotence
Sacrament of Buyan

Recorded, written, arranged and composed in Kharkiv and Kiev, Ukraine during summer 2008 — June 2010.

Helg — rhythm guitars and vocals
Warth — rhythm, accoustic and lead guitars
Khorus — bass and fretless bass
Khaoth — drums
Guest: Saturious — keyboards

LP 2: "Live"

The Arrival (intro)
Lost Threads
Asgard's Shining
The Fog (...and Grief Still Moans)
In The Depths of Black Hills
Mysticism
Thunder I Shall Bring
Ashes
Sacrament of Buyan
Trees Are Remembers

Recorded Live On Kolovorot Pagan Festival, Kharkiv, Ukraine, 24.12.2010.

Jurgis - vocal, guitar
Warth - lead guitar
Khorus - bass
Khaoth - drums

Bang Your Brain "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Khors este un grup ucrainean de pagan black metal,grup ce poarta numele zeului slav al soarelui Khors(Hors). Trupa s-a infiintat in August 2004 la initiativa bassistului Khorus acesta fiind ajutat de Helg (voce/chitara), Khaoth (tobe) si Warth (chitara) — muzicieni relativ cunoscuti in undergroundul ucrainean datorita activitatii in trupe ca Hate Forest sau Astrofaes. Khors are la activ 4 albume de studio: The Flame Of Eternity\'s Decline (2005), Cold(2006), Mysticism (2008), Return To Abandoned (2010), o compilatie si un DVD (Cold Ways — 2008). Trupa indica drept influente trupe ca Borknagar, Kampfar si Moonsorrow.

Return To Abandoned a aparut pe piata la sfarsitul anului 2010 si propune ascultatorului 7 piese destul de lungi, majoritatea depasind 5 minute, cu tempo mediu si intrerupte din cand in cand de pasaje atmosferice. Atmosfera razboinica este intretinuta si de versuri, temele abordate fiind cele relativ standard: razboinici, Asgard, Yggdrasil si...Angry Birds (de fapt Rebellious Birds). La capitolul versuri nu pot sa nu ma intreb ce legitimitate are o trupa slava care canta despre Asgard si Yggdrasil... dar probabil sunt eu rautacios.

Return To Abandoned nu suna rau, l-am ascultat de cateva ori consecutiv si nu m-a plictisit, este un album bunicel pentru stilul abordat, un album peste media genului. Din pacate insa acest stil muzical a iesit oarecum din prim plan dar daca va place black metalul atmosferic si daca pentru voi atmosferic nu inseamna Dimmu Borgir eu zic ca Khors merita o sansa. Piesa de rezistenta Sacrament Of Buyan.

Garm

→ http://www.bangyourbrain.com/source/disc_review.php?op=show&id=197&mr=Khors-Return_To_Abandoned

Official Website Update

Khors — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:05:00 +0000

Today our official website was updated. All work was carried out by Annexare Studio.

Scratch the Surface "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Return to Abandoned

Now four full-lengths into Khors’ musical career, what’s most impressive about this new work “Return to Abandoned” is the evolution it marks. Anyone who heard their previous work “Mysticism” will know that the Ukrainian act always had their own way of approaching black or pagan-metal standards by favouring a more atmospheric and melodic ambience in detriment of all the grimness and rawness practised by their Norse peers. On “Return to Abandoned” Khors push their affection for atmospheric nuances and folk-melodies into new heights, everything here sounds bigger and refined, whether it’s keyboard lines or the acoustic moments. As a result these eight songs probably have more in common with Amorphis-circa “Elegy” than anything labelled black or pagan. Songs like "The Fog (…and Grief still Moans)", “Song of the Void”, "The Sea Burns of Omnipotence" and “Sacrament of Buyan” all reveal a new-found penchant for 70’s-inspired music with the band employing various organ/Hammond sounds to great effect sounding not far removed from Amorphis’ folksier compositions.
Whilst the softer and gentler side of Khors is emphasized here, “Return to Abandoned” still has plenty of heavy and dark guitars as evidenced on “Asgard's Shining” and “Mysteries Cosmos” for instance.
All in all, Khors fourth full-length is a tough record to tag and I really have no clue where to file it other than great, engaging and dark music. (7.8/10)

→ http://www.scratchthesurface-webzine.com/2011/03/khors-return-to-abandoned.html

Lineup changes

Khors — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 06:05:00 +0000

Helg, the original vocalist/guitarist and main author of the music is with us again. Welcome back, brother!

Warth is no longer the musician for KHORS. We will not pay this any attention, and wish him good luck in life and business. Everyone chooses his own destiny himself.

The Inarguable "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 06:05:00 +0000

I am no stranger to Khors. A band having members of Astrofaes and Drudkh in their ranks, have put out a few memorable albums in their journey as a band thus far. This album, 'Return To Abandoned' being their latest collection of desolate and majestic black metal hymns. Epic, grandiose, bombastic and majestic are a few of the words that can be used to describe this album. In a listening society where these terms are used ad nauseaum with no regard for what they mean, this album truly does embrace the ideas and sounds of the above descriptors in full.

Freezing black metal is mixed with soaring keyboard arrangements, shred-y solos, folk-y sections and earthen, emotive vocals. This is like a toned down Kataxu, but only toned down in the respect of the synths. The song arrangements are complex and expansive, with a ton of breathing room for the instruments to play off of each other. This instrument work leads to an absolutely huuuuuuuuuuge sounding album, which the production absolutely helps with. The production, while being super clear and defined, is not polished to the point of plasticity. Everything sounds organic and soulful, which is completely necessary for this kind of over-the-top black metal chaos (HEAR THAT DIMMU BORGIR?) to sound believable.

This is symphonic, progressive black metal done RIGHT. Return To Abandoned is going to get a loooooooooooot of playing time around the office (maybe more than I care to admit to). This is definitely going to be a contender for the top ten albums of 2011 for me. Brilliantly outstanding black solar art.

E.

→ http://theinarguable.blogspot.com/

Totentanz "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Eine der spannendsten Neuveroffentlichung der letzten Monate mochte ich hier vorstellen: Die Ukrainer von Khors prasentieren auf ihrer aktuellen Veroffentlichung "Return To Abandoned" einen athmospharischen Pagan Metal erster Gute. Eigentlich ist dies nicht zu 100% meine Musik — sie war es eher zu Beginn des neuen Millenniums, aber Qualitat uberzeugt!
Sound, Befahigung der Musiker und dargelegte Kreativitat lassen wenige Wunsche ubrig. Der Black-Metal-Grundsound wird oft von asymmetrischen Power-Metal-Riffs der Seiteninstrumente kontrahiert, was unglaublich spannend klingt.
Besonders sollte noch angesprochen werden, dass die eingesetzten Keyboards wirklich spektakular sind und sowohl von deren Qualitat, als auch vom sehr kreativen Einsatz ihres Gleichen suchen. Dazu kommt der tiefe und sehr angenehme Gesang, der die Veroffentlichung richtig rund macht. Dies lasst nur einen Schluss Ubrig: Dies ist keines Falls ein durchschnittliches Pagan Album, sondern viel mehr und eine absolutes Muss, fur jeden, der Keyboards und Metal mag! Einfach mal auf Myspace anhoren und dann schnell die CD kaufen.

→ http://www.totentanz-magazin.de/tab_reviewcd.php?ID=3464

Rockerilla "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Darkside "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

В наши дни довольно редки случаи, когда новый альбом в дискографии какой-либо группы действительно становится её лучшим на данный момент творением. “Return to Abandoned”, несомненно, относится именно к таким. Поскольку предыдущий альбом звучал уж очень специфично, на новом релизе Khors вернулись к своему более традиционному, ориентированному на black, звуку. При этом звучание стало более глубоким и отчасти даже бархатным за счет обилия низких частот, что порой может вызвать ошибочные ассоциации с думом. Несмотря на вернувшуюся агрессию, опыт предшественника все же не проигнорирован, что отразилось, в первую очередь, в продолжительных композициях, которые могут похвастаться развернутыми структурами на фоне продуманных аранжировок. Однако, несмотря на некоторую завернутость, большинство композиций отличает ясность и определенная лаконичность, благодаря чему альбом нельзя упрекнуть в излишней затянутости. Идея клавишных соло, а также соло на акустической гитаре также получила дальнейшее развитие на описываемом альбоме, подтверждением чему служит убойное четырехминутное (!) акустическое соло в кульминационной части “The Seas Burn of Omnipotence”. Исполненное на фоне среднетемпового тяжеляка, соло подкупает своей незатейливой мелодикой и каким-то щемящим чувством грусти. Клавишные же соло рассыпаны щедрой пригоршней в большинстве композиций. Их звучание со стойким семидесятнеческим привкусом часто напоминает старый добрый Хэммонд. “Return…” также отличают более гибкие и, скажем, «маневренные» гитары, звучание которых, по сравнению с предыдущими альбомами, более раскованно. Скорее всего, причиной этого является смена гитариста, что на общем звучании группы отразилось лишь в лучшую сторону. Нельзя не отметить насколько хорошо звучит вокал, идеально вписавшись между вязкими гитарами и тягучим басом. Как для black metal, то может показаться, что он слишком гроуловый, однако, на общем фоне такой тип вокала еще более подчеркивает глубину музыки, придав ей дополнительный объем.

Несмотря на то, что “Return to Abandoned” звучит очень целостно и удивительно сбалансировано, «ровным» его назвать никак нельзя, благодаря композиционному разнообразию и динамике представленного материала, поскольку львиная доля песен обладают собственным лицом и запоминаемостью. Каждый трек продуман до мелочей, при этом, не создавая впечатления излишней отшлифованности и стерильности, а обилие мелодий заставляет изумленно приподнять бровь. В таких композициях, как “Song Of The Void”, “The Fog (…and Grief Still Moans)”, “Mysteries Cosmos” и упомянутом ранее эпике “The Seas Burn of Omnipotence” накал эмоций имеет свой пик, являясь кульминацией композиций в целом. Обращает внимание талантливая работа ударника, коему в общем звучании уделено достаточно места для демонстрации своего бесспорного мастерства. Редко где еще можно встретить столь, по-хорошему, «умные» барабаны, местами, правда, вызывающие околоджазовые ассоциации.

Что характерно, для записи альбома не потребовалось усилий звездных продюсеров в условиях супер студий. Вполне достаточно оказалось отечественных ресурсов, чего не скажешь при прослушивании, настолько мощно и (в хорошем смысле) по-европейски звучит конечный продукт. Поверьте, вы можете слушать “Return to Abandoned”, не напрягаясь от назойливой мысли, что это-де «совок». В данном случае Khors с завидным изяществом обошли все «отечественные бока», которые так часто мешают полноценному восприятию музыкального материала. Оформление оригинального американского диджипакового издания также на высоте и существенно отличается от упрощенной отечественной лицензионной версии.

Что касается стилистической принадлежности музыки, то это, несомненно, блэк с приставкой, скорее всего, pagan. Но прямых аналогий или упоминаний имен языческого культа в текстах вы не найдете, так же, как вы не найдете в музыке и фолковых элементов. Скорее передан сам языческий дух. Пожалуй, в данном аспекте творчество Khors можно сравнить с Borknagar и поздним Enslaved, однако не столько в плане стилистики, сколько в плане творческого подхода и, не побоюсь этого слова, в плане интеллектуального звучания. В целом, прямых аналогий привести нет возможности, поскольку Khors выработали свой стиль, который нашел окончательное закрепление на этой работе. Здесь вы услышите от каждого предыдущего альбома группы понемногу. Однако это не самоплагиат, а свежая интерпретация пройденного материала. Если дебютный альбом грешил неопределенностью в звучании, то в следующем, “Cold”, путь был найден. Далее, “Mysticism” стал своеобразным экспериментом, как будто группа исследовала пределы своих возможностей. “Return to Abandoned” же являет собой идеальную и сбалансированную квинтэссенцию всех ранее обретенных находок. В итоге, мы имеем самую сильную на сегодняшний день работу харьковчан, обозначившую новый стандарт качества для отечественных групп, одновременно с этим выгодно отличаясь своей оригинальностью от многих западных коллег. Так держать!

10/10

Alias 18 авг 2011

→ http://www.darkside.ru/album/27560/

Mortemzine "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Jsou kapely, ktere s kazdym dalsim albem posunou svoji hudbu a celkovy vyraz o hodne dopredu. To je i pripad ukrajinskych KHORS. Da se rici, ze predchozi tvorba tohoto hvezdneho ansablu byla jako nachazeni jedne cerne perly za druhou v cim dal hlubsim a temnejsim lese. Dostoji i „Return to Abandoned“ kvalitativni povesti svych predchudcu?

Posledni pocin „Return to Abandoned“ je ctvrtou dlouhohrajici deskou, ktera vysla dva roky po svem ocenovanem predchudci „Mysticism“. Na predchozim albu se kapela pustila do hlubokych melancholickych vod, pomalejsich temp, temnych nalad a septajicich hlasu. Dalo by se tedy ocekavat, ze i dalsi album bude v techto hlubinach pokracovat. KHORS vsak dostali sve nepredvidatelnosti a naservirovali nam mnohem primocarejsi, avsak o nic mene jednoduchy album.

Intro „The Arrival“ posluchace v kratkem case zavede do tajemnych a rozjimavych kraju, aby ho v zapeti druha skladba „Lost Threads“ pevne usadila na zadnici a ukazala jasny smer, kterym se bude cele album dale ubirat. Neni zde cas na nejake dlouhe sneni a rozjimani v prostoru a case. Jednotlive skladby jsou servirovane s temnou nalehavosti a rychlosti, avsak neztraci prehlednost, rozmanitost a pestrost. Muzikantske kvality vsech zucastnenych person jsou nepopiratelne, stejne jako kvalitni zvuk a graficke pojeti celeho alba. Pri poslechu tohoto pocinu je posluchac vrzen do svizneho proudu reky, kdy na sebe jednotlive skladby dobre navazuji a nenechaji ho utect myslenkami k jinym cinnostem. Neni to vsak jen pouha smesice pisni typu „blackova sypacka“, ale dostavaji zde prostor i vyborna kytarova sola a vyhravky, klavesove plochy, zmeny temp a nalad. Helguv vokal mrazi az do morku kosti a jeho vyrazu ani barve se neda moc vytknout. O klavesove party se postaral znamy muzikant Saturious, jehoz stopy lze nalezt na celem albu. Tim se dostavam k mirne vytce, a tou je prave obcasne, az neprijemne kvileni klaves, kterym je album protkano. Napriklad v pisni „Song of the Void“ klavesy doslova misty tahaji za usi. To je ovsem jen drobna vytka k celkove vyborne desce. Mym osobnim favoritem je skladba „The Seas Burn of Omnipotence“, ktera mi svym vyznenim evokuje eru a naladu Pink Floyd.

Kvalita a pestrost pagan/black metalovych kapel z Ukrajiny je uz jistym pojmem a KHORS tomuto trendu svoji posledni deskou rozhodne ostudu nedelaji. Vzali tvorbu sve hudby za trochu jiny konec, nezapletaji do ni temer zadne folkove prvky a radeji vsazi na celkovy pocit z poslechu. Podle meho nazoru se „Return to Abandoned“ muze smele postavit napriklad po boku skvostu „The Voice of Steel“ od vice nez spriznene kapely Nokturnal Mortum. Ne doslova, samozrejme, ale moje prirovnani urcite pochopite.

Nynejsi styl teto „all-star“ kapely je pomerne obtizne zaskatulkovat, protoze se striktne nedrzi ani jednoho ze zakladnich kamenu ruznych odnozi cerneho kovu a naopak pridava do sve hudby vzdy elementy nove. Nejlepsim resenim tedy bude si album poridit, ochutnat tohoto velmi dobreho plodu vychodni sceny a udelat si na nej vlastni nazor. V tomto zanru totiz podobne ovoce neuzrava zase tak casto. Myslim, ze mohu s klidnym svedomim rici, ze nebudete zklamani!

A co rici zaverem? Ukrajinsti KHORS vytvorili svym poslednim albem dalsi pomyslnou pricku pagan/black metalu a nezbyva, nez se nechat prekvapit jejich dalsim pocinem.

K recenzi poskytl: Paragon Records

→ http://www.mortemzine.net/show.php?id=2478

Crater Music "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Khors Return To Abandoned

→ http://cratermusic.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-khors-return-to-abandoned.html

Black Metal Ist Krieg "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Giungono alla quarta prova sulla lunga distanza i Khors, band proveniente dall’Ucraina e ormai piuttosto nota in ambito pagan black metal. Questo e infatti il genere proposto dai nostri fin dal loro esordio (“The Flame Of Eternity’s Decline” edito nel 2005), sulla falsariga di molti gruppi originari dell’Europa dell’Est. Questo nuovo lavoro non segna una particolare evoluzione stilistica: la base dei pezzi resta un black metal dalle spiccate tinte atmosferiche e dalle melodie avvolgenti, sempre presenti e ben in evidenza. Il riffing, a tratti piu malinconico, a tratti decisamente piu epico, chiama in causa di volta in volta gruppi come Hate Forest, Kladovest, Lucifugum ed Astrofaes (due membri dei Khors provengono infatti da questa band). Si puo tuttavia individuare qualche cambiamento che, pur non stravolgendo gli standard del gruppo, lascia intravedere qualche elemento di novita: innanzi tutto l’uso del synth e molto piu marcato rispetto al passato ed in molti casi le tastiere diventano lo strumento portante delle canzoni, trasmettendo un feeling cupo, mesto ed autunnale. Inoltre la ferocia esecutiva in molti casi lascia spazio a momenti piu introspettivi, dall’andamento rallentato e dal flavour naturalistico, che rimandano ai conterranei Drudkh. In altri frangenti ancora predomina l’elemento folkeggiante, veicolato soprattutto da soffusi arpeggi di chitarra acustica. La qualita dei pezzi e mediamente alta e questo, unitamente all’esperienza ed alla capacita dei musicisti coinvolti nel progetto, rende l’ascolto indubbiamente interessante e ricco di spunti. Una piacevole conferma per un gruppo valido, da supportare.

recensito da 'kremathor'

Voto: 7

→ http://www.blackmetalistkrieg.net/

Darkside 3 "Mysticism"

Khors — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

На сегодняшний день “Mysticism” является самой неоднозначной работой Khors. Не в плане качества представленной музыки, но в плане звучания, имеющего довольно существенные отличия по сравнению с двумя предыдущими альбомами. Помимо поставленной во главу угла мелодики, на альбоме доминирует довольно расслабленное настроение. Естественно, в адрес группы тут же посыпались упреки в излишнем смягчении звука, опопсении и попрании идеалов «истинного блэка». Однако подобные обвинения были слышны уже после выпуска “Cold”. Да и, положа руку на сердце, трудно утверждать, что Khors когда-либо играли black metal в его чистом проявлении. На самом деле придерживаясь курса, в целом ориентированного на black, Khors никогда не являлись узниками каких-либо рамок, постоянно экспериментируя и расширяя рамки жанра.

Однако перейдем, собственно, к альбому. Сразу отмечу, что он местами звучит слишком неожиданно и специфически, из-за чего порой теряется баланс между экспериментальностью и необходимой тяжестью, наличие которой все же подразумевается. В первую очередь, от своих предшественников “Mysticism” отличает своеобразное «камерное» звучание, которое, утратив значительную долю агрессии, обрело довольно хрупкий и, я бы даже сказал, «хрустальный» оттенок, на фоне чего ставшие уже традиционными гитарные соло отличает еще большая эмоциональность. При этом типично блэковый надрыв из звучания гитар, по сути, никуда не делся, будучи лишь упрятанным между многочисленными инновациями и нехарактерными для этого музыкального стиля частотами. Заметно усложнилась структура композиций, которые стали более развернутыми и разнообразными. Несмотря на возросшую сложность и определенную «навороченность» музыки, группа не утратила чувства меры, благодаря чему композиции не превращаются в нагромождение аранжировок и структур, обретая даже оттенок изысканности. Возможно, подобное ощущение вызвано постоянным присутствием клавиш, которые, несмотря на всю свою продуманность и выверенность, не доминируют над остальными инструментами, а подобно серебряным нитям воедино увязывают общее звучание. Кроме того, если гитарные соло к моменту записи “Mysticism” стали для Khors уже совершенно обычным явлением, то более чем неожиданным выглядит появление соло на акустике и клавишах.

Исполненный в более яростной манере вокал стал очередной новацией, вплотную приблизившись к гроулу на фоне столь хрупкого звучания. Достаточно прогрессивная и в целом нехарактерная для блэка ритм-секция местами удивляет неожиданными сменами ритма. Благодаря наличию умело расположенных инструментальных интерлюдий с удивительными переливами клавиш, альбом обретает оттенок некоторой концептуальности. Что характерно, упомянутые интерлюдии не являются пустыми инструменталами, призванными сыграть роль фона в переходах между основными треками, но являются самодостаточными и продуманными вещами, связывающими в неразрывное целое все иные композиции.

Под стать созерцательному настроению музыки и тексты, которые богаты на обилие абстрактных образов и пронизаны видениями, навеянными силами стихий. Что же касается стиля, то не стоит лепить избыточных нагромождений, выдумывая наиболее точное его определение. Все же, если внимательно вслушаться, то “Mysticism” это не что иное, как atmospheric black metal, только в намного более прогрессивной трактовке. Настолько прогрессивной, что порой создается впечатление, что музыканты немного перемудрили, и альбом излишне «переаранжирован», что и является виной дефициту децибел и упомянутой мягкости звучания, которое местами истончается до прозрачности.

В итоге “Mysticism” оставляет двоякое впечатление и его восприятие во многом зависит от личных предпочтений слушателя. С одной стороны, данный альбом стал не просто шагом вперед, но настоящим прорывом для Khors, подтверждением чему стал заключенный группой контракт с американским значком “Paragon rec.” С другой стороны, от высшей оценки удерживает упомянутое безудержное экспериментаторство, которое местами попросту огорошивает и производит впечатление непредвиденного маневра в сторону от основного пути развития, апогеем которого стал, все же, следующий альбом.

Alias 16 авг 2011

→ http://www.darkside.ru/album/17551/

Bes Webzine "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Ukrajinska black metalova scena, by sa v ramci slovanskych krajin dala pokojne prirovnat k norskej. Z Ukrajiny vzisli mnohe z najvacsich mien slovanskeho black metalu a kapela Khors k nim taktiez urcite patri. Khors posobi na scene od roku 2004 a vydane ma styri cele albumy. Nedavno kapele vysiel novy album Return To Abandoned vydany zamorskym vydavatelstvom Paragon records.

Return To Abandoned zabera priblizne 42 minut mystickej hudby, ktora pojednava, ako je u skupiny zvykom, znova o vesmire, pohanstve a mystike. Uvodne intro The Arrival zabera cisto klavesove casti a plynulo prechadza do druhej Lost Threads. Piesen je svizna v rychlom tempe, gitary aj vokal maju velmi dobry zvuk, tak isto bicie su vyborne zvladnute. Skladbu doplnaju klavesove casti, znejuce jemne ezotericky ako nocna prechadzka pod hviezdami. Hned na zaciatok tato skladba vyvolava velmi dobry dojem, hudba je az progresivna a v takejto forme album pokracuje dalej. Tretia skladba Asgard?s Shining sa znova nesie v rychlom tempe. V hudbe je citit vplyv novsej progresivnej tvorby Enslaved. Hudobne je skladba znova prevedena vyborne, bicie sem tam dokonca preukazuju naznaky blast-beatov a jedine, co ku koncu trochu zarazi su klavesy, ktore zneju miestami az prilis sci-fi a uberaju trochu hudbe na vaznosti. Dalsou skladbou na diele je Song of the Void, ktora sa nesie v pomalsom tempe, klavesy su na zaciatku namiesto predchadzajucej skladby prijemne a vhodne doplnaju ostatne nastroje, neskor znova nastupia spominane kozmicke klavesy, ktore tu plnia akusi ulohu sola a aj napriek vyhradam su zahrane naozaj kvalitne. Piata skladba sa nazyva The Fog (...and Grief Still Moans), je pomalsia, no niekedy az prilis prekomplikovana a absolutne mi nesedi k ostatnym skladbam na albume, pride mi trochu ako nepodareny pokus o ozivenie albumu. Nasleduje piesen Mysteries Cosmos, ktorou sa vraciame znova do povodneho tempa albumu, velmi dobre su gitarove melodie no nezaostavaju ani ostatne nastroje a vokal je znamenity, ako aj na celom albume. Skladba sa ubera taktiez progresivnou cestou, tak ako cele dielo. Siedmu skladbu The Seas Burn of Omnipotence otvaraju zivelne bicie doplnene progresivnymi gitarovymi linkami a sprevadzaju nas prijemne, usiam lahodiace melodie. V polovici piesne sa k hudbe pridava akusticka gitara, ktora je prijemnym ozivenim, skvelo dotvara celkovy baladicky efekt a je naozaj majstrovsky zahrana. Album ukoncuje skladba Sacrament of Buyan, v ktorej sa prijemne striedaju rychlejsie tempa s pomalymi gitarovymi vyhravkami. Svoje miesto v piesni maju aj pre album typicke klavesy, v tejto skladbe znejuce celkom dobre. Skladba ukoncuje album prijemne, zanechava dobry dojem, no hodilo by sa nejake velkolepejsie ukoncenie.

Na zaver by som zhrnul dojmy z albumu ako velmi dobre, povedal by som, ze Return to Abandoned zodvihol Khors urcite o dost vyssie k ostatnym legendam tohto zanru. Zvuk nastrojov je vyborny, gitary, vokal a bicie su majstrovsky zvladnute, podobne aj klavesy, pri ktorych mi vsak obcas vadil prehnane gycovy zvuk. Vytkol by som atmosferu, ktora mi v hudbe chybala a vsak pri tejto progresivne ladenej hudbe urcite treba uprednostnit technicku stranku hudby pred atmosferou, takze to nie je nejaka katastrofa. Album ako celok zanechava potesitelny dojem a zaujimavy je svojou originalitou, pre ktoru ho hodnotim pomerne vysoko v ramci slovanskej black metalovej sceny.

Hodnotenie: 80 %

Napisal: Zoreslav

→ http://beswebzin.blogspot.com/2011/02/khors-return-to-abandoned-20.html

Metal Archives "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Metal-Archives.com for Thrashpit.com

I feel like there must be a 'Berlin Wall' that never really collapsed when black metal was on the rise back in the 1980s and even decades later. For example, how many black metal bands from eastern Europe are considered monumental to black metal's insurrection compared to the many antagonists that emerged from Scandinavia? I can name Tormentor, Graveland...maybe Behemoth, but that's a debatable answer. Granted the most recognizable bands cover only a shade of black metal's moon, and how these regions were somehow overshadowed serves testament to the myopia of geographical bias. After all, there are more worlds than we can fathom within our own.

Khors, for instance, has never been brought up in any discussion regarding black metal that I can recall. The direction the band takes throughout "Return to Abandoned" resembles a unique compound of black metal entwining blissfully into the threads of 70s prog, psychedelia, and folk music via prominent keyboards, dazzling synthesizers, and jam-oriented textures that are key to capturing Khors' astral atmosphere. This direction isn't dashingly original, but Khors manufactures its outside influences without having atypical sources derail the band's intentions, unlike Nachtmystium did throughout "Addicts" in which psychedelia and industrial were the focal points. There's thankfully none of that nonsense here.

Khors instead prefer sticking to a somber black metal basin that is highly reliant on rich tremolo riffs and basic qualities found in the genre instead of drowning in various identities, which, oddly enough, actually makes room for more experimental thoughts. "Lost Threads" and "Asgard's Shining" are two of the most straight-forward songs on the album with both being driven heavily by melodic tremolo picking, heavy mid-paced sections, rocketing double-bass, and blast beats during the later track. Few things remain constant from this point on, as Khors adds an intricate amount of individualistic color to the remaining tracks; some focus on jamming acoustics, others sublime keys, and perhaps Pink Floyd worship here and there, but the metallic edge is never lost. It's nice to see a band that has no fear experimenting, but even better when there's a sense of self-control and consciousness.

More importantly, the dudes of Khors possess an enormous ability to compose otherworldly anthems. The sheer amount of atmosphere and might loaded in each track makes every song a standout in its own right, whether it's the electric keyboards throughout "Mysteries Cosmos" or the rockish riffing that makes "The Fog (...And Grief Still Moans)" a massive headbanger that still incorporates prog elements and acoustic interludes despite its grooving textures. The album's highlight surfaces during the ten-minute epic "The Seas Burn of Omnipotence," which sways and turns so magically it almost seems like Pink Floyd wrote it as a b-side that was somehow shipped to Ukraine and found by these blackened bards; it's overall an amazing tune.

So being that this is my first exposure to Khors, I must say I am deeply impressed by both their musical endeavors and instrumental bravery throughout "Return to Abandoned." The sense of clarity enchanting the album's bones makes for an intriguing listen exploiting a number of different dimensions, yet Khors can execute these risky maneuvers through the encompassing presence of black metal that defines the group's essence and reality. I'm not sure why these guys are overshadowed, but whatever the reason, definitely look into this. Hell, I may have to visit Ukraine if the black metal bands out there are half this good!

→ http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=289926

Musical Warfare "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Ukrainian pagan metal outfit Khors has always seemed like a bit of an enigma to me. Despite their heritage — founding members Khaoth and Khorus have played in Astrofaes, Nokturnal Mortum and Hate Forest, among others — these guys seem to be increasingly moving towards the softer side of the genre, especially on their latest release Return To Abandoned. The new album continues the style they displayed on 2008’s mysticism, featuring a keyboard-laden sound that’s heavy on the atmospherics. I felt like Mysticism’s primary appeal was its dichotomy of dark, guitar-driven riffing and the brighter impact of melodic soloing and acoustic passages. That contrast is still present on Return To Abandoned, but the softer elements have started to take on greater importance which seems to dilute the effectiveness of Khors’s sound a bit.

One of the subtle yet noticeable changes present on the new album is its production. While Mysticism felt more guitar driven, Return To Abandoned tones down the guitars to the point where they’re sometimes almost indistinguishable from the keyboards. While this certainly highlights the melodicism of Khors’s compositions, it also tempers the heaviness of the album quite a bit. One other thing that sticks out is the soloing, which is excellent as usual, but on this release the band experiments with different instruments and sounds for the leads, which don’t always work. The keyboard / organ solo in ‘The Fog’ just ends up sounding out of place. The odd instrumentation isn’t to difficult to look past, but it’s too bad since Khors’s melodic solos and lead work are a large part of what make them interesting and unique as a band.

There are still some excellent tracks on this album, starting with the opener ‘Lost Threads.’ Like the one-two punch of the previous album, Return To Abandoned features a brooding intro which gradually and seamlessly builds into the crushing opening riff of ‘Lost Threads,’ which is easily one of the album’s best. Others like ‘The Seas Burn Of Impotence’ and ‘Song Of The Void’ are a great mixture of pagan metal heaviness and dark melodicism. Return To Abandoned’s mix of atmospheric black metal, pagan metal and occasional hints of melodic death metal riffing all add up to a sound that I tend to think of as “black metal lite.” I’m not completely sold on it, but the various comments I’ve seen about the album seem to indicate that I’m in the minority there, so if you like melodic, atmospheric metal you’ll want to give Khors’s latest a listen.

→ http://www.musicalwarfare.com/2011/04/09/review-khors-return-to-abandoned-2011/#more-422

Darkside "Cold"

Khors — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Заявив о себе достаточно сильной дебютной работой, Khors решили закрепить успех и сразу же приступили к записи следующего альбома, лаконично названного “Cold”. Учтя ошибки и недочеты “The Flame Of Eternity’s Decline”, к процессу записи “Cold” группа подошла ответственнее, о чем свидетельствует более четкое и сбалансированное звучание. Присутствие большего количества запоминающихся вещей также является одной из главных характеристик альбома. Несмотря на то, что местами ритм все еще срывается в свирепый бласт-бит, нельзя не отметить общее замедление темпа, а также появление в музыке некого драматичного надрыва. Кроме того, присутствует определенное противопоставление “Cold” дебютному “The Flame Of Eternity’s Decline”, что выразилось как в названии и цветовой гамме оформления релиза, так и в его звучании. При последовательном прослушивании первых двух альбомов Khors создается впечатление, что каждый из них символизирует противоборствующие силы стихий – огня и льда.

Решив сделать подход к написанию музыки более творческим, Khors продолжили начатое годом ранее внедрение в композиции гитарных соло, которые стали более продуманными, развернутыми и значительно более сочными, чем раньше. Увеличение удельной доли клавиш в музыке также не может пройти незамеченным, однако даже с учетом данной особенности трудно утверждать, что Khors стали играть black с приставкой «симфо». Скорее, в данном случае это все же atmospheric black metal, поскольку клавишные не доминируют и гитар не «забивают», работая именно на создание необходимой атмосферы, своим холодным, прозрачным звучанием напоминая лед. Во многом благодаря столь разумному использованию синтезатора “Cold” отличает отстраненно-созерцательное настроение с определенной долей холодного гнева. Ярким тому примером служит “Garnet” с характерным «ледяным» звуком синтезатора на фоне типично блэкового тремоло. Минималистичный, метрономообразный ритм в данной композиции воскрешает в памяти бурзумовский “Filosofem”. Однако более всех других композиций атмосферу безмолвной драмы, царящей в ледяной пустыне, передает “Misery” — меланхоличный и отстраненный, буквально на ходу застывающий трек.

Все вышеперечисленное в своей совокупности составляет довольно привлекательную картину, условными минусами которой могут стать лишь суховато звучащий вокал, а также наивность некоторых клавишных партий, как, например, в инструментальной интерлюдии “Whispers”. Но это уже, как говорится, дело вкуса. Подводя итог, можно отметить, что именно на данном альбоме Khors нашли собственное звучание, одновременно явив миру отличное чувство меры и мелодии, а также нежелание топтаться на месте. “Cold” является предельно честной работой, ясно показавшей, что в будущем, мы смело можем ожидать от группы еще более качественные релизы.

8/10

Alias 15 авг 2011

Madeloud "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Maybe in the Ukraine you can't swing an axe without hitting a pagan black metal band, but it does seem strange that as somewhat obscure and specific a genre as the aforementioned would feature big releases in the last few months. Drudkh dropped Handful of Stars last year, promoting at least a few of us to dump praise on the Eastern European band's forward thinking, ambitious, but ultimately fat-free compositions. The album was a cleaner, less buzzy form of pagan black metal, but the careful production on the vocals and otherwise more advanced recording techniques took away little from the group's thrust and focus. However, the record wasn't an anomaly, and it's apparently wrong to think such a peculiar genre (like "Santa Fe shoegaze reggae"?) was isolated to just one or two bands.

Enter Khors, yet another black metal group from the Ukraine with a naturalistic foothold — I guess when it rains blood, it pours. The band's newest album is called Returned to Abandoned, and while the band manically fuses the atmospheric with the heavy in a way similar to their countrymen in Drudkh, the onslaught of Khors is more crystalline and sure of itself. That's not necessary a plus or a minus, but just an observation — there's the creepy mystery of one and the more overt complexity of the next. Returned to Abandoned makes its strongest statement within the nearly ten minutes of "The Seas Burn of Omnipotence," a big, moody composition full with soaring synthesizer, guttural growls, and acoustic-based breakdowns that get downright pretty before brimming over with angst.

While this track is arguably the most brash piece of technical pagan metal to be found on Return to Abandoned,, it's certainly in good company. "Lost Threads" begins with an instrumental breakdown that is equal parts Renaissance Faire bombast and unhinged metal snarl. The former is displayed through both a constant underpinning of acoustic instruments and through that synthesizer, which — depending on your tolerance for the tone — is either going to add another layer to Khors' sound or just sound hokey. For this reviewer, the honestly nerdy tone of the keys becomes less of an issue with each listen — yeah, it's an uncool sound, but the songs are well-written and dark enough that the band can sustain a little bit of "Final Countdown" keyboard bravado without losing the plot.

Return to Abandoned is unique black metal that will primarily appeal to fans of the more technical and well-produced subsets of the genre, as opposed to those who purely get their kicks from the gauzy and weird thrills of lo-fi and super-creepy groups like Murmuure. With that in mind, Khors does feature a little of both, though, making it at least worth checking out for anyone with love in their heart for all things earthy and black.

→ http://www.madeloud.com/articles/reviews/khors-emreturn-abandonedem

Darkside 2 "The Flame Of Eternity's Decline"

Khors — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Группа Khors была сформирована в 2004 году Khorus’ом, который ранее пребывал в составе такого уважаемого коллектива, как Astrofaes, являясь одним из его основателей в прошлом. Вскоре новообразованная группа, в которую также вошли Helg (Runes Of Dianceht) и Khaoth (ex-Astrofaes, ex-Hate Forest), записывает свой первый альбом, озаглавленный “The Flame Of Eternity’s Decline”. Взяв за основу среднетемповый black metal норвежского образца, Khors не звучат банально, сделав упор на мелодику. Местами отдаленно напоминая Emperor времен “IX Equlibrium”, группа остается достаточно самобытной для того, чтобы избежать обвинений в плагиате как упомянутых Emperor, так и кого-либо еще. Несмотря на то, что определенная ставка в звучании сделана на клавиши, последние прописаны довольно разумно, играя роль ненавязчивой подкладки на фоне яростных гитар, которые обескураживают низкочастотным околодэтовым звучанием. Особенно силен привкус «мяса» в “Spirit Of Fury”, выстроенной вокруг ультимативного дэтового рифа. Из-за упомянутых особенностей “The Flame Of Eternity’s Decline” грешит довольно сумбурным звуком и дефицитом средних частот, что вызывает чувство неопределенности. Порой невозможно отделаться от мысли, что во время записи альбома Khors еще находились в поиске оптимального звучания. Также камень в огород ударных, поскольку звук чересчур перетянутого рабочего барабана напоминает удары по наковальне. Тем не менее, упомянутые недостатки не являются определяющими и особо не портят впечатление при прослушивании. Обладая black’овым гипнотизмом и присущей этому стилю определенной монотонностью, альбом не навевает скуку во многом благодаря умению музыкантов вовремя переключить внимание слушателя развитием музыкальных тем. Кроме того, такие композиции, как “Eyes Of Eternal Loneliness”, “Throne Of Antiquity” и “Moan Of The Grief” могут нам предложить стремительные и динамичные, а порой зловеще-минорные соло, которые весьма освежают общий колорит звучания. Исключительно англоязычная лирика носит довольно абстрактный характер и наполнена скорее впечатлениями, нежели конкретными образами.В итоге получилась весьма добротная, пусть местами и несколько ровная, но при этом основательная работа, обозначившая крепкие black metal корни группы. “The Flame Of Eternity’s Decline” не произвел эффекта разорвавшейся бомбы, но, тем не менее, стал солидной заявкой, побудившей с интересом ждать продолжения в виде следующей работы Khors.

Alias 4 авг 2011

7/10

Flight of Pegasus "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS (UKR)
RETURN TO ABANDONED Paragon Records

→ http://www.flightofpegasus.gr/heavy_metal/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1&limit=23&limitstart=115

Bleeding 4 Metal "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS (Khors ist der slawische Gott der Sonne und des Lichts) haben mit "Return To Abandoned" ein neues Langeisen am Start. Darauf bieten die Ukrainer episch-paganen Black Metal, wobei sie sich ahnlich wie PRIMORDIAL auf die Macht weniger ausgewahlter Riffs verlassen. Die Kompositionen verfugen uber einen treibenden Rhythmus und erzeugen ingesamt eine sehr kraftvolle Atmosphare. Keyboards sind zwar vorhanden, werden aber nicht uberma?ig eingesetzt. Wenn, dann sind sie aber doch prasent und ungewohnlich, wie z. B. in 'The Fog (...And Grief Still Moans)', wo sie 70er ma?ig klingen oder den spacigen Klangen in 'Sacrament Of Buyan'. Trotz aller archaischen Kraft, die der Scheibe innewohnt, haben KHORS auch einge ruhige und sehr melodische Passagen in die Songs eingebunden und sorgen somit fur Abwechslung. So beispielsweise im fast 10 minutigen 'The Seas Burn Of Omnipotence', in welchem stellenweise nur Akustikgitarren zu horen sind.

KHORS haben mich mit ihrem au?erst kraftvollen und fesselnden "Return To Abandoned" vom ersten Augenblick an uberzeugt.

TIPPS: 'Lost Threads', 'The Fog (...And Grief Still Moans)', 'The Seas Burn Of Omnipotence'

Gesamtwertung: 9/10 Punkte

→ http://www.bleeding4metal.de/index.php?show=review_de&id=3265

Video from Kilkim Zaibu festival 2011

Khors — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 06:05:00 +0000

→ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl2-oKPEPSA&list=UU3MUD4ncfFWgW2YhD_b4l_w

Musikan Sich "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Mit Return To Abandoned stellen die ukrainischen "Black"-/Paganmetaller von Khors bereits ihre viertes Album vor und unternehmen einen Versuch, Kraft mit einer melancholischen Atmosphare zu vereinen.

Nach dem durchschnittlichen, aber zum Gluck kurzen Intro kommen beim Opener "Lost Threads" bereits alle Charakteristika des neuen Album zum tragen: einfach gehaltene Gitarrenriffs treffen auf eine ausgefeilte Songstruktur mit dezent, aber wirkungsvoll eingesetzten Klanglandschaften. Bei "Lost Threads" sind dies eher "spacige" Tone, die sich sowohl beim schnelleren "Asgard's Shining" als auch auf dem Rest des Albums zwar wiederfinden (und die an einen "Captain Future"-Soundtrack erinnern), hier aber mit erdigeren Klangen bis hin zu kurzem Pianospiel kombiniert werden.
Das Khors stets an der Grenze des "zuviel" kratzen macht das folgende "Song of the Void" mehr als deutlich, denn hier hat die Band eindeutig die Grenze des Bombast uberschritten, zu dominant werden die keys, und hier wird auch deutlich, dass die Songs, die doch uberwiegend die Vier-Minuten-Schwelle deutlich ubersteigen, vielleicht etws zu lang geraten sind. Zum Gluck wird "The Fog (...and Grief still moans)" dann wieder deutlich dunkler, was besonders gut mit den erneuten Pianoklangen vor dem Solo harmoniert. Dennoch wird mir die Band in der Mitte des Albums dann doch ZU vorhersehbar, nicht langweilig, dafur passiert immer zuviel bei Khors, aber es sind doch immer dieselben Elemente, das unterlauft auch bei "Mysteries Cosmos", das zwar rockiger beginnt, dann aber doch wieder mit denselben spacigen Klangen arbeitet. Gleiches Problem beim fast 10 (!) Minuten langen "The Seas burn of Omnipotence": zu langes drumming am Anfang, dann der immer gleich Wechsel von Gesang- und Melodieelementen, der Mittelteil hat ?was von spacigen Lake of Tears und ist trotzdem wieder zu lang — und dann klingt der Song auch noch mehr als zwei Minuten NUR aus... "Sacrament of Buyan" 5:31 setzt dann noch einmal ein bombastisches Ende.

Am ehesten lie?e sich das neue Khors-Album Return to Abandoned von seiner Anlage mit Borknagar vergleichen, ahnlich (uberwiegend gut) abgewogen ist die Mischung aus Bombast, untermalenden Klangen und Harte — der letzte Schliff fehlt allerdings noch, die Vorhersehbarkeit schrankt das Horvergnugen doch spatestens beim dritten und vierten Hordurchgang ein... Trotzdem ein sehr ordentliches und horenswertes Album.

→ http://www.musikansich.de/review.php?id=9418

LOUD! "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Folk Black Da Ukrania com ligacoes a alguns dos nomes mais fortes (a mais polemicos) do movimento, como Astrofaes, Nokturnal Mortum, Hate Forest mas sem se aproximar do brilhantismo musical dos seus pares. Havendo temas, de alguma qualidade, que sao maes Thyrfing que outra coisa qualquer, tambem ha outros que remetem para uns Moonsorrow mais genericos e nao exalam aquela atmosfera oculta que esperamos de um disco com esta origem e "bagagem". Se e para "irmos" aos bosques de Ukrania, mais vale faze-lo na companhia dos Nokturnal Mortum primeiro e so quando esses se esgotarem por completo e que os Khors tem alguma hipotese de irem de machila.

6.0 points J.C.S.

Kronos Mortus "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 10:13:00 +0000

BRIEF SUM: Khors owns all the cliched and overestimated bands for good.

Mar egy jo par eve aktivan probalom figyelemmel kiserni az ukran metal szinteret, s megmondom oszinten, hogy szamtalan minosegi munka erkezik keleti szomszedunktol, foleg ami a black metal szcenat illeti. Most pedig itt egy ujabb kivalo banda a Khors, ami szamomra szinte a semmibol bukkant elo. Pedig a hat eve alakult hordanak ez mar a negyedik lemeze. Mivel nem hallottam a tobbi korongot igy a fejlodes egyes szakaszairol nem tudok beszamolni, viszont a „Return To Abandoned” kepeben mar egy igen eroteljes arculattal rendelkezo banda zenejet hallom.

A muzsikat tekintve a black\pagan metal kategoriaba ekelheto be a Khors munkassaga. Ami elso hallasra atjon a korongot vegighallgatva az a leheto legmagasabb igenyesseggel felepitett dalszerkezetek. A dallamos riffek koze finoman beepulo billentyus temak pedig, adnak egyfajta egyedi karakteres hangulatot. Nem szokvanyos hangszinekre kell gondolni, hanem neha meg az Amorphis-t is eszembe juttato hammond szeru temakra. A sodro lendulet termeszetesen nem hianyozhat a Khors repertoarjabol, sot meg a hangulati plusz is vegig ott lapul a notakba. Igy termeszetesen a korong hallgattatja magat, hisz a dalok egy hompolygo folyamkent mindig felkinalnak valami apro ujdonsagot. Kivalo tetelek boven akadnak, de a „Asgard's Shining” es a „Mysteries Cosmos” kettoset mindkeppen kiemelnem. Mint ahogy a „Khaoth” dobos (neve nem cseng ismeretlenul az ukran szinteren) teljesitmenyet is, aki nagyon valtozatosan es eroteljesen uti vegig a korong 42 percet. Jatekat elmeny hallgatni.

A jo hangzas melle a megszokott igenyesseggel kidolgozott borito is tarsul, hogy tenyleg minden a helyen legyen. Nem tudok mast hozzafuzni ehhez a kivalo koronghoz nekem a 2010-es ev legjobbjai kozott volt, mert egyedi, hangulatos, es maximalisan zenei. A sok hasonszoru agyonajnarozott banda nagyon kicsire meghuzhatja magat a Khors mogott. Az erre a stilusra fogekonyak pedig batran beruhazhatnak az ukranok legujabb lemezere.

10/10

→ http://kronosmortus.hu/node/27161

Terroraizer Zine (UA)

Khors — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 06:05:00 +0000

Lords of Metal "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:13:00 +0000

http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=18130

Khors is een band uit Oekraine die zich heeft toegelegd op uiterst atmosferische black metal. En dat doen ze zeker niet onverdienstelijk. Op ‘Return To Abandoned’ gaat men verder waar men met voorganger ‘Mysticism’ gebleven was, maar de band heeft zich duidelijk ontwikkeld. Zo ligt het gemiddelde tempo iets hoger, klinken de riffs stuwender en is het geheel technisch iets complexer. De fijne keyboards spelen nog altijd een belangrijke rol in de muziek – die nog steeds als redelijk ontspannen omschreven kan worden – ondanks de toename in agressie. Het gebruik van mooie leads en solo’s geeft het geheel, in samenspraak met de epische arrangementen, een progressief karakter. De vele melodieen hebben steevast een melancholisch of verlangend gevoel over zich die de plaat als geheel tot een nostalgische ervaring maken. Met ‘Return To Abandoned’ biedt Khors de luisteraar een vrij originele, zeer atmosferische black metalplaat waar je lekker bij kan wegdromen. Warm aanbevolen.

Score: 83/100

→ http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=18130

Metallibrary "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Успешное музыкальное прошлое, сильный старт и непрекращающееся самосовершенствование – составляющие для украинской группы Khors, благодаря которым она выпускает новые альбомы (уже четвертый) и эволюционирует в одну из самых сильных и известных вне круга pagan сообщества команд страны. Вот, альбом "Return To Abandoned" обзавелся российским изданием – англоязычный, то бишь, честный вариант диска (тексты только написаны по-русски в буклете, а поются на иноязычном наречии, причем в оформление добавлено убожество двуязычия названий – видимо положение о том, что русские не знают языков, является аксиомой) вышел на Paragon Records – через Irond. Надо сказать не частый случай лицензирования альбома группы с постсоветского пространства через посредника.

Название кроме конкретного смысла конкретной песни естественно несет и некоторые символические семена. Так, по сравнению с "Mysticism" в стилистику dark melodic metal группа вернула явные отголоски black metal, прописав его в основном в начальном отрезке альбома, прямо поверх мелодических изысков, логично перебравшихся через два года на новую работу, и в данной форме расположившихся где-то между Amorphis, Borknagar и немецкими атмосферными коллективами. При этом подтверждения насущности pagan лелеются в красиво переведенных, надо сказать, осмысленных текстах, но если и были на первых двух работах, то сейчас оставили музыкальную составляющую Khors напрочь. При определенном умении видеть сокрытое, можно заметить отголоски более северных, скандинавских типажей народной мелодики, опять же располагающих к блеку, но не более.

Начало диска под стать записи: мощное, насыщенное, вздымающееся над слушателем в полном великолепии разукрашенной многочисленными мелодическими прожилками гитарной работы, которая постепенно дает дорогу, уступает часть места клавишным, исполненным приглашенным музыкантом. Начало сурово, великолепно, середина серовата – переходный момент, и концовка вопиюще мелодична с некоторой потерей мощи: примерно такой расклад ожидает нас здесь. Первая композиция, не стесняясь, предоставляет намеки на симфоничность, сменяется красивым акустическим проходом и блистает партиями соло, развивающимися из основной темы, переходящими в новые. Никаких более претензий по уровню записи, звенящим ударным, дребезжащим для сочетания с высокими частотами клавишных гитар – монолитный возносящийся перед слушателем материал, обретающий скорый максимум на "Асгарда Сияние", почти лишенной тонкостей, тяжелой вещи. Но уже последующей "Песнь Пустоты" опять проявляется изысканная мелодичность, а клавишные начинают чередовать то рассыпание мягкими переливами звездных пассажей, то проповедовать старый советский арт-рок с тоже космическими, но звучащими в стиле ретро синтезаторами. Этот налет психоделики, с каждой песней, ближе к концу все яснее проявляющийся ярко выделяет Khors среди всех других атмосферных групп, в частности, например, оттесняя в другую нишу очень удачные работы Astel Oscora. Просела в основном "Туман", хоть и старающаяся увлечь отдельными инструментальными ходам, но в сравнении с остальными, просто скучная, зато после нее откровением звучит "Пламя Морей Всевластия" в конце радующее прекрасной лирической акустикой.

Заслуженный, успешный альбом целеустремленной группы, творческий путь которой, стал виден уже после второго диска, и с каждым новым альбомом приближается к идеалам, которых мы будем ждать впредь – ведь с каждым новым успехом, ответственность за собственное творчество растет. На данный момент "Return to Abandoned" не безосновательно, по совокупность многих параметров является лучшим достижением украинских музыкантов.

→ http://www.metallibrary.ru/articles/reviews/8186.html

Киевский Рок Клуб "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Харківська група Khors ще від своїх початків демонструє нам оригінальний стильовий почерк, який вирізняє її з-поміж багатьох інших, що творять приблизно в тому ж фарватері. За останні роки він суттєво еволюціонував від оригінального паган-блеку до не менш своєрідного pagan metal, що було виразно помітно вже в альбомі «Misticism» (2008), а найновіший доробок групи, що втілився у «Return to Abandoned», засвідчує розвиток стилю, закладеного в альбомі-попереднику, але вже на новому рівні.

Новий альбом, що вийшов наприкінці 2010 року одразу на двох різних лейблах – американському та російському, привертає до себе увагу вже починаючи з назви. Як знаємо, повернення у фізичному та мисленнєвому світі– не одне й те саме. Семантика назви альбому, як і його (традиційно для Khors) англомовні тексти, говорить нам саме про філософський аспект цього поняття.

Дуже багато аспектів «Returnto Abandoned» свідчать про те, що цей альбом наразі є найкращим в усьому доробку групи. Поєднання динаміки раннього «The Flame Of Eternity's Decline» з атмосферністю «Misticism» тут виглядає не як проста сума складників, а як органічне переплетення досить жорсткого вокалу з майже арт-роковими соло клавішних, акустичних та електричних гітар — і все це з вигадливими, цікавими аранжуваннями, дещо несподіваною (особисто для мене) піднесеністю та романтичністю. Особливо в плані композиторської майстерності варто відзначити найдовший тут трек — «The Seas Burn of Omnipotence», який є справжньою перлиною свіжого альбому.

Диск, хоч, на мою думку, і не несе з собою приголомшуючого катарсису, слухається на одному диханні та лишає по собі стійке враження, що він є найбільш цілісною та зрілою студійною роботою команди.

Безсумнівно, «Return to Abandoned» виводить групу на новий етап творчості, поставивши планку професійності як ніколи високо.

Khors
Return to Abandoned
2010

→ http://rock.kiev.ua/arhiv/2011/73/

Metalteamuk "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 10:13:00 +0000

More might and mysticism from the Ukrainian wastelands and frankly I cannot get enough of this at the moment. As mentioned in last months review of Quintessence Mystica there is a lot of magic flowing through the veins of the incestuous bands formidably cleaving their way out the area. We may never get the chance to see any of these groups live but they are keeping us entertained with lots of albums and indeed if were to catch them live a certain spark may well be taken and the air of mystery could be negated. If you wanted to take a guess at what other projects members of this band had been involved in you would probably get a few right. Drummer Kharoth and bassist Khorus have both served in Astrofaes and the former also did time in Nokturnal Mortum and Hate Forest amongst others. The group have recently lost founding vocalist Helg and he has been replaced by Jurgis who it would surprisingly seem has not been in any other bands. One piece of information I cannot find is which of the vocalists appears on this release, as Helg only left in September due to family commitments and with no animosity I am assuming it is he that appears here.

Apparently Khors is the Slavic god of the sun and light and this is the group’s 4th album. The cover art of their previous ones to me look very basic and I wonder how they have evolved musically as this is an incredibly mature album and has much better artwork! After ‘The Arrival’ a brief mystical sounding keyboard intro we plunge into ‘Lost Threads’ and are immersed into a highly melodic and frost laden musical cavalcade complete with shrieking guitar cadences and hoary barbarous vocals. The keyboards make up a huge part of the album as a whole and are really effectively utilised, some of the work with them is incredibly retro sounding and there could well be comparison to another band even at this early stage of the album. Acoustic guitar work and flailing solos are thrown in and there is a strong progressive flow reminiscent of certain Norsemen bristling through this. With the cleave of ‘Asgard’s Shining’ it would appear that the band are quite happy embracing legends of the Norse too and this is a battle march of a number that takes no prisoners as it romps forth with a heathen feudal passion flowing through its veins. The keyboard parts that sinuously weave their way into the songs like roots splitting the soil (perhaps in line with the album cover) should by now have you thinking of Borknagar. The classic use of them on ‘Song Of The Void’ sounds like the band have found some old machine left over from the 70’s, done a patch up job and cranked it into life, and it sounds wonderful. Whether it is the Hammond or Moog button that is hit this breathes a feel of errant psychedelia into the music and makes it all the more infectious. As ‘The Seas Burn Of Omnipotence’ gears up I at first thought it was possibly going to roll into Hawkwind classic ‘Spirit Of The age,’ musically at times this sort of suggests it is going to completely wig out in this fashion but it keeps things metal and injects another fist pumping rhythm and passage of guttural vocals into things. However you really do not know what is quite around the corner, this one for instance goes into a shimmering, shoe-gazing passage of lush acoustic bridge work, beautifully and skilfully mesmerising the listener until the songs conclusion.

There is a hell of a lot to like in this album and I like it a hell of a lot. That might seem like a bit of a clichйd way to sum things up but the proof is very much in the listening and I can happily now add Khors to the list of all the other bands from The Ukraine I want to explore to their fullest extent. If you are looking for a heavyset dose of blackened, progressive heathenism you will find no fault here.

Pete Woods

→ http://www.metalteamuk.net/jan11reviews/cdreviews-khors.htm

Heavysound "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Tout droit venue de la froide Ukraine, KHORS compte bien venir gagner les terres de l’ouest avec un quatrieme album, Return To Abandoned que le quatuor nous propose apres avoir changer de chanteur et de guitariste, rien que cela. Le groupe peut evoquer ENSLAVED ou PRIMORDIAL avec un cote obscur bien moins prononce tout de meme, si le Black a bien des racines Pagan dans les melodies et les ambiances, les Ukrainiens puisent a plusieurs reprises dans le Prog’ ("Asgard’s Shining") par des sonorites de claviers decalees mais tres interessantes et puis la base est Black par la rapidite de certains passages mais aussi et surtout par les rythmiques traditionnelles sans pour autant en utiliser l’ambiance Old-School cradingue, non les ancetres Ukrainiens devaient etre propres (!). "Song Of The Void" renferme un bon break avec des ch?urs et une guitare melodique tres appliquee, voila egalement une constante de KHORS qui a chaque fois soigne les interventions de six-cordes pour un rendu melodique quitte a largement s’eloigner du Black ("The Fog (…and Grief Still Moans)" qui renferme un solo de clavier evoquant largement DEEP PURPLE ou l’introduction Heavy Metal de "Mysteries Cosmos") mais au final, le groupe reussi a se faire sa niche au milieu de tout ces styles que le public Pagan connait bien puisque le brassage des genres est regulier dans ce style. "The Seas Burn Of Omnipotence" est pretexte a un developpement melodique et progressif qui confirme encore une fois que KHORS aspire a bien d’autres choses que de crier sa haine de la societe actuelle, c’est plutot avec une bonne dose de subtilite que les Ukrainiens font passer leur message, l’acoustique est egalement du voyage et procure cette chaleur a un album reellement interessant qui seduira les amateurs de Pagan Metal bien entendu mais aussi au-dela car aucune reference Folk n’est faite ici, une bonne decouverte et un potentiel a surveiller.

Note : 7,5/10

→ http://heavysound.fr/Khors_ReturnToAbandoned.aspx

Metalcrypt "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Wed, 25 May 2011 10:13:00 +0000

This is the fourth album from Ukrainian band Khors, whose re-released first two albums I reviewed not long ago. I found their early works competent but undistinguished, and this isn’t a whole lot different.

This album is obviously highly influenced by Negura Bunget and other, similar bands who mix folky acoustic work with their post-metal inflected music. This is almost entirely devoid of traditional Black Metal sounds except for the raspy vocals, which now do nothing but hinder the band. The riffs are open and smooth, the guitar tone is dry, and the acoustic bits are well-played and mellow. I don’t find this offensive or anything, but it doesn’t really manage to create much interest, and before you know it the whole album has flown by without leaving one thing you can remember. Non-essential, but good for background music.

→ http://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php?revid=6700

Manuscript "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 21 May 2011 10:13:00 +0000

http://manuscript.hmarka.net/reviews/khors_return_to_abandoned.html

Незамітно пройшли ці два роки, від часу коли був виданий попередній альбом "Mysticism". Новорічним подарунком для мене особисто став четвертий по рахунку повноформатний альбом KHORS. Не перевелися скальди на Слобідській землі, що підтверджує харківський квартет альбомом "Возвращение К Забытому". Щодо забутого, то напевно в музикантів свої міркування, і щоб зрозуміти щось з тих ідей можна почитати тексти (Слава Богам в буклеті вони присутні!). Але ніхто не забутий, ніщо не забуте, і всі роботи пам'ятаємо та слухаємо! Матеріал записувався в оновленому складі з новим гітаристом Warth'ом. Нове творіння "Возвращение К Забытому" видався Не таким меланхолійним як попередній. Я вважаю, що він є чимось посереднім між першими альбомами та "Mysticism". Та от вокал змінився. Став як в богатиря похмурий, і багато в чому нагадує дезову манеру співу. Возмужав Helg чи пагубний вплив тютюно-пивасикових ніштяків дає про себе знати. А над дикцією потрібно працювати. Характеризуючи барабани на цьому альбомі з "The Flame Of Eternity's Decline" — це велика різниця. Чіткий звук від повелителя барабанних паличок Khaoth'a віддає океанічною хвилею, що розливається в колонках лігва MANUSCRIPT. Що я ніяк не можу зрозуміти, так це фінське клавішне посвистування клавішних записаних, до речі записаних в Харківській NIGHTMARESTUDIO. По-моєму в AMORPHIS це виглядає більш природно. Тронуло мене акустичне соло Warth'a в "Пламя Морей Всевластия", і відкинуло десь далеко на Піренейський п-ов в ароматні спогади евкаліптових лісів, де доводилося прогулюватися спекотними роками злорадної молодості. По стилістиці віднесу до романтичних вод язичницького dark black metal.
8,5/10

→ http://manuscript.hmarka.net/reviews/khors_return_to_abandoned.html

Zero Tollerance "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Fri, 20 May 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Dunno, why i slept on this band for so long, now on their fourth full-length, Khors situate themselves well alongside their Ukrainian BM brethren but offer something uniquely their own, too. Muscular in their professionalism like latter-day Nokturnal Mortum yet still windswept and full of wonder like more recent Drudkh, on Return To Abandoned(So What??) Khors patiently paint pagan landscapes that are engrossing and involving and, fairly often, even light-er-in-the-air life-affirming — no mean feat, than — everything unfolding with poise, each song sounding epic whilst clocking in at an average of five minutes. Elsewhere, the band takes pleasant pagan(prog)detours, all before ripp(!)ing back into life(!) with heroic heavy-metal-is-the-law-leads. And vocals are on the gruffer, deathlier end of the BM spectrum, solidifying Khors otherwise-plausible crossover appeal. Not sure if the occasional -and rustic — Moog detracts or augments, but I'll take these journeys and days.

Rockcor №3 (2011)"Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Fri, 13 May 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Харьков всё ближе и ближе к званию столицы украинского андерграунда! Там сочиняют свои нетривиальныые альбомы мизантропы Drudkh, и так же творят знаменитые (в определённых кругах, естественно) Khors. Группа относительно молода(летописи гласят, что всё началось в 2004 году), но за это время харьковчане не раз и не два делили сцену с группами топ-уровня. Behemoth,Samael,Cynic,Gorgoroth — это далеко не полный список тех, с кем играли Khors. Но как известно, не совместными выступлениями зарабатывается авторитет на тяжёлой сцене. Эти смелые хлопцы и сами творят такое, от чего законодателям жарна впору забеспокоится, ибо молодые коллективы уже не наступают им на пятки, а идут на обгон! Свежайший лонгплэй группы, который называется "Возвращение к забытому"(вышедший в Америке под названием"Return To Abandoned") — новый виток в карьере Khors. Основу материала состовляет массивный, эпичный doom black metal, опирающийся на вязкие тягучие риффы и жёсткий экстремальный вокал. Всё это великолепие украшается сольными гитарными партиями, фольклорными мотивами и атмосферной лирикой. Качество звука, уровень композиторского мастерства, разнообразность композиций — здесь всё на очень высоком уровне. Достойный релиз, который определённо оставит свой неизгладимый след в сердцах и ушах любителей подобной музыки.

Вадим Климов (4/5)

Xtreem zine

Khors — Thu, 12 May 2011 06:05:00 +0000

1. Hello Khorus, how are you? Regards from Spain, a pleasure to speak with you. Explain to us a bit the beginnings of the band up to nowadays, why did you decide to create the band? Has it been a difficult way?

Hi Juan!

I'm fine, thanks! Our way has begun in late summer of 2004. It happened right after I left ASTROFAES, the previous band I’ve played in. I had some ideas and concept for the new band of mine and some plans for its further development. With the help of Khaoth first and then Helg and Nort who joined to us as well it was possible to us to realize our plans and ideas. At the moment we are valid element that keeps one of the leading positions among the Ukrainian bands judging by the feedback of public and press. I can’t tell these almost 7 years of our activity behind us was so easy. It’s quite hard in Ukraine to be engaged in music and make money and still find enough time for the family at the same time. But at the moment all the things go well I believe.

2. Let's speak a bit about the discography of the band. "The Flame of Eternity's Decline", in my opinion, KHORS was a band more aggressive than at present, do you agree? And since we speak on your first album, this one will be released in LP, why have you decided to do this?

Our first album namely “The Flame of Eternity’s Decline” has really turned out even more aggressive and powerful than we supposed it initially. It passes properly our emotions and feelings which led us during the creation of music and recording process.

LP version was released by Heidenwut Productions in the end of 2010. This label also released our second album “Cold” on LP before. We like so much that kind of format and we plan to release all the albums of ours on LP. In particular our “Return To Abandoned” record is plan to be released by legendary Osmose Productions soon.

3. On the other hand, “Cold” & "Mysticism", I believe that it is a more experimental albums....

We’ve decided to not to continue the line of aggression and to make the following album a little bit other. As a whole I can note that we always try to make different albums. “Cold” is quieter and measured but still some powerful and fast tracks are there in. In “Mysticism” we concentrated on atmosphere and melodies. I think that it’s the most experimental album of ours at the moment.

4. And now let's speak about your last album "Return to Abandoned ". On having listened to the album, I have noticed that it is more direct than "Mysticism" though also it is something melodic, might he be "Return to Abandoned" a mixture of your first three albums?

“Return To Abandoned” is more harder than “Mysticism” and we can surely speaking we was success in mixing the kind of aggression we made on our first albums with melodies and atmosphere of late album on this latest one. Nevertheless it’s other than the previous three our records in any case.

5. You and Helg write the music and the lyrics in KHORS, speak to us please a bit about this.

Yes, we wrote and we’ll write the music and lyrics further notwithstanding the Helg left the band. He will become a party to creation of new stuff as well as Warth and our new guitarist/vocalist Jurgis. We become to create the music for KHORS in two with Helg starting from “Cold” record and on the first one there was only me who wrote all the music then Helg joined us right before recording of it. Then later on Helg has brought a huge contribution in creation of new stuff on all records.

6. What importance has the nature for KHORS? Is it KHORS a pagan band? What do you think about the paganism?

For us bonding with nature and with ancestor’s belief as well is fundamental and indissoluble things. This way we’ve chosen for a long time ago even before I gathered KHORS and I don’t think some factors can force us to remove from it. The lyrics completely pass our perception of the nature and spiritual unity with the ancient world.

7. We go with some members of the band, Saturious (Keyboards), he is an guest musician or is a permanent member in the band? Why they have so much does he attend the keyboards in "Return to Abandoned"?

Saturious is old friend of ours and he participated in all the records of KHORS as well as in some records of ASTROFAES, the previous band I’ve played in. He’s not the band member but only helps us in studio and his help is very important! The keyboards create very original atmosphere in our music.

8. And now let's speak about Helg, why has Helg left the band?

Helg’s got very complex situation in his family life and cause of which he couldn’t go tours and pay sufficient attention to the band anymore. We respect his choice and this situation hasn’t affected our personal attitudes with Helg. We are friends with Helg still as well as with our other ex- member Nort. Recently Helg became father second time with what we congratulated him sure)

9. Will it be Jurgis the official substitute of Helg?

Yes, Jurgis is officially in the band since last autumn and it happened right after Helg left our staff. Before that Jurgis was session musician on Helg’s place. Jurgis actually is musician of high level and we’re very glad he’s joined us.

10. The last work of the band is the DVD "Winter Stronghold", what can you explain to us on this DVD? WhymotivehaveyourecordednowaDVD?

This is official bootleg DVD kinda like for fans only. He filmed on stationary handycam during Kololvorot, Pagan fest in late 2009. This DVD crowns the era of Helg in the band, some kind of a result his stay in KHORS as guitarist/vocalist.

11. Speak to us a bit on your shows, of the Sumardag Fest, etc...

We love to play live shows as it is important part of our activity. As for Sumarsdag fest unfortunately I can’t notice it successful one mainly due to the very bad attendance. We had many much more successful shows and fests in different cities of Ukraine, Russia, Moldova and Belarus.

12. In the festival Kilkim Zaibu, you play with bands like SKYFORGER, TEMNOZOR, NEGURA BUNGET, etc... Besides these bands, also you play with MEKONG DELTA, is not it a bit strange that a band of Thrash Metal like MEKONG DELTA plays in this festival?

Yeah, very strange! You know when we’ve learned about participation of MEKONG DELTA on this festival we were a bit surprised, ha-ha! Of course we feel sympathy to this band but if considering the themes of the festival then it really seems strange. But that’s the choice of fest promoters and that’s completely up on them. No problem! I’d like to note that we’ll be very glad to play on this festival and we’d like to thank Daividas, the fest boss for the invitation.

13. Let's speak now a bit on your country. Do you believe that they have the Ukrainian bands slightly special?, culture, form of life, traditions, etc …

I can’t say I’m of high opinion on our Ukrainian scene. Except of Kharkov school black metal as well as pairs-three nuggets I see no sense to talk about something special. As for our country then it has not really its best times. Economy crisis and political collapses don’t give calm and steadiness to our people. But I believe in our people, in our nation! We have ancient and very strong roots, great ancestors and nice history! Traditions are strong and people will cheer up sooner or later!

14. Have you contact with some band of your country?

Our friends are the guys of NOKTURNAL MORTUM, REUSMARKT and Roman Saenko (DRUDKH). We are in contact with them.

15. Well, already we have ended, thank you very much Khorus for your collaboration, if you want to add some thing to this interview, forward. Thank you very much and luck with the band.

Thanks a lot for the interview. I was glad to answer your questions. My cheers to the people of Spain! Cheers! Honor your history and your ancestors!

Headbanger "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Wed, 11 May 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Оценка: 9
11.05.2011, Роман Патрашов
Украинская блэковая сцена, подобно норвежской в начале нулевых, вступила в период зрелости. Ее лидеры все больше отходят от политической и религиозной ангажированности, которая была движущей силой большинства коллективов сцены в период ее зарождения и становления, и все больше внимания уделяют музыкальному развитию, хотя и сохраняют при этом определенные базовые элементы стиля. При этом богатый опыт и наличие адекватных студий позволяет им выражать сколь угодно смелые музыкальные идеи, воплотить которые ранее было бы нереально чисто технически. Один из ярких примеров такого пути развития – это Drudkh, участники которого некогда играли в радикальнейшем коллективе Hate Forest, а ныне издаются на авторитетном западном лейбле Season Of Mist.
Еще одни харьковчане, Khors, таким солидным контрактом похвастаться пока не могут, но движутся в том же направлении. Лидером этой группы является бывший басист Astrofaes, функции сессионного клавишника исполняет Сатуриус из Nokturnal Mortum, но на “Return To Abandoned” вы не найдете и намека на идеологический экстрим. Тематика текстов Khors ближе к язычеству, а в музыкальном плане команда, сохраняя основы стиля в виде стопроцентно блэкового гитарного саунда, делает ставку на разнообразие инструментальной палитры и красивейшие мелодии. За это стоит в первую очередь сказать спасибо все тому же Сатуриусу – играет он на редкость изобретательно и порой использует чуть ли не «Хаммонд» или, по крайней мере, что-то сходное с ним по звучанию. Хороши и гитаристы – их арсенал не ограничивается блэковым бэкграундом, они также могут играть и очень мелодично, порой даже переходя на акустику, чем активно и очень удачно пользуются. Один из них еще и поет, причем не типичным для блэка скримингом, а суровым и на редкость разборчивым гроулингом. Словом, “Return To Abandoned” – это большое музыкальное приключение, где нет похожих песен, где постоянно что-то происходит, где слушателя с головой захлестывают разнообразные музыкальные образы, подкрепленные соответствующей мрачной лирикой. Нечто подобное делают в Норвегии Borknagar, но те ставят во главу угла космическую тематику и соответствующее музыкальное оформление; у украинцев космос тоже присутствует (см. трек “Mysteries Of Cosmos”), но все-таки Khors – это скорее языческая группа, поэтому в их мелодиях доминирует фолковость, да и к блэку они куда ближе, чем норвежцы, не раз и не два по ходу звучания альбома срываясь в самый настоящий бласт-бит.
При этом материал Khors на удивление доступен для практически любой аудитории — у них нет 15-минутных эпических полотен, они не зациклены на супер-медленном или супер-быстром темпе, они не создают атмосферу путем многократного повторения одного аккорда и не пытаются ставить во главу угла ни андерграундность, ни прогрессивность. Они просто сочиняют отличную музыку в жанре пэган-блэк-метал и идут своим путем, не ориентируясь ни на культы прошлого, ни на современные модные течения. Что опять-таки является показателем зрелости сцены – ее лидеры достаточно сильны, чтобы гнуть свою линию, но и достаточно разумны, чтобы не рвать связей с вскормивших их стилем и его фэн-базой.
P.S.Пусть вас не вводит в заблуждение русскоязычный буклет – все композиции “Return To Abandoned” на издании Irond, как и на американском издании альбома, исполняются по-английски, просто у нас почему-то решили вместо текстов песен опубликовать их переводы. Не скажу, что я в восторге от такого решения, и не нахожу его логичным, но, в конце концов, сам альбом нисколько не стал от этого хуже.

→ http://www.headbanger.ru/reviews/album-1636

Zwaremetalen "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Return to Abandoned
Paragon Records — 2010

Ik kan dit album niet anders noemen dan een gemiste kans. Khors uit Oekraine is duidelijk een getalenteerde band die weet hoe je afwisselende muziek moet schrijven, die een beetje zweeft tussen atmosferische black metal, folk metal, een (klein) beetje death en nog wat power metal voor de goede orde. Veel dynamiekwisselingen, verschillende zang en sterke melodieen waardoor ik nog het meest aan met name het laatste (mees-ter-lijke) album The Voice of Steel van landgenoten Nokturnal Mortum moet denken. Maar met een belangrijk verschil wat voor een enorme impact zorgt.

Want wat is dit album verschrikkelijk slap uitgevallen! Ondanks alle goede dingen die ik te melden heb maakt het allemaal weinig uit want mijn aandacht verslapt gewoon keer op keer als ik het opzet. De niet aflatende keyboardlaag onder de muziek is een van de grote boosdoeners. Het klinkt nep en zelfs de meest agressieve stukken op het album komen hierdoor weeig en krachteloos over. Het is ook gewoon de productie in het algemeen die elk noodzakelijk metalen randje weggevijld heeft van de muziek. Eind jaren negentig kwamen er veel gedrochten langs die hetzelfde probleem hadden. Wie kent bijvoorbeeld nog Necromicon met Sightveiler?

Een gemiste kans want dit heeft alle ingredienten om je als een driedubbele espresso in de vroege ochtend te raken. Voor mensen die alle zwarte creaties graag met veel melk, suiker en verdund tot zich nemen, tel gerust 10 punten op bij onderstaand cijfer.

Score: 74/100

→ http://www.zwaremetalen.com/recensie/17727/Khors-Return-to-Abandoned.html

Zwaremetalen Re-issue "The Flame/Cold"

Khors — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 10:13:00 +0000

From Ukraine here a firm collectie folky black metal comes which I define as: where your money, perhaps not your time. Khors have again brought out the first two albums on this collectie with a freight cargo to demonummers, remixen and live versions. Sixteen original numbers, nine extraatjes and total of two hours and quarters a music. If it kwantiteit is what you zoekt then sit it, however, good. Khors make atmospheric and folky version of black metal with much space for very well gitaarsolo' s. takes the music of compatriots Nokturnal Mortum, obtains there the bulk of the genius (no disgrace) and aggression as from and you comes in the buurt. Both albums are not substantial differing from each other. The Flames or Eternity Decline something has been produced more heavily whereas Cold what more excels in an ethereal sound with many bells. For the fans sits there considerably what adds extra material and here and there that also something. The artrockversie of Cold on the first cd are not my taste but are effective considerably differently. Live the numbers on both cd' s be well of quality but sound rather emotionless, interaction with public is not hear anyway. As a conclusion I can only say that if you are, however, a supporter of the later work and these cd' s not yet have, it worth it is listen to this once. That is the bests what I can make of it.

→ http://www.zwaremetalen.com/recensie/18018/Khors-The-Flames-of-Eternityas-Decline-Cold.html

Pavillon 666 "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 06:05:00 +0000

Il semblerait qu'en Ukraine les sorties de fin d'annee de qualite soient monnaies courantes. Nokturnal Mortum nous le prouvait deja en 2009 avec la parution de son dernier opus de grande envergure a quelques jours de la nouvelle annee et cette fois-ci ce sont leurs compatriotes de Khors qui affirment cette tendance. "Return To Abandoned" est la quatrieme sortie du groupe de Khorus, l'homme en question et ses acolytes semblent d'ailleurs assez prolifique si l'on considere que cela fait "seulement" six ans que Khors existe. Le groupe s'est notamment impose grace a ses deux dernieres offrandes : "Cold" et "Mysticism", respectivement sorties en 2006 et en 2008, affinant leur style melodique et envoutant, les hissant presque au rang d'incontournables de la scene de l'est, ce qui ne devrait tarder si ces derniers multiplient encore les sorties de qualite dont ce dernier jet fais parti. Conservant l'ame de ses predecesseurs tout en agrementant la beaute de sa forme d'elements subtils, "Return..." risque fort de s'imposer dans le c?ur des fans comme la meilleure realisation de Khors pour bon nombre d'entre eux, bien qu'a tout les coups des clans se formeront comme d'habitude, ici les fans de "Mysticism" d'un cote et ceux de cet opus de l'autre.

A peine le morceau d'introduction "The Arrival" demarre-t-il qu'une atmosphere presque cosmique nous envahit, l'album developpant un cote aerien permanent dans ses compositions comme l'affirmera la premiere vrai piste "Lost Threads" et son depart melodique a la fois tragique en belliqueux. Les riffs de Warth tantot acoustiques, tantot incisifs, sont de vraies ballades a tiroir aussi simples d'acces qu'efficaces et la voix de Jurgis opte pour une tessiture plus rauque et seche, apportant un semblant de violence supplementaire aux cotes du jeu de futs de Kaoth multipliant les rythmiques avec habilete, ne perdant jamais la piste musicale de ses compagnons et laissant parlant son art a sa guise tout en s'eloignant des repetitions de blast que certains de ses confreres batteurs revendiquent parfois sans raison pour se concentrer sur une mouvance de percussion adequate et personnelle.

La production s'avere ideale tout au long de l'ecoute. Chaque instrument est a sa place et participe a ce maelstrom emotionnel a part egale. Cette parfaite comprehension de tout ce qui se passe fait partie integrante du charme de cet album, le nouveau conte des ukrainiens ne peinant aucunement a emporter l'auditeur dans l'univers qui est decrit et ce quel que soit l'elan instrumental survenant. Par consequent, les montees de clavier sur "Song Of The Void" qu'un autre groupe aurait pu rendre ridicules sont amenees de facon logique et non surfaite de meme que l'evolution du tres bon "The Seas Burn Of Omnipotence", penultieme titre long de plus de neuf minute, se fait sans aucun soucis, chaque titre etant egalement une suite logique du precedent, renforcant la notion de voyage qu'engendre l'ecoute de cet album.
Bien sur Khors ne mise pas tout sur l'atmosphere et n'hesite pas a nous proposer une fois encore un lot de pistes reellement marquantes a la maniere du savoureux "Asgard's Shinning" et son riff d'introduction batailleur faisant a lui seul ressortir ce titre du lot toujours accompagne de ces variations atmospheriques touchantes. N'oublions pas bien sur le terrible "Mysteries Cosmos", droit au but dans sa forme mais o combien addictif, reprenant un peu tout ce qui fait la force de ce dernier dans un condense efficace et droit au but.

L'ame de Khors est donc toujours aussi vivace, la formation menee avec foi par Khorus apportant une nouvelle pierre de choix a l'edifice du metal ukrainien. On regrettera peut-etre que malgre l'efficacite de l'album il n'y ait pas eu un ou deux morceau d'honneur supplementaire, d'un autre cote, avec ce genre de sortie tout le monde peut trouver midi a sa porte et ce n'est donc pas necessairement un mal. Khors s'affirme toujours au fil des annees comme une formation de qualite pour la scene ukrainienne et plus generalement pour la scene metal de l'est. Un groupe a suivre si vous ne le connaissiez pas encore, ils peuvent aller loin et ont deja parcourus une bonne distance. Il ne tient qu'a vous de les rattraper.

8/10

→ http://www.pavillon666.fr/chronique-metal-5599.php?PHPSESSID=abaa545436c9e03b8c86b4901bae0d22

Khors - Asgard's Shining (Live Video) 2010

Khors — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 06:05:00 +0000

Filmed during latest Kolovorot festival. Kharkiv, Ukraine. 24-12-2010

→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRS1c1Uzmgk

Metalship Re-issue "The Flame/Cold"

Khors — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 10:13:00 +0000

The Flame of Eternity's Decline / Cold
Khors The Flame of Eternity's Decline / Cold (Double album)

6/10
Khors au commencement...

Parfois, la rarete d'un produit alliee a une demande consequente suffisent a faire plier les industries, contraintes sans cesse de s'adapter a son public pour perdurer. Derriere cette introduction typiquement capitaliste se cache une verite qui se doit d'eclater au grand jour: Khors, le groupe Pagan ukrainien qui sevit dans l'ombre d'un Drudkh adule, propose en cette fin d'annee 2010 la reedition de ses deux premiers opus, The Flame of Eternity's Decline et Cold, le tout sous la forme d'un double-album agremente de quelques bonus.
C'est au label Paragon Records que l'on doit cette offrande, longtemps attendue depuis le temps que les deux sorties etaient difficilement trouvables (voire introuvable pour Cold!)... Nouvel artwork, quelques bonus live et autres raretes et l'integralite des deux albums, tel est le menu de The Flame of Eternity's Decline / Cold.

Pour ceux qui n'ont jamais eu l'occasion de poser une oreille meme distraite sur Khors, il est temps de faire les presentations. Cette formation ukrainienne compte en son sein d'eminents membres de formations cultes comme Drudkh, Astrofaes ou encore Nokturnal Mortum. Partie sur un Black Metal vehement avec son premier opus, la musique de Khors a ensuite evolue vers des sonorites plus atmospheriques (avec Cold notamment, mais aussi avec l'excellent Mysticism).
Ce The Flame of Eternity's Decline / Cold sera donc une bonne occasion de mesurer l'evolution du parcours musical de Khors.

Tout demarre avec The Flame of Eternity's Decline. Si l'album est sensiblement le meme que l'original (pas de remasterisation en fait), on replongera avec un certain plaisir dans ce Black Metal certes basique mais bien ficele. "Throne of Antiquity", "Wounds of the Past" ou encore "Trees are Remember" sonnent la tempete musicale qui s'abat sur l'auditeur, pendant que "Breath" vient poser ses ambiances avec un brio que ne renierait pas un certain Drudkh.
Pas grand chose de neuf donc, si ce n'est les fameux bonus pour cet opus. Six pistes reprenant les meilleurs morceaux de The Flame of Eternity's Decline, en version Demo, Live ou encore dotees d'un mix different. La comparaison est inevitable, et on reconnaitra a coup sur que "Moan of the Grief" version live est plutot bien interpretee. Pour le reste, les bonus ne se cantonnent qu'a leur role de bonus: plaisants sans etre forcement indispensables.

Les choses serieuses reprennent avec Cold. Ce second opus, d'une qualite bien superieure a son predecesseur, sera livre ici tel qu'il est sorti voila quatre annees deja. La encore, ce ne seront que les bonus qui apporteront une plus-value a l'album (et encore).
On retrouve donc ce Black Pagan, cette fois-ci bourre d'atmospheres inquietantes et melancoliques. On sent clairement que Khors est parvenu a eriger un spectre musical qui sera sien dans le futur. Entre un "Cold" revanchard et un "Ashes" aux claviers proeminents, la musique distillee ici brille par son identite slave, excellente alternative aux combos nord-europeens. Les pieces ambiantes (magistrales soit dit en passant) que sont "Misery" et "The Abyss" prennent l'auditeur par les sentiments, le laissant contempler un veritable ocean de notes aux allures cosmiques. Le resultat est des plus appreciables, d'autant que la production met parfaitement en valeur ce grain si cher aux formations ukrainiennes...
Au rang des bonus, on retrouve une nouvelle fois des titres de Cold en version Demo, Live ou mixes differemment. On retrouve egalement une video live de "Garnet", pour voir ce que donnent les ukrainiens sur les planches, tandis que "Cold" en version Art-Rock ne sera elle qu'un petit clin d'?il aux formations underground qui enregistrent leurs opus dans des caves.
Et puis c'est tout.

The Flame of Eternity's Decline / Cold reunit donc les deux premiers opus de Khors, plus quelques bonus sympas mais dispensables, et c'est tout. Pas de titres exclusifs, rien qui ferait patienter les fans avant l'arrivee de Return to Abandoned, le futur album des ukrainiens. On sent bien que Paragon Records a souhaite rendre disponible les deux albums, mais il aurait ete interessant de les proposer avec des bonus plus 'collectors'... Cependant, on doit bien reconnaitre qu'il s'agit la d'une excellente occasion pour mesurer l'evolution de Khors!
Apres l'ecoute de The Flame of Eternity's Decline / Cold, l'auditeur sera parfaitement au point pour aborder LA tuerie de Khors, Mysticism...

→ http://fr.metalship.org/albums/12009-The_Flame_of_Eternity_s_Decline_Cold#2362

Atmosfear #7 (2011) "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 10:13:00 +0000

В конце 2010 года украинская dark-metal группа Khors выпустила на лэйбле Paragon Records свой очередной альбом.На "Возвращении к забытому" вошли 8 трэков и Интро плавно перетекающее в заглавную композицию. Тяжёлая музыкальная основа пластинки и рычащий грубый вокал разбавлены синтезаторными аранжировками и мелодичными, с отсутствием драйвовых примочек, мелодичными вставками. В целом звучит приятно.
Pagan элементов на пластинке не много, тематика заключена в текстах команды, да и оформление "Return To Abandoned" также характерно для представителей данного жанра. Особенностью альбома является длина трэков — на пятью половиной минутах композиции стало возможно уместить все музыкальные замыслы авторов. Абсолютный рекорд пренадлежит композиции "Sacrament Of Buyan" — девять минут пятьдесят две секунды разнообразнейшего материала. Если хотите посмотреть, как на протяжении одного трэка звучание может измениться от брутально сухого к симфонически окрашенному или полностью мелодичному — вы пришли точно по адресу.А фантазия у группы явно богатая, музыка на альбоме весьма интересная и просит повторить прослушивание после завершения последнего трэка. Интересные партии есть во всех инструментах, как в соло, так и совместном звучании, виден опыт музыкантов и его приятно оценивать.
Сведено и записано чисто. Тут придраться абсолютно не к чему. Чувствуется, что до слушателя донесли именно то, что сочинили авторы, все инструменты звучат в своей пропорции. Звучит пластинка свежо и аппетитно. Рекомендую к прослушиванию!

Touch My Metall Heart (10/10)

Froster "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Одни из флагманов украинской сцены, харьковчане KHORS на своем четвертом полноформатном альбоме продолжают свое восхождение на вершину. Новая работа получилась просто превосходной, с какой стороны на нее ни посмотри. Правда, это уже, конечно, никакой не black metal, ибо имеются вкрапления и death, и doom, и dark metal. Альбом подкупает в первую очередь своей атмосферностью и настроением. При этом нет ничего лишнего, все строго и четко. Диск вышел в России и в Европе в разном оформлении, в частности, в русском издании другая обложка и присутствуют переводы текстов на русский язык. Настоящим же фэнам рекомендую digi pack издание от Paragon Records. Очень серьезная и мощная работа. Испытал немелкую гордость за страну. Так держать, парни.

Оценка 10/10

Добавлено April 4th 2011

→ http://www.froster.org/cd/review-2774.html

Pavillon 666 Re-issue "The Flame/Cold"

Khors — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Non, non et non! Roman Saenko n'a pas le monopole de la scene Black Metal ukrainienne! Enfin, pas totalement. Si des groupes comme HATE FOREST, DRUDKH ou BLOOD OF KINGU vous disent quelque chose, sachez que NOKTURNAL MORTUM et ASTROFAES existent aussi. Et voila qu’un beau jour de 2004, quelques membres de cette grande famille deciderent de creer un nouveau projet:
"J'ai bien envie de l'appeler KHORS", se dit alors Khorus.
"J'aime bien l'idee", repondirent Helg et Khaoth.
"Si vous avez besoin d'une deuxieme guitare, j'en ai une!", ajouta Warth quelques temps plus tard.
"On sortira un premier album 'The Flame of Eternity's Decline' en 2005, avec Saturious et Wortherax en guest. Puis un deuxieme en 2006, intitule 'Cold'. Et avant de sortir 'Mysticism', on donnera des tas de concerts, on sortira un dvd live et on ira tourner avec BEHEMOTH."
"J'aime bien l'idee."

Nous en sommes la. Apres trois albums et un dvd en a peine six ans, l'annee 2010 nous apporte a son tour quelques nouvelles... Le chanteur/guitariste Helg, ayant annonce son depart il y a un mois, les fans vont pouvoir se consoler avec cette reedition agrementee de quelques bonus, estampillee Paragon Records. En attendant la sortie de leur quatrieme album "Return to Abandoned", prevue le mois prochain, venez decouvrir ou redecouvrir leurs deux premiers albums...

Le Black Metal atmospherique et guerrier de la formation est introduit ici par leur premiere autoproduction "The Flame of Eternity's Decline".
Aux huit titres originels evidemment presents, vient s'ajouter une autre version pour chacun d'eux. Enfin presque. Seule la superbe instrumentale froide et atmospherique nommee "Breath" n’aura pas droit a cette faveur.
On retrouve donc, une piste live pour "Moan Of The Grief", tire du "Massa Brutto Festival" de 2009. Celui-ci beneficie tout d’abord d’un son assez brouillon. Les vocaux qui se fondent a l'origine laissent ici peu de place aux instruments. C’est un live, mais on aurait voulu entendre le public reagir aux appels du chanteur, ou encore la guitare et la basse… mais non. Il faudra faire sans.
"Wounds Of The Past" et "Spirit Of Fury" ont, quant a eux, subi un mix special. Un "wood mix" et un "moon mix". Alors, soyons clair, l'integration du saxophone a la fin des pistes et un son faiblard sont les seuls bouleversements. Il faudra monter le volume! Et en parlant de ca, l'alteration sonore est la meme pour la version "demo" des quatre autres titres, mais la c'est assez comprehensible et presque recommande. Ce disque nous permet toutefois de (re)mettre des notes sur les debuts du combo. L'occasion d'apprecier l'alternance de blast-beat et de mid-tempo hargneux presents sur "Eyes of Eternal Loneliness", les riffs black melodiques conquerants de "Throne of Antiquity", ou encore les nappes de synthe qui conferent une aura Pagan a "Flame of Eternity" et "Trees are Remembers". Sans oublier le climat funeste et atmospherique de "Wounds of The Past" ou Black/Thrashisant de "Moan of The Grief" et "Spirit of Fury".

Des l'arrivee du second disque, "Cold", on constate tout de suite une evolution dans l’approche musicale de KHORS. Les compositions sont plus matures et beaucoup plus glaciales aussi, (le titre a ete bien choisi).
Les claviers cristallins et les arrangements du titre eponyme donnent immediatement une agreable sensation de depaysement. Ce morceau progressif, quasi-instrumental introduisant l'album d'origine, aura droit a une "art-rock version". Mais qu'est-ce que ca peut bien etre?
C’est tres simple. Prenez la meme composition, dotee cette fois d’un son venu des profondeurs et ajoutez-y un break jazzy porte par quelques notes au piano et un solo de guitare, ce qui lui donnera a coup sur un aspect piano-bar. Un choix plutot curieux mais assez reussi. Cependant, cette partie aurait pu totalement se fondre dans le decor si une atmosphere lugubre et gelee n'avait pas refait surface avant la fin.
Mais ce n’est pas fini, il reste deux autres "cadeaux" a ouvrir. La composition diabolique et symphonique nommee "Ashes" est aussi double, puisqu'un extrait tire du meme festival que pour "Moan of The Grief" servira d’ultime piste audio. Et si on ajoutait un peu d'image? Une video de l'excellent titre "Garnet", enregistre au "Metal Heads Mission Festival" en 2008 sera donc le dernier bonus de cette reedition.
La encore, la vraie offrande se trouve au c?ur de ce second album, qui detient de vrais petits bijoux. Au-dela de la production, des transitions et coupures d'une autre epoque (qui renforcent surement ce sentiment nostalgique), chaque morceau plonge l'auditeur dans une sphere black/pagan/ambient chargee d'emotion. Avec "Misery", "Whispers", "The Abyss" ou encore "In the Depths of Black Hills", les membres de KHORS ont reussi a apporter une grande profondeur a leur musique. Une dimension qui selon moi, depasse largement celle de "The Flame of Eternity's Decline". Une voie qu’ils poursuivront d’ailleurs sur "Mysticism". Le meilleur pour la fin, dit-on.

L'interet de cette nouvelle sortie reside bien sur dans le fait que les deux albums etaient devenus quasi-introuvables ces dernieres annees. La production n'ayant subi aucun lifting, les bonus presents sur ce double album restent en definitive la seule grande nouveaute. Honnetement, ces derniers n'apportent pas grand chose. Pas de grande revolution donc, mais a l'aube de la sortie du prochain album, cet objet fera des heureux parmi les fans de la premiere heure, et sera certainement une bonne decouverte pour les autres. L'occasion de se pencher sur la discographie d'un groupe peu

→ http://www.pavillon666.fr/chronique-metal-5491.php

Neckbreaker "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Die Ukraine gilt bekanntlich als Ursprungsland zahlreicher Bands, deren Einstellungen und Aussagen doch das ein oder andere Mal die Grenzen des Vertretbaren uberschreiten. Neben den zahlreichen Kombos, deren politische Gesinnung mehr als fragwurdig ist, finden sich glucklicherweise immer mehr Bands, die keinerlei ideologischen Interessen durch ihre Musik vertreten.
Eine dieser Bands ist die seit 2004 existierende Heidenkombo KHORS, die sich durch melodische, symphonische und vor allem brachiale Musik einen Namen machen konnte.
Mit nicht ganz 7 Jahren auf dem Buckel veroffentlichen die Ukrainer nun mit „Return To Abandoned“ ihr bereits viertes Full-Length-Album.

Einen fur derartige Musik eher ungewohnlicheren Hauch an progressiver Experimentierfreude ist deutlich herauszuhoren. KHORS bieten weder Monotonie noch Rohheit, dafur aber sauber durchkomponierten, unkonventionellen Pagan Metal.
Bei „Return to Abandoned“ handelt es sich nicht um eine weitere Knuppelorgie der Black/Pagan-Schiene, ebenso wenig um eine in Melodien ertrankte Keyboard-verseuchte Klangsuppe, wie man sie ofters zu horen bekommt. Von der Eigenstandigkeit her konnten demnach viele andere Bands noch etwas von KHORS lernen.

Das Grundgerust der Musik ist recht unspektakular gehalten. Minimalistische Riffs, geradliniges Drumming und eine vollmundige, tiefe Death Metal Stimme sorgen fur die unabdingbare, altbekannte Harte dieses Genres. Aber vielmehr sind es die epischen Zwischenspiele, die Soli und die Symphonie, die das Klangbild von KHORS pragen.
Allein die Gitarristen tragen einen Gro?teil zur Vielseitigkeit auf diesem Album bei. Zahlreiche, ausgedehnte, unverzerrt eingespielte Laufe die fast schon klassisch anmuten, runden das sonst eher harte Spiel sauber ab, ebenso wie schone, treibende Soli. An der Komplexitat und der ausgewogenen Gestaltung der Soloeinschube erkennt man, dass am Sechssaiter talentierte, erfahrene Musiker zu Gange gewesen sein mussen.
Eine weitere tragende Rolle fur die Abwechslung spielt das Keyboard. Oft hort man es lediglich als feine Untermalung der Gitarrenriffs. Doch verwandeln sich diese Untermalungen im Laufe eines Songs zu epischen Passagen, die im Zusammenspiel mit der restlichen Band gro?e Klanglandschaften herbeizaubern.
Auch vor jazzigen Improvisationen macht das Keyboard nicht halt, was zusammen mit den stellenweise sehr abgedrehten Soundeffekten eine fast schon psychedelische Wirkung hat.
Doch steht dieser Vielseitigkeit leider eine gewisse Eintonigkeit gegenuber, die sich nach einigen Hordurchgangen bemerkbar macht. Die Riffs scheinen sich aufgrund ihres geringen Klangumfangs zu wiederholen, und auch der Gesang wirkt nach einigen Liedern eher wie eine Endlosschleife, da er einfach rein gar nicht variiert. Dem schlie?t sich nahtlos der Schlagzeuger an, der sich nur selten au?erhalb seines Pflichtprogrammes bewegt.

„Return To Abandoned“ ist ein ordentliches, gefalliges Album geworden, das mit Sicherheit allgemeinen Zuspruch erfahren wird. Gut ist vor allem, dass trotz der unkomplizierten Strukturen nicht auf musikalischen Tiefgang verzichtet wurde. Durch die saubere Produktion und die reife Instrumentenarbeit kommt dieser Aspekt auch sehr intensiv zur Geltung.
Eher schlecht ist aber, dass KHORS keinen Wert auf Elemente legen, die durchgehend fesseln.
Fur Fans des melodischen Pagan Metals ist dieses Album eine ernsthafte Uberlegung Wert, denn es gehort auf jeden Fall zu den besseren Pagan Alben der letzten Zeit. Wer jedoch auf rohen, schwarzmetallischen Pagan Metal hofft, wird von dieser Band sicherlich enttauscht sein. (Jannick)

Bewertung: 7 / 10

→ http://neckbreaker.de/cd-reviews/4086-khors-return-to-abandoned

Black Metal Reviews: "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:13:00 +0000

What we have here is melodic pagan Black Metal with some astral leanings. Prog metal, maybe. I’m sure it’s not without its merits but Khors lost me somewhere along the way. In the end, I was left feeling utterly underwhelmed by the whole experience. Ultimately, I like Black Metal; not something vaguely resembling Black Metal or containing some of the component parts of Black Metal mixed with a (shit) second genre (space rock or folk). I don’t care for that sort of nonsense and I don’t see why you should either if you’re reading this post.

After a brief, benign intro, I was feeling optimistic enough when ‘Lost Threads’ started to blast through my speakers. My initial impression was of harsh, searing pagan BM, more black than pagan. My hopes were raised by the prospect of a grim ride. Alas, strong melodies supplemented by sparing use of ‘70s keyboards and wind instruments (or the sound of them), buffeted by soaring leads soon became the order of the day.

Granted, the album is blessed with an earthy feel and, granted, ‘The Seas Burn Of Omnipotence’ is a grandiose workout that displays no end of musical competence, technical prowess and / or song-writing skills – but that’s simply not what I’m looking for in my Black Metal. Khors do their own thing and their accomplished musicianship is difficult to fault but it seems to me that Black Metal is becoming more and more sanitised, more diluted, to the point where it’s not really Black Metal anymore. BLACK METAL – remember that? Fuck.

These Ukrainians are full of passion and they have crafted an album that will probably gain them a lot of followers. I can see this appealing to fans of traditional metal, power metal, psychedelic music or Pink Floyd – but it shouldn’t appeal to anyone who wants some real menace in their music. You can headbang along to ‘Return To Abandoned’, grinning innanely to your heart’s content … and that’s a good enough reason for me to dismiss it entirely. It’s all too clean, too smarmy, too sugary, lacking in any dissonance, angst or genuine aggression.

A harmless release from a poor man’s Drudkh; not in the same league as Darkestrah.

Evilometer: 111/666

→ http://www.blackmetalreviews.com/?tag=return-to-abandoned

Metalreviews "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 11:13:00 +0000

http://www.metalreviews.com/reviews/detail.php3?id=6914

It is one thing to surprise when you are bringing it out of left field and no one sees you coming. To make yourself notable first, and then fully deliver on a promise is a much tougher task. To be a Surprise Album of the Year a few years ago only to come up with an Album of the Year this time around is an outstanding feat, and a homeboy in me could not be happier that Ukrainians Khors were the ones to accomplish it.

Kharkiv natives Khors, in their usual fashion delivering an album towards the year’s end, did it with Return to Abandoned, and in the process they left the usual tenets of the Kharkiv scene and Eastern Slavic Black Metal behind. Gone are the outright folk melodies and native instruments, the music on Return to Abandoned is often hefty, massive wall of sound.

The album still has a lot of cosmic levitation moments and expansive sounds similarly to earlier breakthrough Mysticism, check Mysteries Cosmos and The Seas Burn of Omnipotence opening part. Yet with Return to Abandoned Khors manages not only to drown a listener with atmosphere, but to empower one, injecting significant amount of muscle in their beautiful images.

To those genre purists who might argue that Lost Threads and Asgard’s Shining might sound close to melodic death songs now, my only response is “so what?” There is still plenty of obscurity and mystery emanating from Khors, but gone are timid attempts at melodicism from their earlier recordings, there is boldness now equally expressed both in acoustic and double bass laden parts. And with newfound power, the images drawn by the band become more vivid. Guitar leads now are rivers flowing powerfully in the valleys (Lost Threads), and there is a moment in Asgard’s Shining when you feel your emotions stretched to the limit, the hope, the life itself, being pulled away from you. At the same time, true to their origins and Slavic spirits, Khors keyboard sounds are superorganic, often fitting in like a native sopilka or zhaleika (a native Ukrainian or Russian wind instrument for those who don’t know), providing the sense of desperation and longing throughout the album. As much as the imagery in Return to Abandoned is colorful, so it is diverse. The closer Sacrament of Buyan is so melodic it hurts, yet its melody is both hymnical and private at the same time. The Fog (… and Grief Still Moans) is rather ominous with its bearish gait. Song of the Void is doomy, twisted and progressive, the track having a feel of a live enchanted forest, its trees constantly reaching out trying to snatch you with their limbs, while mermaids are engaged in the constant maddening synth dance. Finally, you reach a clearing, on top of the hill, and the beautiful melody makes your heart rejoice.

To those who often decry the simplicity of Eastern Slavic Black Metal Khors provides plenty of experimentation. The closing keyboard solo in The Fog is pure Jon Lord and the seven minute long instrumental part of The Seas Burn of Omnipotence is probably the most liberating music I have heard in 2010, blending all kinds of guitar play from acoustic strum to flamenco.

I held out until the very last moments of the year to designate my Album of 2010 and I am glad I waited. Return to Abandoned is everything I hoped it would be, while it is also unexpectedly more. The only concern is Khors’ line-up shakeup, one of the main songwriters Helg no longer being a part of the band. Just when Khors is in prime position to go further with Paragon Records (count two earlier album reissues on the label), the line-up uncertainty may hamper the band going forward.

Killing Songs : Lost Threads, Asgard's Shining, The Seas Burn of Omnipotence, Sacrament of Buyan

94\100

Alex

→ http://v2.metalreviews.com/

Radio interview

Khors — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:05:00 +0000

Tomorrow, March 18, from 12:10 to 12:45 at radio "Assol" (104,8 FM) will be done live interview with Khors. Listen, call, ask questions — will be presentedan autographed CD from the musicians. Live broadcast: http://assol.crimea.ua/

Heavy Metal "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:13:00 +0000

The quality of pagan/ folk metal from Ukraine is usually very high indeed, a trend that one hopes continues with Return To Abandoned, the latest album from Khors. Featuring members of well regarded Ukrainian bands such as Astrofaes and Nokturnal Mortum, Khors play pagan/folk metal with lots of progressive touches, moments of melody, and the occasional nod towards speed.

Return To Abandoned is a typical release from Khors, the fourth in a steady series of usually solidly written and performed albums, although there have been some major lineup changes since Mysticism, Khors’ most recent full-length album from 2008. First and foremost, the musicianship from new guitarists Jurgis, who also handles the rough vocals, and Warth is excellent with lots of clean riffs and well done acoustic guitar touches sprinkled throughout.

Return To Abandoned employs a mainly mid-paced tempo, but there are a few speedier moments here and there, complemented by the rhythm section of bassist Khorus and drummer Khoath. Progressive touches arrive with lots of guitar melodies, the aforementioned acoustical pieces, and lightly used keyboards. For the most part, the songwriting is well done as the songs hold your interest.

And, yet, something is lacking with Return To Abandoned. All of the necessary elements for a successful album are present, but a necessary touch of ferocity (brutality is not quite the correct word) seems to be absent. Songs are written and performed in a perfunctory manner, almost as if Khors know exactly what they have to do to deliver an album that falls squarely within the pagan/ folk genre of metal.

While doing so, however, Khors seem to have forgotten about the emphasis and ferocious punch necessary to push Return To Abandoned to the top of the heap. I can’t help but compare it to similar releases from similar bands such as Nokturnal Mortum and Moonsorrow, bands that are more successful in this genre in large part due to, I suspect, an almost tangible feel of primal ferocity.

I come away somewhat disappointed with Return To Abandoned, a feeling that I’ve had with prior releases from Khors. In short, I just want something fiercer from this band, something that has just not yet been delivered.

→ http://heavymetal.about.com/od/khors/gr/Khors-Return-To-Abandoned-Review.htm

Bootleg DVD

Khors — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 07:05:00 +0000

Today Eclectic Production released bootleg DVD «Winter Stronghold», containing band performeance at the festival Kolovorot 2009 + bonus video from the festival Metal Head's Mission 2008.

Track-list:

Intro
Garnet
In The Depths of Black Hills
Winterfall
Ashes
Moan of the Grief
Mysticism
Cold
Through the Rays of Fading Moon…
Raven’s Dance
Outro
Trees are Remembers… (bonus)

Price incl. delivery (only Ukraine) — UAH 60. For purchase contact: khorus@ukr.net

Roadrunner Records "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:13:00 +0000

"Beautiful" is not a word used often in reviews of black metal albums, but in the case of KHORS' "Return to Abandoned" few other terms do justice to the sparkling melodies and progressively lush keyboard segments that are part and parcel to this well written album. One can call it symphonic black metal, pagan black metal, or atmospheric black metal and none of those descriptions would be inaccurate, yet none really tell the complete story either.

"Return to Abandoned" is that rare album that is able to combine the atmospheric, the melodic, and even the proggy with black/pagan metal traditionalisms and still maintain focus. In other words, the Ukrainian act excels at writing black metal songs that are progressive and pleasing to the ear, not unlike some of what BORKNAGAR creates (e.g. check out "Mysteries Cosmos"), and punctuating them with icy ethereality in just the right spots. As cheesy as it may sound, the images conjured run the gamut from harsh winter days and dark forests to those maddening dreams of running from some unknown danger out of pure desperation. You can insert your own image; let's just say that music for hot summer days and cruising down the main drag with the top down this is not.

The point is that on "Return to Abandoned" the beats are driving; the riffs are notably strong and the solos well placed/played; and the keyboard work is perfect. As if that weren't enough, the deep DM-ish growl of vocalist Jurgis injects these compositions with the kind of power one doesn't often hear from black metal of this sort. It all comes together splendidly on "Song of the Void", an outstanding track with a gripping melody; the kind that leaves an indelible imprint on the memory. Indicative of the attention to detail that went into the recording of "Return to Abandoned" are, for example, the classy acoustic playing heard during 10-minute opus "The Sea Burns of Omnipotence" and '70s-sounding organ (think Hammond B3) heard during "The Fog (…and Grief still Moans)". And the more one listens, the deeper the experience goes, and the more previously unnoticed tracks become newly discovered gems.

One gets the impression that the members of KHORS were driven by forces beyond their control and were unable to alter or impede the writing process until said forces decided the album was complete. Why can't black metal be progressive and aggressive without leaving song centrality in the dust? You've got your answer with "Return to Abandoned".

- Scott Alisoglu

→ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/showreview.aspx?reviewID=2141#comment-71944

Nightspirit "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Album: Return To Abandoned
Release: 14.12.2010
Country: Ukraine
Genre: Black Metal
Contact: www.myspace.com/khorspagan
Paragon Records

Track Listing:

01. The Arrival (Intro) 0:46
02. Lost Threads 3:52
03. Asgard’s Shining 6:18
04. Song Of The Void 5:44
05. The Fog (…And Grief Still Moans) 5:57
06. Mysteries Cosmos 4:27
07. The Seas Burn Of Omnipotence 9:52
08. Sacrament of Buyan 5:31

“On Return To Abandoned KHORS yield harsher, brooding sounds of their earlier work whilst mixing in the melancholy and atmosphere of 2008?s unsung dark black gem Mysticism. Inarguably the most majestic journey the band has taken its listeners on thus far, Return To Abandoned will appeal to old and new fans alike.”

Pros: A sound that just draws you in.
Cons: None.
Sounds Like: Unspecified.

Review:

A fantastic release by a talented group of musicians, Khors has recently released “Return To Abandoned”, and to put it simply, this is just perfect by all definition. Recorded, mixed, and produced far beyond any standard I could ever possibly hold. This truly is what the Black Metal genre has that brings in such fans. Not really falling into the placement of traditional black metal, as of to having far too much distortion and incomprehensible lyrics. This piece falls into what today’s modern listeners have come to expect of the modified genre, including heavy double bass, odd arrangements of keyboards, a center of balance for the album, a deep atmosphere and the ability to understand what is going on throughout the album. So the center of the album is a very dark composition, coated in heavy guitars, snarling voices, wild and heavy drum rolls, fast paced guitars, and thunderous bass riffs that are sure to please fans of this genre, regardless of their specific interests. If you like something, it is definitely here. From the beautiful piano compositions to the most ragged of guitar and double bass segments. The albums stays at a constant steady movement for the entire duration, not taking a break once. Each track is more aggressive than the one prior, which is just an absolute thrill. The layers on layers, following arrangements and constant changing, along with some rather catchy drum fills are easy to catch anyone’s attention.
Conclusion, definitely something any fan of the Black Metal genre can find solace in, without worry. I have to say I have heard some of this bands work in the past, and what an improvement. So this comes highly recommended to everyone out there. If my words aren’t good enough, at least take the time to look into it yourselves and prove me wrong.

598/666
-Wrath-

→ http://www.nightspirit.no/2011/02/review-khors-“return-to-abandoned”/

Black Terror Metal Re-issue "The Flame/Cold"

Khors — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 11:13:00 +0000

http://blackterrormetal.com/index.php?option=com_simple_review&Itemid=2&review=1075-Khors---Cold

“The Flame Of Eternity’s Decline” / “Cold” 2010

2005 / 2010

Oriana Music / Paragon Records

1. Wounds of the past
2. Eyes of eternal lonelyness
3. Throne of antiquity
4. Trees are remembers...
5. Breath
6. Moan of the grief
7. Spirit of fury
8. Flame of eternity

Esordio per questa band ucraina che vede tra i componenti membri (ex e attuali) di realta importanti come Nokturnal Mortum e Astrofaes. Un biglietto da visita di tutto rispetto quindi, otto canzoni per circa 40 minuti di musica che ora andremo ad analizzare. Il sound e quello tipico del black metal dell'est europeo,. molto anthemico e pregnante di sonorita epico pagane, pero qui si lasciano da parte le classiche mid tempos atmosferiche, per un suono leggermente piu sostenuto (attenzione, non si parla comunque di raw o fast black metal) , cavalcate eteree , riff incessanti che conducono in un turbinio guerriero piu che coinvolgente. Le vocals sono abbastanza standard ma piu che adatte al contesto, il comparto tecnico si distingue per qualche sporadico assolo di discreta fattura, per il resto fa il suo fottuto lavoro nel creare quella scia sonora sprezzante battaglia e oscurita. Nota di merito all'ultima canzone, "Flame of eternity", dannatamente epica, veramente un piccolo gioiellino. L' unico neo che si puo muovere a quest'album e forse la mancanza di originalita, alla fine non dice molto di nuovo nel genere, ma e comunque un lavoro piu che discreto che mi sento di consigliare a chi mastica black pagano.

Note: questo disco e stato ristampato in doppio CD insieme a "Cold" nel 2010 dalla Paragon Records.

2006 /2010
Oriana Music / Paragon Records

1. Cold
2. Ashes
3. Garnet
4. Misery
5. Concious Burning
6. Whispers
7. In the Depths of the Black Hills
8. The Abyss

Ho gia avuto modo di apprezzare e lodare i Khors ai tempi della loro prima uscita "The flame of eternity's decline", piu che buon esordio. La band ucraina vede militare tra le sue file gente dei Nokturnal Mortum e degli Astrofaes, due ottimi biglietti da visita. Se il primo album si muoveva su sonorita piu sostenute, in questo seguito si fa una sostanziale virata verso atmosfere piu malinconiche, come gia messo in chiaro dall'opener. Non mancano naturalmente anche i passaggi piu violenti, laddove bisogna denotare una doppia cassa fin troppo in evidenza, complice anche una registrazione volutamente grezza. Assume maggiore peso il sound delle tastiere, a tratti vere e proprie protagoniste delle canzoni, senza pero scadere nel facile baratro della sinfonia fine a se stessa. I riff riescono a risultare alquanto convincenti, denotando anche una certa freschezza ed originalita che nel genere non guasta mai, e anche le vocals gracchianti, con quel growl quasi sforzato donano una certa varieta al sound della band. Il flavour epico emerge potente in certe song, dove mischiandosi al grezzume sonoro regala un ibrido di buon impatto. Non ci troviamo di fronte a un album che rivoluzionera la scena del black est europeo, ma i Khors sanno il fatto loro e propongono un prodotto onesto e genuino, in grado di regalare quaranta minuti di nero metallo che non deludono.

Note: questo disco e stato ristampato in doppio CD insieme a "The Flame Of Eternity's Decline" nel 2010 dalla Paragon Records.

→ http://blackterrormetal.com/index.php?option=com_simple_review&Itemid=2&review=1073-Khors---The-Flame-Of-Eternity-s-Decline

Casus Belli Zine "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:13:00 +0000

KHORS всегда было тесно в прокрустовом ложе Черного Металла. Взяв его за основу, помножив на музыкальное чутьё и отменный вкус всех четырех участников коллектива, пригласив в качестве «прикрытия тылов» повелителя черно-белых клавиш господина Saturiousа, они уже несколько лет подряд радуют нас своей удивительной музыкой.

После прошлого, весьма необычного и в чем-то даже экспериментального материала альбома «Мистицизм», новое творение было анонсировано как некий «возврат к корням». Даже название в русской версии было переведено как «Возвращение к Забытому». Однако я бы не сказал, что этот альбом стал «Пламенем Заката Вечности» часть вторая. Да и глупо бы было ожидать от музыкантов повторения пройденного, скорее в музыкальном плане альбом стал синтезом материала предыдущих работ. Есть в нём и холодная отрешенность «Холода», и ярость дебютника, и странные фоновые клавишные полотна, пришедшие сюда, как мне видится, прямиком из «Мистицизма». То ли поэтому, то ли почему еще, четвертый номерной альбом KHORS слушается, как работа совершенно мирового уровня.

Не знаю как Вам, но меня в творчестве харьковчан всегда приводило в трепет умение шикарно вписывать в канву композиции соло-партии. Вот и здесь в треке «Пламя моря Всевластия» на протяжении трех минут мы слышим совершенно шикарное соло на акустической гитаре, за которую, как ясно из буклета, ответственен новый гитарист Warth, для которого сия запись стала своего рода «боевым крещением». Кстати, последней она стала для вокалиста группы Хельга, который более не смог совмещать личную жизнь и активную туровую деятельность команды. К слову, нельзя не отметить тот факт, что среди всех украинских групп, «правильной ориентации» KHORS, пожалуй, является самой активно концертирующей командой. Правда, за Хельга мы можем не переживать, он продолжит радовать поклонников Штормом Льдистого Черного Металла в кузне ULVEGR, чей дебютный Удар «Где Крови Льдяной Шторм» в скором времени увидит последние Звёзды этой Зимы.

Лирическая концепция, что не может не радовать, не претерпела изменений и по-прежнему рассказывает о нашем славном языческом прошлом. Причем в русском издании, вышедшем на Irond, тексты песен в буклете представлены на русском языке, что в целом достаточно удобно. Вопрос о правомерности издания языческой группы, разделяющей определенные идеологические концепции, на лейбле, владельцем которого является армянин, я оставлю за рамками рецензии.

Удар нанесен. Новая работа – новые горизонты. Что принёсет нам ветер грядущего? Какие новые грани Истины обнажит группа имени Солнцебога? Мы не знаем. Но будем ждать… 8/10

→ http://casusbellizine.com/reviews/item/khors-return-to-abandoned-2010.html

Interview

Khors — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 07:05:00 +0000

Interview to the main ukrainian music portal Froster.org:

http://www.froster.org/sections/article-271.html

Interview to belarussian music portal Metalscript.net :

http://metalscript.net/2011/02/khors-show-golye-baby-inter/

Forbidden "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Khors much anticipated full length, Return to Abandoned,instantly engulfs the listener with its sweeping atmosphere and piercing production. The Ukranian quartet focuses their creative energies in all the right directions on this 42 minute release, ever raising the standard for progressive and forward thinking Black Metal. 'Asgard's Shining' keeps the pagan flame burning bright with its driving intensity while 'The Seas Burn of Omnipotence' rolls endlessly into the distance with acoustic guitar and drum call and response interaction. Other than the excellent leads, the guitars often take backseat to the keyboards and overall ambiance, making me wonder, “Is that a realtheremin playing all those solos?” With The Flames Of Eternity’s Declineand Cold having been reissued by Paragon Records in a 2-CD set earlier this year, there has not been a better time to experience the majesty of Khors!

→ www.forbidden-magazine.com

Dobriy Strannik "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:13:00 +0000

В конце 2010 года украинская dark-metal группа Khors выпустила на лейбле Paragon Records свой очередной альбом. На «Возвращение к забытому» (Return To Abandoned) вошли

восемь треков и Intro, плавно перетекающий в заглавную композицию.

Тяжелая музыкальная основа пластинки и рычащий грубый вокал разбавлены синтезаторными аранжировками и мелодичными, с отсутствием драйвовых примочек, мелодичными вставками. В целом звучит приятно.

Pagan моментов на пластинке не много, тематика заключена в текстах команды, да и оформление «Return To Abandoned» также характерно для большинства представителей данного жанра. Особенностью альбома является длинна треков – на пятью с половиной минутах композиции стало возможно уместить все музыкальные замыслы авторов. Абсолютный рекорд принадлежит композиции «Sacrament of Buyan» — девять минут пятьдесят две секунды разнообразнейшего материала. Если хотите посмотреть как на протяжении одного трека звучание может измениться от брутально сухого к симфонически окрашенному или полностью мелодичному – вы пришли точно по адресу. А фантазия у группы явно богатая, музыка на альбоме весьма интересная и просит повторить прослушивание после завершения последнего трека. Интересные партии есть у всех инструментов, как в соло, так и в совместном звучании, виден опыт музыкантов и его приятно оценивать.

Сведено и записано чисто. Тут придраться совершенно не к чему. Чувствуется, что до слушателя донесли именно то, что сочинили авторы, все инструменты звучат в своей пропорции.

Звучит пластинка свежо и аппетитно, Рекомендую к прослушиванию.

→ http://dobriystrannik.livejournal.com/29049.html

Russian release of the new album

Khors — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 07:05:00 +0000

The Russian version of the new album «Return To Abandoned» will be available on Irond Records on Monday, 13.12.2010. The same day the publication will be available at the Kharkov shop "Kolovorot" (square of the Constitution, 1, at the Palace of Labor. Courtyard).

Price CD: 60 UAH

Musical Warfare Re-issue "The Flame/Cold"

Khors — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Khors — The Flames Of Eternity’s Decline/Cold
2010, Paragon Records
I tend of Khors’s Mysticism’s relation to black metal in the same way I think of Dark Tranquillity’s Projector as a melodic death metal album, which made checking out the band’s earlier efforts Cold and The Flames Of Eternity’s Decline on this compilation even more interesting. As you might expect, Khors’s earlier material is a bit faster and rawer, though it still contains the great melodic keyboard passages and overall mystical feel that made Mysticism so appealing. This is a great release for Khors fans, and with both early albums released together in one package, it’s a great value as well.

→ http://www.musicalwarfare.com/2011/01/29/another-reviews-blitz/

Metallized "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:13:00 +0000

E mi denudo anche.
Si. Si. Lo faccio.
Mi spoglio del mio “metal crudo-addicted”, sfilo di dosso l’insaziabile passione per il black sferzante, velenoso, schietto, violento, maligno, brutale.
Mi dico: “evidentemente sono io”.
Rischiaccio play.
Le ascolto di nuovo tutte e 8 con perizia, meticolosita, totale stoicismo.
E poi sorrido.
Avevo 7 anni quando mi regalarono la tastiera Clementoni della Disney (o era una Bontempi?). Un piccolo spartito “for dummies” mi accompagnava passo passo per una perfetta esecuzione di Santa Lucia (sul mare luccica l’astro d’argento…). E poi sorrido di nuovo. Si. Sorrido perche realizzo con orgoglio che io suonavo la tastiera molto meglio dei Khors. Non solo. Sapevo esattamente quand’era l’ora di farla finita. A differenza loro.
Mi sono scaraventata – non senza imbarazzi e titubanze – a identificarli come atmospheric-black metal. Mha. Qualcuno lo definisce pagan-metal, qualcun altro melodic black, un altro ancora me l’ha spacciato – forse per ingolosirmi – taroccandolo come black/death. Onesta? A me sembra solo una porcheria.
Eccovi subito saltare sulla sedia e investirmi di insulti. Dialogo. Parliamone. Posso spiegarvi tutto.
L’Ucraina partorisce nel 2004 – con sofferenza e imprudenza, ne son certa – i Khors.
Khors. Dio slavo del sole e della luce. Wow.
Quarto album del gruppo balcano. Rigurgito parole prese dalla rete: “e un’evoluzione, non un rimpatrio, e un miglioramento”. Miglioramento. Questo e un miglioramento. Ok. Gli album precedenti? No grazie, mi fido sulla parola.

Partiamo. Per prima cosa scorporo dall’ascolto le moleste e assillanti tastiere (operazione eccessivamente complessa visto l’alto tasso di irritabilita che mi suscitano). Ci torno dopo.
L’album e costruito su una trama musicale elementare; ha una tessitura rettilinea e molto semplice.
Le tempistiche scenografiche sono troppo aperte, ricadendo – senza possibilita di soluzione – nell’insidioso e quanto mai infido metal-mondo del “ripetitivo”. Che peccato (strano, chi l’avrebbe mai detto viste le premesse…).
La cappa malinconica che subito ci attrae e solo uno specchietto per le allodole. Presto impacchettata e dimenticata gia a meta della prima canzone. Perdura invece un retrogusto di maleodorante vorreimanonriesco-atmosferico-black-metal: una liricita diffusa da umori indefiniti, mal contornati, che ti sfuggono prima ancora di capirli, mentre provi infruttuosamente ad afferrarli.
Leggo: “quest’album e una gemma oscura”. Mh. Personalmente di oscuro vedo solo il futuro del tastierista, destinato ai migliori circoli di bocciofile ucraine.
Ma avete ragione. Abbiamo detto le tastiere dopo.
Gli intrecci musicali sono puerili e immaturi: cambi di tempo, pause, ponti, stacchi sono prevedibili e scontati come il 3x2 alla Sma.
Devo dare atto che, per lo meno, la completa struttura e orecchiabile, di frivolo ascolto; lascia sulla pelle la netta sensazione che si tratti di una sperimentazione prog-pagan piu che di un album di convincimento e affermazione di stile.
Le pelli – pur nella loro disarmante ovvieta – sostengono una figura ritmica stabile, le frequenze armoniche sono morbide e dalla corporatura quasi avvolgente. Il timbro e fluido anche se poco voluminoso.
L’energia dei colpi non si disperde sulla membrana e non viene divorata dal fusto. E come se fosse trattenuta tra timpano, rullante, tom, doppia cassa. No, non mi dispiacciono affatto.
Contrariamente alle corde. Che invece mi dispiacciono. Non ardiscono. Non osano.
Amplificano la risonanza delle tastiere e si abbandonano a fargli da sfondo.
Vogliamo prendere come esempio l’infantile assolo in traccia uno (stile quattordicenni che suonano nel box di papa)? Manca di robustezza, di quel perfetto allineamento manico-body (gli avran mica cancellato i tasti…), non e evocativo, non arriva, non raggiunge e sembra non volerci provare nemmeno. E un assolo inservibile. Sterile.
E l’abuso della whammy bar? E stancante, sfiancante. Ma basta, ve ne prego. Lasciamo usare il tremolo a chi ne e davvero capace. Non e sufficiente alzare la leva e tirare il piu possibile quelle due note, usate per un assolo, per poter ottenere la giusta amalgama death.
I refrain sono mediocri, ingrigiti da un’assenza di sapidita di fondo, canonici.
Sembrano imbastiti in sordina, venature impercettibilmente accennate. A noi sui pick-up piace la vascolarizzazione da ricovero. Non sta robetta da Moment-Dol.
I pochi giri armonici di cui rileviamo l’esistenza sono quelli conficcati tra un blocco e l’altro (The Fogne da piena dimostrazione con plettrate sporche e sfacciate. E a Irastrana piace questo elemento) inadeguati pero con il fraseggio black-pagan-melodic-atmospheric-progressive o quel che vorrebbe essere.
Jurgis rimane fedele alle chitarre: non si arrischia, non azzarda, non attenta qualcosa che vada oltre il suo “piede perno” vocale: come se non si modulasse sulla liriche.
Il ringhio e tonico e ben definito. Nulla da dire. E una grattugia instancabile e uniforme, ombrosa e precisa, senza sbavature ma ahime monotematica. Monocorda. Monotona.
L’intera sound-skin e sciapa, priva di potenza, di impatto melodico, sembra che gli abbiano sfilato la colonna vertebrale. Il che non e bello. Non e affatto bello. Soprattutto quando ti proponi come gruppo nonsiecapito-black-metal.

Una produzione snaturata dallo svergognato utilizzo dei tasti bianchineri. Che poi, fossero solo invadenti. Sono oltremodo impreparati,sprovveduti, inabili e maldestri.
Eccoci allora alle tastiere. Fastidiose. Irritanti. Mortalmente stupide. Assoli strutturati su 3 note che si ripetono. E si ripetono. E si ripetono ancora, su orbite ottuse che sembrano non avere fine. Spossanti. Snervanti. Sfibranti. Che palle.
Sto ascoltando in questo momento l’album (si, sono in treno e si, sto scrivendo sul mio ormai famoso blocco): le tastiere mi urtano a tal punto che i buoni propositi li ho gia lasciati al 28” della prima lirica.
E allora ci do dentro: prendiamo la lirica 2. Una su tutte. Le key sembrano o no la colonna sonora di un videogame anni ’80 di auto? Ma si, dai.
Hanno inflazionato in modo ridicolo delle sonorita che avrebbero potuto davvero fare la differenza e vellutare l’album di paesaggi atmospheric. E invece? E invece ci si ritrova a straziare le trombe di eustachio con una release che e davvero poca roba, perche i valori positivi o pseudo tali (voce, pelli, intenzioni) non alzano la qualita finale del prodotto.
Be, direi di aver arpeggiato a sufficienza su quest’album.
Basta, no?

→ http://www.metallized.it/recensione.php?id=4883

Metalcrypt Re-issue "The Flame/Cold"

Khors — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:13:00 +0000

This is a double-disc re-release of Khors first two albums The Flame of Eternity's Decline and their follow-up Cold. I had never heard of this band, so I wasn't sure why we needed a massive repressing like this. I have to say I'm still not sure. Khors are a Ukranian band, and despite that they have released four albums and this they have been obscure and probably will remain that way.

The Flame of Eternity's Decline is a disc of utterly pedestrian Black Metal. The guitar sound is nice and murky, and at first I thought the riffs were nicely inaccessible, but on repeated listens they are just rather uninteresting. The songs are too long and just repeat, all the songs sound pretty much alike, and the vocals are a dull rasp with no character.

Cold is better, with a weaker guitar sound but better riffs and some more melodies and hooks to hang the songs on. The compositions are still baggy and lack focus, and the vocals are no better, despite having more effects laid on them. There are some nice leads on here though. Not technical, but with a good feel for phrasing and tempo.

Overall this is over two hours of generic Black Metal that you don't really need. If you are a fan of half-assed Ukranian stuff I guess you'd like this, but it's underwhelming.

Additional Information

Originally released in 2005/2006.

→ http://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php?revid=6556

Stormbringer "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Ich personlich bin ja nicht so der Fan von osteuropaischem Black Metal und kenne auch nicht allzu viele Bands aus dieser Himmelrichtung. Ein paar Bands, die ich kenne gehen mir allerdings ziemlich gegen den Strich, da mich so ziemlich alles, was mit Heidentum bzw. Paganismus im Black Metal zu tun hat, nervt. KHORS, von denen ich schon viel gehort hatte, sind allerdings einen Blick wert, dachte ich. Mein Problem mit dem ostlichen Black Metal sind meistens die folkloristischen Instrumente, welche mir, spatestens seit meinem Besuch auf dem Paganfest inklusive Liveauftritt von FINNTROLL, mehr als auf den Sack gehen. Seit dem kommt mir schon bei den kleinsten Anzeichen von Geigen, Floten und Drehleiern die Galle hoch. Bei KHORS erhoffte ich mir allerdings, da Mitglieder von ASTROFAES und HATE FOREST mitspielen, dass es sich hier um schlichten Black Metal handle. Au?erdem wollte ich ein bisschen tiefer in den Black Metal Untergrund des Ostens eintauchen und mal sehen, ob es ein charakteristisches Merkmal fur diese Gruppen gibt. Also schnappte ich mir die „Return of Abandoned“ Promo und schnupperte ein bisschen Ostwind.

Gleich im Intro wird man ein bisschen darauf vorbereitet, was kommen wird. Atmospharischer Black Metal mit epischen Klangen und ASTROFAES Touch. Das Keyboard sticht auch sehr heraus aus den sonst recht soliden Gitarrenklangen und gibt dem Ganzen den letzten Schliff. Richtig gut gelungen ist dann der Schluss von „Asgards Shining“ welcher mit fast schon frohlicher Keyboard Melodie daherkommt und trotzdem noch mit einem Bein im harten Gitarrenbereich stehen bleibt, welcher durch die Drumbeat?s zum Kopfnicken anregt. Die gesamte Produktion ist mehr im oberen Bereich angesiedelt, was hei?t, dass man von „Return of Abandoned“ nicht allzu dreckige Spielweisen erwarten sollte. In „The Fog“ ist zwischendrin noch eine recht kurze aber passense Akustik-Einlage enthalten, welche in einem Album mit derartiger Musik irgendwie viel zu spat auftritt. Lustig ist zu beobachten, wie sich der Sound der kreischenden E-Gitarren teilweise so mit dem Keyboard vermischt, dass man ganz schon haufig auf dieser CD denken wurde, es handle sich um Power Metal. Wirklich dustere Melodien sind hier nicht enthalten, sondern mehr bonbonbunte Quietsch-Melodien a la EQUILIBRIUM und Co., mit dem einzigen kleinen Unterschied, dass mir KHORS selbst nach mehrmaligem Durchhoren nicht langweilig wurden. Selbst die sehr rar gestreuten Gitarrensoli klingen wirklich extrem nach Speed bzw. Power Metal was hei?en soll, sie sind schnell, hoch und auch teilweise sehr lang.

All das Gerede um den Power Metal Anteil ist hier allerdings nicht negativ zu verstehen. Im Gegenteil, diese Kombination gibt dem Album einen speziellen Touch, der mich sprichwortlich weggeblasen hat und den ich auch noch nirgendwo zuvor gehort habe. „The Seas Burn of Omnipotence“ enthalt den wunderschonsten Akustikpart, der mir je zu Ohren gekommen ist. Er ist lange und lasst schnell Melancholie im Horer aufkommen. Zum Schluss gibt’s noch mal das volle Paket aller Stile in „ Sacrament of Buyan“. Keyboard, Akustik, Power und Soli. Bei diesem Lied hatte ich fast „Alter, ich komm gleich!“ geschrieen.

Bei „Return of Abandoned“ handelt es sich auf keinen Fall um ein durchschnittliches Pagan Album, sondern mehr um eine mehr als gelungene Verschmelzung von Atmosphare, Akustik und Power! Keine Folkinstrumente, kein sinnloses Gedudel. Selbst das Keyboard, welches manche vielleicht nerven konnte, macht meiner Meinung nach alles richtig und hatte die Musik nicht besser unterstreichen konnen. Wer also mal Lust auf den etwas anderen Black Metal hat, der sich aber trotzdem noch nicht allzu weit von ihm entfernt, fur den ist „Return of Abandoned“ ein verdammter Pflichtkauf!

Wertung: 5.0 von 5.0
Autor: Oliver Wilde (02. Februar 2011)

→ http://www.stormbringer.at/reviews.php?id=6167

Lords of Metal zine

Khors — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 11:13:00 +0000

First off, I trust you are doing well?

Answer: Hi! Yes, we’re fine, thanks! We’re just preparing for some live shows supporting our new record.

Since this will be the first Khors interview for Lords Of Metal, could you introduce Khors to our audience through means of a short biographical overview?

Answer: In 2004 I invited drummer Khaoth with whom we played together in ASTROFAES some years before it. A couple of months later we invited guitar player/singer Helg. In three we recorded our debut album “The Flame of Eternity’s Decline” the same year which was out in 2005. In the same year we invited guitar player Nort then starting to play live.
For 6 years of our existence we played more than 50 live shows and recorded 4 full length albums all of which were released of course. Unfortunately Helg and Nort are not with us anymore. They were replaced by Jurgis and Warth accordingly. One can read detailed biography in the web if interested))

Congratulations on your latest album ‘Return To Abandoned’, I thought it was very good. How are the reactions towards it so far?

Answer: The response is very positive in general and even better than the one for our previous album “Mysticism”. That’s more than we expected and that’s much pleasant.

How would you compare the album to your earlier works?

Answer: Ok! Our first album “The Flame of Eternity’s Decline” turned out the most malicious and firstborn. Power and melodies are harmonically combined there in. On the second album “Cold” we decreased tempo a little bit, more melodic songs there in and importance of keyboards and lead guitar increased a lot. On “Mysticism”, the third album we created original atmosphere having included big amount of ambient sections, acoustic guitars and some keyboards and vocal effects. On “Return To Abandoned” album we’re back a little bit to a sound of our early recordings having mixed it with the atmosphere and melancholy of “Mysticism” album. We think our new record will be interested both to lovers of our early albums as well as to lovers of the last one.

To me the album was quite relaxing. How do you combine the abrasive nature of black metal with soothing melodies?

Answer: Frankly speaking I don’t know exact recipe))) We are just working in our vein just as we usually do having making arrangements such as we see it meanwhile we don’t try to make a combination of black metal and relaxing music. But if you feel relax with listening to “Return To Abandoned” album then it’s not so bad))) Especially when you’re back home after long hard working day)))

One of the most striking parts of your sound is the keyboards. Its use and sound are quite unique in metal. From a musician point of view, is it hard to incorporate this into a metal format?

Answer: Thanks for your appreciation! We experiment with keyboards on every album of ours and it often occurs not only within canons of metal music. The result is much interesting and varied then in our opinion. I’d like to note our old friend Saturious thanks the talent of which we have possibility to make a lot of such experiments.

Musically, you have elements of both pagan black metal as well as progressive melodic metal. Does it require a certain way of song writing to successfully merge the two?

Answer: This is kind of our style, our direction. Initially we didn’t put ourselves in exact frames of any style and with our every subsequent album we’re trying to do something different from that we made on its predecessor. In any case it will carry Heathen component first in some degree. As for progressive then yes, we like to use some elements of this style but no more…

What inspires you musically and thematically?

Answer: Musically it’s a lot of bands in different styles. I can note PORCUPINE TREE, KATATONIA, ANATHEMA, CELTIC FROST, KING CRIMSON, PINK FLOYD, BURZUM, PRIMORDIAL, EMPEROR, GREEN CARNATION, ENSLAVED, PAN-THY-MONIUM and many others. Thematically it’s ancient belief of our ancestors, history of our land, history of Slavonic and Scandinavian, ancient runes and symbols.

In recent years Ukrainian metal has experienced a significant rise in popularity. How do you explain this? What’s the scene like there?

Answer: Yeah, I think it rises and all it occurs thanks of Kharkov based Ukrainian scene. Back in late 90s/early 2000s such bands like NOKTURNAL MORTUM, ASTROFAES and HATE FOREST became known in musical world of extreme music. The situation became much more expressive now. DRUDKH, HATE FOREST, BLOOD OF KINGU signed with major labels. DUB BUK and NOKTURNAL MORTUM released great albums. So I think the scene’s growing. I think it should be better seen from your side what’s unusual in our scene that enables it to gain such a move. As for me so I think it goes for some kind of national authenticity, something innovative unlike European scene that’s strongly oversaturated with monotonous metal music.

Is there any chance to see guys play live in the Netherlands or surrounding countries any time soon?

Answer: I don’t think it’s possible. We’re unknown band for European promoters, we are not in any roster so I don’t see any chances now but I hope the better time will come for us in this issue. Usually we play many shows mainly in counties of ex-USSR region (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova). As for European shows and especially shows in the Netherlands so we had some invitations but it didn’t reach any concrete for now. It’s all up to European promoters and we’re ready to storm European areas.

Can you tell us something about your plans for the near and distant future?

Answer: In the nearest time we plan to play a few live shows supporting our new album as I told you before. In spare time we’ll make new songs for our new album the recording of which we plan on Winter/Spring the next year.

Well I guess that wraps it up for now. Thank you for your time. The final words to our readers are yours!

Answer: Thank you for your interest in our band and Ukrainian scene in general. Be well, take care of your family, honour your ancestry and heritage of your ancestors.

Don't Count on it Reviews "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Khors — Return to Abandoned

Not Really A Return, An Improvement.

Khors is a progressive black metal group from the Ukraine. I originally discovered the group through my father, who watched their video from their last album, that song made me take a look at their material. This is their fourth album and the first without longtime member Nort on vocals and guitars.
Much to many people's dismay, most likely, this album only raises the amount of progressive influences on this record from their last. It appears that with every album these guys release, their progressive edge brings them closer to groups like Enslaved, which isn't a bad thing at all. This album really brings a lot of the band's signature sound with a much higher inclusion of experimentation.
Keyboards have become increasingly more prominent in the band's sound since their second album "Cold" was released, that's when it became more apparent in songs that they were there. Several tracks on this album have what could be considered Children of Bodom type of keyboards going on, not neo-classical keyboard solos, but a similar vibe. I would say that the keyboards on here, for the most part, bring a much more atmospheric vibe to the band, though I won't deny their odd soloing on the end of Asgard's Shining. For the most part, I'd say the keyboards only enhance the band's sound, which by itself is a more progressive take on melodic black metal. To put it bluntly, if you stripped away all the keyboards, you'd still have a solid melodic black metal record here.
The songs on this album are very well constructed and very interesting. Though Nort, who up till his departure, was the main songwriter and lyricist, these are some of the best songs the band has ever come up with. The musicianship on here has also been raised to the next level, with tracks like The Fog (...and Grief Still Moans) and Mysteries Cosmos showing some great soloing while the songs themselves are quite memorable. The band don't use the most catchy riffs on here, but entire songs are actually really good and memorable and are worth coming back to. I have to say that the soloing on here is actually one of my favorite things, there are some really great ones on here. But honestly, this record just gets better with each listen, it's good the first time, but it only improves after that.
Overall, I'd call this record a success, a good mix of progressive elements into the band's more melodic black metal sound. I honestly find a lot of bands from their neck of the woods to be a bit average at best, but these guys are rising stars and I wish them the best of luck. If you like progressive metal or melodic black metal that's a little experimental, definitely check this album out.
Overall Score: 8.5
Highlights: Lost Threads, The Fog (...and Grief Still Moans), The Seas Burn of Omnipotence

→ http://dontcountonitreviews.blogspot.com/2010/12/khors-return-to-abandoned.html

Clandestine zine

Khors — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 07:05:00 +0000

1. Can you describe the sound of your last album RETURN TO ABANDONED and
Please tell us some details of it . I mean : process of recording – art work – line –up – lyrics etc… .

On our latest album “Return To Abandoned” we tried to mix the sound and the atmosphere of our early recordings with melancholy and spirit of our third album “Mysticism” so I think this latest record be interested both to lovers of our first albums and our last one.
All leads and major part of rhythm guitars was recorded by our new guitar player Warth who entered KHORS in summer of 2009. He also brought big contribution to the song’s arrangements together with Saturious, session keyboardist on our albums.
Both musical and lyrical concept in his foundation was created under influence of our ancestor’s faith as well as under of Scandinavian mythology in some part. We are satisfied in full with the sound quality, visual constituent and the edition of CD. I think it is the most successful release of ours throughout for a moment.

2. Can you describe the difference or evolution beetwen your albums ?

The first album “The Flame of Eternity’s Decline” turned out the most malicious and firstborn. Power and melodies are harmonically combined there in. On the second album “Cold” we decreased tempo a little bit, more melodic songs there in and importance of keyboards and lead guitar increased a lot. On “Mysticism”, the third album we created original atmosphere having included big amount of ambient sections, acoustic guitars and some keyboards and vocal effects.
As I told before I consider the new album as the most successful release of ours throughout. It turned out well balanced both in musical and spiritual ways.

3. How was the atmosfhere of this recording , I mean it was a tense atmosphere ?

Nothing seemed special and I can’t note there was tense atmosphere. We just did our work how it usually occurs in studio conditions.

4. With who ??big bands ?? are you played in UKRANIA ?

We played together with SAMAEL, BEHEMOTH, MOONSPELL, GORGOROTH, CYNIC and together with ISOLE during Winter Funeral fest in Moscow, Russia

5. Are you ready for a FULL EUROPEAN TOUR ?

Yes we are ready for tours and not only for European ones. We have got some shows scheduled for this year supporting our new record. We also have some plans to play in Europe but it will depend on financial possibilities of promoters from there.

6. Why you decided to sing a deal with PARAGON RECORDS

We cooperate with Paragon Records since 2008 as we signed a contract for issue of our “Mysticism” album. For that moment their proposal was the very best one among those we have got. There were also other proposals from Europe and America but they conceded in some points to those of Paragon Records.

a. For how many L.P s did you singed ?

We didn’t sign any kind of long term contracts initially and we stay in confidential relations with label. As we will record our next album we’ll think about new publisher to release it.

b. Is a good deal ?

I can definitely note that we’re satisfied in full with our cooperation with label and we have no any claims. PR company and distribution are well adjusted for such not big label.

c. What are your expectations ?

We hope that works of our label will help to secure our positions in modern musical world much stronger.

7. What are the main reason or problem that HELG and NORT aren’t anymore
In KHORS?

Helg was compelled to leave the band due to being busy with his family. We parted with Nort due to musical reasons. With both of guys we stayed friends and we still often meet each other and they’ll always be a part of KHORS spiritually.

8. How JURGIS came to the band?
- How do you knew him ?
- What can you tell us about him?
Yes we knew Jurgis before he entered KHORS. He plays in one band together with our lead guitarist Warth namely FACES OF DEATH. They’re perfectly co-ordinated and that’s the main reason of our choice. While Jurgis is in KHORS he proved to be a good replacement of Helg.

9. Satorious acompanying you in lives shows too? Or is just a session recording member?

Saturious is our old friend and he helps us a lot with the recordings of our albums and we hope the things will go this way further. We use keyboards on our live shows but they sound with samples from our special equipment.

10. What can you tell to ours readers about your city KHARKIV? Is a good place to live ? . are you agree with the place where you live ?

Kharkov has been based in 1654 as regimental town-stronghold. Since XVII it’s developing as administrative trade and cultural center of Slobodskaya Ukrainian provinces.
Since XX it’s known as massive railway junction that links varied corners of Russian empire. After Revolution of 1917 Kharkov became a capital of Ukraine for a while. In the sequel it’s developing as industrial center in general.
In musical world it’s known by its strong black metal scene. Per se we can note without modesty that Ukraine became known in musical world just thanks of that scene.
Sure we love our city, we feel proud of its history and we’re obliged to destiny that we are born and live in Kharkov.

- Are you proud nacionalist of your mother land ?
I think that in this context we can and we must speak about strong patriotism.

- What identifies you with your land and your people ?

First we’re proud to be Ukrainians! We are proud of our Land, proud of our Nation ancestors of which tender with care and with fortitude to their destiny and destiny of their Motherland.

- How is the relationship beetwen others bands from UKRANIAN scene ?

There are a lot of metal bands in Ukraine. We know and played together with many of them but we are good and old friends especially with the guys of NOKTURNAL MORTUM, DRUDKH, DUB BUK and REUSMARKT.

- Do you have a idea how?? METAL?? can to be and What were the pionners bands from your country ?

I don’t think one can speak about pioneers of metal from our country. Metal music was born so far from Ukraine and much earlier than it became popular and legal here)))

11. Why did you continue forming part of ASTROFAES ?

There were many reasons of doing that both musical and personal. In 2004 the time has come for me and for Thurios to move in opposite directions.

12. What do you know about our CHILE and SUD AMEARICA underground scene ?

Unfortunately we don’t know so many about Chile and Sud America underground scene. Your country is known mostly thanks to controversial reign of Pinochet. As for musical bands I can note POEMA ARCANUS and MAR DE GRISES. The last are favorites of our drummer Khaoth.

13. Future plans?

This current year will be mainly devoted to live shows. When it is free time we’ll work upon our new stuff.

14. some to add ?

Thanks for your questions! This is the first interview from us from Chile and it’s interesting and nice! Thanks again!
Be sincere and honest! Love your Motherland and your family!

→ http://www.clandestinemetalzine.cl/interviews/interview_khors.html

Blistering "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Khors — Return to Abandoned (Paragon Records)

By: David E. Gehlke

[8/10] Not to be confused with the American beer with the same pronunciation (Coors is disgusting, by the way), Ukrainian black metal combo Khors return with the follow-up to 2008’s sturdy Mysticism in the form of Return to Abandoned. Demonstrating a noticeable step-up in terms of production and sound, Khors is steadily becoming a force in the atmospheric black metal scene, an area severely lacking in new prospects.

Borrowing from the style’s natural components (wishy-washy keyboards, the occasional melodic burst and epic song structures), Khors keep things interesting (and ultimately majestic) throughout this 8-song offering. Shades of Elegy-era Amorphis appear on album highlight “Song of the Void,” as 70s-inspired keyboards mesh nicely with the band’s steady stream of melodic chords.

Perhaps the strongest point of reference for Khors would be modern-day, albeit a more extreme Thyrfing, who are just as inclined to drop in those brooding, dark riffs (see: “The Fog (...and the Grief Still Moans)”) to extra effect. In fact, it’s this juxtaposition between concrete, graven black metal and the atmospheric channels of a Thyrfing or even Moonsorrow that make cuts like “The Seas Burn of Omnipotence” (awesome title, by the way) and the blast-happy “Asgard’s Shining” winners. Extra points were added to this review for the simple lack of hokey folk instrumentation and dearth of clean vocals. Score.

Another great find on the emerging Paragon Records, Khors is one of the better prospects on the atmospheric black metal front in recent memory. Because they operate without the mindless and oft-overbearing sense of predominance and overt “epic-ness” their contemporaries do, Khors should easily be able to build upon Return to Abandoned. There’s a lot to digest here, and there’s something for everyone. Even you, the ever-hard-to-please BM basement dweller.

8/10

→ http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/templateid/21368/menuid/2/tempidx/4/link/1

Occult Black Metal Zine Re-issue "The Flame/Cold"

Khors — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Khors/The Flame Of Eternity's Decline /Cold/Paragon Records 2010 CD Re-issue Review
Khors are a band from Ukraine that plays an atmospheric form of pagan/black metal and this is a review of their albums "The Flame Of Eternity's Decline" and "Cold" which where re-issued by Paragon Records during the year 2010.

Drums alternate between midpaced to fast playing with alot of blast beats, while the keyboards have a ver dark, medievel and atmospheric sound to them mixed in with some sorrowful melodies, as for the bass playing it has a dark tone which follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are mostly midpaced to fast black metal riffs and at times they have a thrash feel to them, while the lead guitars are very chaotic sounding black metal guitar solos with some melodic viking metal soloing.

Vocals are high pitched black metal screams, while the lyrics cover paganism as well as some other dark themes, as for the production it has a very dark feel going on with it.

In my opinion while Khors are not the most original band I have ever heard they still play quality atmospheric pagan/black metal and should appeal to most fans of this genre. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Eyes Of Eternal Lonliness" "Spirit Of Fury" "Ashes" and "In The Depths Of Black Hills". RECEMMONDED BUY.
Posted by OccultBlackMetal at 9:53 PM

→ http://occultblackmetalzine.blogspot.com/2010/10/khorsthe-flame-of-eternitys-decline.html

The One True Dead Angel Re-issue "The Flame/Cold"

Khors — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Khors -- THE FLAME OF ETERNITY'S DECLINE / COLD (2 x cd) [Paragon Records]

This double-cd reissue of Ukraine's Khors is a lot of black metal to digest: each disc includes the original album plus many bonus tracks (mostly remixes and demos), for a total of 26 tracks. The first album, originally released in 2005, is a competent but largely unremarkable entry in the atmospheric / depressive black metal sweepstakes, notable mainly for the guitars, which have a gruesome edge of frost-bitten dissonance that contributes heavily to the evil vibe. "Breath" is an exception, though -- a dark, atmospheric track dominated not by serrated guitars but ice-like keyboards and a simple but unsettling piano melody -- and "Spirit of Fury" has a restless, chugging rhythmic feel that's closer to death metal, while another mournful piano melody surfaces midway through the final song, "Flame of Eternity." Outside of these instances, however, there are few surprises on the band's first album, just a steady stream of metronome-like drumming, frozen keyboards, and old-school black metal guitar sound. The seven bonus tracks -- four demo recordings, two remixes, and one live track -- are interesting as archival evidence, especially since the remixes are much rawer than the album versions (almost, in fact indistinguishable in audio quality from the demos), and the live track proves that the band, unlike a lot of black metal bands who function purely as studio entities, is fully capable of acquiting themselves live.

The second album is a bit more interesting, as it shows a marked progression away from the basic tropes of black metal, moving into more progressive territory. For one thing, the riffs and song structures are more complex -- not enough so to drastically alter the band's aesthetic, true, but enough to make the album a distinct step forward in terns of songwriting. In addition, the brief, unexpected bursts of melody that appeared occasionally on the first album are far more prevalent here, even at the forefront at times (especially on the title track). In fact, guitar solos -- noticeably absent, for the most part, on the previous album -- are all over the place this time around. They have two quiet, brooding tracks heavy on the atmosphere this time, too -- "Whispers" and "The Abyss" -- and as for the rest of the album, while it has plenty of energy and darkness, everything is far more controlled and focused than on the previous album. This one comes with only two bonus tracks: an "art-rock version" of the title track and a live rendition of "Ashes." The reissue also comes with a new layout and a video for "Garnet," one of the tracks from the second album.

→ http://theonetruedeadangel.blogspot.com/search?q=khors

Metalunderground "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Reviewed by heavytothebone2 on January 7, 2011
"The stronger production values and uncharacteristic, jam-heavy songwriting plays a role in 'Return To Abandoned' being the best Khors album to date."

One of the great things about black metal is that defining the genre has become much more complex over the years. The lines have blurred to a point that labels mean next to nothing. Ukraine’s Khors partakes in the style of black metal, but not in a traditional sense. Their fourth album, “Return To Abandoned,” is grim, progressive black metal that is heavy on the symphonic side. The stronger production values and uncharacteristic, jam-heavy songwriting plays a role in “Return To Abandoned” being the best Khors album to date.

The past three albums have shown hints of the experimental nature of the band bursting at the seams to come out undaunted, and “Return To Abandoned” allows it to take control. The tremolo-picked riffs and mechanical blast beats of “Asgard’s Shining” are not as common as the steady pace of “Lost Threads” and “Song Of The Void.” The band seems more comfortable outside the black metal circle, incorporating keys, synth, orchestration, and acoustics in a manner that doesn’t take away from the rest of the instruments.

The band’s appreciation of 70’s progressive rock leaks through on “The Fog (...and Grief Still Moans)” and “The Seas Burn Of Omnipotence.” This isn’t some Enslaved worshipping though; the spirit of Pink Floyd and Camel are self-imposed onto these majestic pieces. The former has a bouncy organ lead courtesy of Nokturnal Mortum’s Saturious, who has a hand in the great keys work on the album. The ten minutes that the latter track takes up is put to excellent use, with an extended acoustic jam that shows Khors at an all-time musical peak. Some may find the long instrumental passage to be somewhat indulgent, a claim that has some relevance of truth, though it’s to the band’s credit that it comes across natural in its placement and overall flow.

Beneath the noise and static tension of black metal is atmosphere; sweet, decaying atmosphere. The genre has always been known as one that can recreate the feeling of everything from chilling death to a stark winter night. Khors stumbles when it comes to this aspect of the music. The crisper production takes away a lot of the unsettling moods from their earlier material. The keys do little to mask this ineffectiveness, with the exception of the sinister intro “The Arrival.” There is never a sense of dread, of wonder, or anything that could transport the listener into another world. The songs are well-written and executed accordingly, but it comes at the cost of tangible atmosphere.

Khors’ latest album almost came out of thin air, landing on metal’s doorstep like a nameless baby in a basket. The band’s evolution from debut album “The Flame of Eternity's Decline” to “Return to Abandoned” is noticeable, a sign that the band is getting better with age. The most interesting underlying story here is that this is the last album with original lead singer/guitarist Helg at the helm. For other bands, that may put their future in doubt, but with an excellent album like “Return to Abandoned” to fall back on, Khors looks to be fine as it heads into a new era of melodic black metal.

Highs: Progressive mindset on "The Seas Burn Of Omnipotence," incorporation of keys, synth, and acoustics, thicker production

Lows: Lacks a gripping atmosphere, a few generic tunes

Bottom line: Khor's strongest collection of songs to date, a result of tighter musicianship and a willingness to push beyond black metal boundaries.

→ http://www.metalunderground.com/reviews/details.cfm?releaseid=4498

Metalscript.net

Khors — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 07:05:00 +0000

→ http://metalscript.net/2011/02/khors-show-golye-baby-inter/

Forbidden zine

Khors — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 07:05:00 +0000

Dark Greetings! Tell us about your new full length, Return to Abandon! Was any of the material on the album left over from 2008's Mysticism?

On “Return To abandoned” we’re back a little bit to a sound of our early records having mixed it with the melancholy and atmosphere of “Mysticism” album. We consider this new album be interested both to listeners of our first records and to listeners of our last album.
All the tracks for “Return To Abandoned” are written after “Mysticism” was recorded and have no relation to it.

Return to Abandon has a remarkable atmosphere where no single instrument over powers the other. What is the writing / recording process like for Khors?

Thanks for your appreciation!
The process of writing a track usually starting from a guitar riff and then we’re working upon drums arrangements, bass section, second guitar parts, leads, keyboards and then vocal. As for studio so traditionally it starts from drums recording then we record step by step other instruments accordingly.

I was really impressed by the musical abilities of all members of Khors. Do you feel that Khors has reached a new level as far as performance ability? Why or why not?

Yes, perhaps we’re in good musical and technical shape now but I’m sure we won’t stop on it. There will be new albums and new horizons.

Was the lead instrument I hear take the first solo on 'Asgard's Shining' a keyboard or an actual theremin?

That’s keyboards. We often use keyboards with a lot of effects imitation.

Tell me what Return to Abandon means to you personally...does the title reflect a feeling the band has or did have at the time of the writing process?

For me personally as well as for Helg and Khaoth it’s a memory of our first months and years in KHORS. Because you know in music of new album there are echoes of those times and of our early records. But “Return To Abandoned” is not retro album but modern approach to usage of old runs and riffs.

Khors has seen several of its members active in other bands in Ukraine. What other projects does Khors share its members with? Is it difficult to create such powerful music such as Return...while balancing other bands schedules?

For all musicians of KHORS our band is the main one so we have no problem with time and efficiency. First we’re working upon the stuff for KHORS and then upon other projects if there are free time.

Paragon Records has also released an excellent 2CD set containing The Flame of Eternity's Decline and Cold with demo tracks, live cuts and more. How do you feel about these two albums now that they are several years older. What new meanings, if any, have they taken on for you?

Actually I recently listened to that re-issue and I have to note that I like it)))
I appreciate those albums high enough even now when 6 years passed. Those were great times for us, good start for the band. They sound decent don’t spite of the very low budget and not ideal conditions which we recorded them in.

In 2008, a DVD was released titled Cold Ways...do you plan on any other similar releases in the future? Do you feel that the live performance is a crucial part of the Khors musical experience?

Yes, we plan to release one more DVD and hope this year it will be out. There’s live stuff from “Mysticism” album as well as of first records will be included in.
Live shows are very important for us. This is experience, journey and development of the band.

Do you have tour dates or live shows scheduled now?

Right for the moment we have no confirmed shows for this year. But sure they are in plans as in Ukraine as well as in Europe.

If there was one thing that a listener can gain from listening to Khors, what would it be?

Each man is individual sui generis and the emotions and associations that have to arise should be individual. Let’s remain this question opened for a listener can answer it himself

Last words?

Be sincere and honest! Love your native land and your household!

→ http://forbidden-magazine.com/2011/02/khors/

Occult Black Metal Zine "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 11:13:00 +0000

Khors/Return To Abandoned/Paragon Records/2010 CD Review
Khors are a band from Ukraine that has been interviewed as well as having previous material reviewed in this zine, with a style that i would describe as being atmospheric pagan/black metal and this is a review of their 2010 album "Return To Abandoned" which was released by Paragon Records.

Drums range from slow to midpaced drumming with some fast playing and the ocassional blast beat, while the keyboards have a very atmospheric pagan feel with some folk instruments being used at times, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast black metal riffs with the faster riffing having a very primitive feel and some hints of melody, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding pagan/black metal guitar solos, as for the accoustic guitars when they are utilized they use full chords to bring a folk music element to the music and some finger picking that has a classical feel to it.

Vocals are mostly deep growls that combine black and death metal with some ocassional high pitched screams, while the lyrics cover Slavic and Nordic Paganism, as for the production it sounds very powerful and professional.

In my opinion this is another great album from Khors and if you where a fan of their previous material, you should enjoy this album. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Asgard's Shining" "Mysteries Cosmos" and 'Sacrement Of Buyan". RECEMMONDED BUY.

→ http://occultblackmetalzine.blogspot.com/search?q=khors

Archaic "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 11:13:00 +0000

KHORS (UKR)
RETURN TO ABANDONED Paragon Records
Written by Mystery Flame on Saturday 25 December, 2010. Last updated on Saturday 25 December, 2010

Oh come on Khors, just as I thought my 2010 Top 20 Album list* was safe and sound like a fortress from any further attack, in you come gun blazing with a brilliant mid-December release! But you might just be forgiven, as I feel this work will be one of my soundtracks of this freezing cold winter…

Very rarely you absolutely love something over the first minute into the opening track, and the Ukrainian’s new album did just that. There are several striking factors that made me fall head first for this album.

First of all, the entirely masculine kind of metal that forms the solid foundations of Khors’ magnificent pagan black castle makes a welcome change in a year dominated by “post” releases. Fistfuls of top quality heavy metal riffs and solos remind us that the primordial “male” element cannot be snuffed out of metal elevate the album to epic heights with mesmerizing effect (“Mysteries Cosmos”). Mind you, this is not the impression you get from the opening notes: it’s the retro grandness of prog rock that welcomes the listener into the album! Generous doses of eerie Theremin-sounding keyboards (courtesy of Saturious of Nokturnal Mortum) not only provide the tightly interwoven threads of a flamboyant mediaeval tapestry led by breathlessly persistent drumming, but mutate into chokingly beautiful solos in their own rights. Like in the outstanding, epic “Asgard’s Shining”, a track that maps the mutations of black metal from burning coal into a multifaceted gem, or in the folksy/melodic “Song of the Void”. This mood informs the entire album and works brilliantly because it’s not one bit half-hearted. “The Fog (…and grief still moans)” is another example of how metal and progressive rock can find incredible paths when merged together in such daring fashion: here we have interludes of a 60s-sounding organ which are absolutely brilliant! Perhaps a blasphemy to the orthodox black metaller, but it is an exciting and welcome surprise for those who appreciate a more audacious approach.

The album, sustained by superbly pounding drumming and enhanced by crystal clear production, never loses momentum, offering new flavors at each listen. Make no mistake, Ukrainian metal has grown to be unique and of tremendously good quality, and Khors are a great band in their own rights. The two recent re-releases of old material testify that, reminding us of how forward-thinking they have been through the years under the helm of Helg. Now that he has left, replaced by Jurgis, hopefully we still have a confident, genuine and inspired band which — like the seas — just burns with potential for more omnipotent releases.

My 2010 Top Album

→ http://www.archaic-magazine.com/article.php?aid=46598

Tempelores Magazine "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 11:13:00 +0000

Releasedate: 14-12-2010; Label: Paragon Records
By: Sabine van Gameren

Khors is a band from Ukraine. They started their band in 2004 and they make Pagan Black Metal. “Return to Abandoned” is the fourth full length release of them.

Anno 2010 the band introduced a new vocalist to the band. His name is Jurgis and he is ready to set his stamp on the sound of Khors. After the release of their previous album the band also embraced a new guitarist and so come that his album has a new fresh face, and leaves the fans up in expectations. Well when it comes to these new musicians, it must be said they are not a bad choice for the band. Guitars are giving an interesting add to the music, but the further you come at the track list, the more the typical Pagan elements fade away. It is not stereotypical Black Metal either. An interesting experiment by these guys. The band shown some good musicianship, well composed songs and plenty of variety. It is surprising to hear that acoustic elements work out so well within their sound and overall they have delivered a good album. You could place them perfectly in line with bands like Before the Dawn even though they are not exactly alike. They have the same way of using the vocals and guitars in their advance within the music. One you will keep on listening for a while, one that should be on your Christmas wish list.

→ http://tempelores.com/?p=3594

Dark City Magazine (Russia) #60/2010 "Return To Abandoned"

Khors — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 07:05:00 +0000

Не буду скрывать, что для меня третий диск Khors `Mysticism` является одной из святынь моей фонотеки, и новый альбом `Return To Abandoned` (`Возвращение К Забытому` – в российском издании) я не просто ждал, а практически подгонял время, не страшась обмануться, обжечься, обломаться. И что выгодно отличало моё ожидание от любого другого подобной природы, так это то, что я не мечтал о повторении, о том же уровне воздействия на меня, о чём-то типа `Mysticism-II`, поэтому `Return…` меня совсем не разочаровал. Но и, надо сказать, особо не вдохновил. Это, как говорится, тот же Khors, но теперь уже вобравший в себя весь огонь, лёд и таинственность предыдущих альбомов. Звучание – жёстче, чем на `Mysticism`, но при этом песни стали гораздо сложнее, чем `The Flame…` и `Cold`. И – характерные клавишные и "акустические вставочки". Кстати, о клавишных: тут уже слышны и чистое фортепиано, и орган Hammond! Да-да, у Khors! А главный удар исходит из самого сердца альбома: "Song Of The Void" и "The Fog (…And Grief Still Moans)" — настоящие жемчужины! Предпоследняя же композиция – монументальная "The Seas Burn Of Omnipotence" – является апофеозом и музыкальной, и атмосферной, и идейной составляющих всего альбома. В общем, очень и очень хорошая работа, которую можно смело ставить вместе с мировыми представителями жанра. Но `Mysticism` (как и должно следовать из названия) всё же был чем-то абсолютно неземным. И, может, даже хорошо, что он такой в дискографии группы – один! Что же касается самой дискографии, то западные лейблы вместе с Khors сделали два активных шага в этом направлении: англичане выпустили винил их дебютного альбома, а американцы, перед тем, как явить миру `Return To Abandoned`, решили вначале познакомить этот мир с теми самыми альбомами, к которым Khors как бы и возвращается – Paragon Records переиздали `The Flame…` и `Cold` в одном слип-кейсе, а группа предоставила по этому случаю аж десять бонусов. Там и ремиксы, и концертные записи, и всяческие "версии" – самая захватывающая ум и фантазию это арт-рок вариация песни "Cold"! Таким образом харьковчане Khors очередной раз доказали глубинную силу и творческую смелость своего подхода к сочинению и реализации как целых альбомов, так и отдельных своих песен. Достойная группа. Успехов им и Вдохновения!

4/5 Георгич

AOL Noisecreep

Khors — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 07:05:00 +0000

1. When did you write "Sacrament of Buyan"?

The main riffs and harmonies was written by Helg in summer of 2009. In autumn the same year we made the song just as it is.

2. What is the song about?

The lyric's about ancient slavonic island Buyan which keeps the secrets and legends of our ancestors.

3. Do you have any strange or funny stories about writing or recording the song?

Can't remember anything interesting regarding this song but the one I can note that my bass permanently went out of tune but it was during whole record actually.

4. How has the band changed since Jurgis joined?

We've got much harmonious guitar section because of Jurgis and Warth played in one band together before KHORS so they feel one each other very well.

5. Why did Nort leave the band and how did you find Warth?

It was so called musical reasons between us and Nort so we had no any quarrels and we are good friends still. Warth contacted us first then came to rehearsal. So we've got great lead guitarist and good arranger in one face.

6. Is Helg still in the band? If not, why did he leave?

Helg left the band in autumn this year because of his family circumstances which don't let him opportunity to be fully in the band. So he decided to be concentrated on his projects YGG and ULVEGR.

7. Do you have any plans to tour the U.S.?

Yes, we'd like to have American tour and it would be just an amazing trip. Hope the time will come when we became much more popular in your country ans there would be a promoter interesting in to make a tour for us.

→ http://www.noisecreep.com/2010/12/28/khors-sacrament-of-buyan-song-premiere/

DeadShop / Antichrist zine Re-issue "The Flame/Cold"

Khors — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 07:05:00 +0000

KHORS “The Flame Of Eternity’s Decline” / “Cold” 2010 DoubleCD
Paragon Records
Huh, this hard issue is pretty good for fans of Ukrainian Pagan black
metal, as well as for those who didn’t bought these two first albums
when they were released. Here is two first albums of this famous
Ukrainian Pagan black metal band, which were released back on 2005 and
2006 as separated releases of course. US edition have great
informative booklet and slipcase for the CD. On these albums KHORS
just proved that they are ready to walk around world wide, as their
music is not somehting like childish plays but intillegent, mature
Pagan black metal. Made with great passion and total worshiping to
ancient ideas into the music. Thus these CDs contains memorable,
pressing yet atmospheric black metal, based on Slavonic moods. Both
albums have good sound quality and musicianship. Music is really cold
and deep in its structure. This is not just next Pagan BM album, but
this one is for many listenings and under various moods. For me, these
albums sounds just like some old albums of Norge bands, with same
moods and even sound execution in some aspects. Both hatred and
melancholic parts crossing with massive black metal parts, both
marching and devastating, with twisted guitar solos and those
excellent dark melancholic, even sometimes epic tunes! Getting this
release you’ll got two albums, bonuses and video! As I remember their
new album not suounds like these, so for me, the best KHORS’ albums
are these ones, which will be always hailed by fans! Awesome music and
release!
100%

→ www.DeadShop.info / ANTICHRIST MAGAZINE

Ablaze zine

Khors — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 07:05:00 +0000

1.    You have just released your new album, "Return to Abandoned". Tell us more about it, please. Is there a concept behind this album? Are you satisfied with the production and the release?

On "Return To Abandoned" album weТre back a little bit to a sound of our early recordings having mixed it with the atmosphere and melancholy of "Mysticism" album. We think our new record will be interested both to lovers of our early albums as well as to lovers of the last one.
All leads and acoustic guitar parts besides his rhythm guitar section was recorded by our guitarist Warth who entered KHORS in Summer of 2009. He also brought big contribution to the songs arrangements together with Saturious, session keyboardist on our albums.
Both musical and lyrical concept in his foundation was created under influence of our ancestors faith as well as under of Scandinavian mythology in some part. We are satisfied in full with the sound quality, visual constituent and the edition of CD. I think it is the most successful release of ours throughout for a moment.

2.    This one is now your fourth album. Can you give a brief overview over your past releases, and let us know what are the differences between them and how do you judge them from hindsight? Do you think your new album is your best effort thus far?

The first album "The Flame of EternityТs Decline" turned our the most malicious and firstborn. Power and melodies are harmonically combined there in. On the second album "Cold" we decreased tempo a little bit, more melodic songs there in and importance of keyboards and lead guitar increased a lot. On "Mysticism", the third album we created original atmosphere having included big amount of ambient sections, acoustic guitars and some keyboards and vocal effects.
As I told before I consider the new album as the most successful release of ours throughout. It turned out well balanced both in musical and spiritual ways.

3.    KHORS is obviously a part of a sort of a network of Ukrainian bands, which share the same members more often than not. Members of KHORS also play in ASTROFAES, in NOKTURNAL MORTUM, in HATE FORESTЕ to name a few. Can you tell us more about the relations between KHORS and other Ukrainian bands and musicians? Do you consider it as sort of a "community of artists", maybe?

As KHORS gathered in 2004 none among us had no relation yet to those bands you mentioned. But still you're right about so called "community of artists" cause we are really old friends with the guys from those bands especially with the guys of DRUDKH/HATE FOREST, NOKTURNAL MORTUM and REUSMARKT. We meet them frequently in musical and common life.

4.    Alas, KHORS is still not too well-known outside of Ukraine, and of the Black-/Pagan Metal-underground in particular. You have not played any concerts away from your homeland, have you? Has nobody ever invited you to play at a concert or festival in central Europe, or why else was it not possible for you to go on some sort of tour until now?

Yes, worldwide repute hasn't absorbed us yet and thats a fact)) We play a number of shows but the main part of them are in Ukraine. We also played shows in Russian cities and you know sometimes it's a bit far from us (approx. 1000 km from our city). We also played in such countries of ex-USSR as Moldova and Belarus but we haven't participated on any European tours, you're right. There are a lot of reasons of that. We had some invitations to play in Europe as far back as our second album is out but all the negotiations failed on different phases. It's been one thing after another — and our fault and negligence of a promoter and some force majeure like swine influenza epidemic that's fell upon Poland last Winter. So we have no luck to conquer Europe so far)))
But it's just a lyric. The real problem we're not in any roster. All the inquiries we sent to gigs/fest promoters, tour managers and people are into making of gigs in Europe were ignored. We know we can pay some money to play a tour or support a band but we think we better record one more album instead of doing that)))
But if there're still some potential promoters they can check our videos on YouTube.

5.    The lack of recognition for KHORS, among the Metal-scene in Europe and elsewhere, could also be result of a "boycott" on part of in " particular " German metal music media and industry against bands supposed to be politically extremist. Needless to say, there are no politics in the music and lyrics of KHORS. What do you think about such "boycott" and about those who call for it?

We thought about that too. It seems to me there's some kind of phobia or caution in German mass media about dialogues with Pagan bands of Ukrainian black metal especially with our Kharkov based stage))) In this context I was a bit surprised with having received this interview from your magazine. But sure it was pleasant surprise for me))) KHORS really bear no any relation to political extremism so you misters journalist should don't be afraid of us)))
In musical world of today there's strange tendency with enlist Pagan formations to a number of so called political extremists. Some European Pagan black metal bands also had the problems alike and I think you should know about it. We had offensive experience like the situation when we were forced to refuse our performance on big festival because of famous band (German btw.) become hysterical having recognized about our invitation. The band is communist, btw. But perhaps communist extremism is not so terrible)))

6.    Anyway, KHORS draws on many influences musicwise, I guess. Can you explain to us what does influence you when you write your music? Are there any other bands around who do you consider to be an influence of sorts?

Thanks for your appreciation!
We listen to different kind of music. It may influences us or not and it's difficult to comprehend when you're inside the backroom. We have two men who write the main riffs and melodies and then all the band as well as guest musicians and sometimes even FOH engineers make further arrangements. Each man can add an idea that will make a song much better. Meanwhile each of us listen to many kinds of music which can be stylistically divided on folk rock, doom, death metal, black metal, prog metal and a little of other styles. From the bands I listen to IТd like to note PORCUPUNE TREE, KATATONIA, ANATHEMA, CELTIC FROST, KING CRIMSON, PINK FLOYD, BURZUM, PRIMORDIAL, EMPEROR, GREEN CARNATION and a lot of others.

7.    Your lyrics deal with Paganism, but also with Nature, with Visions and Dreams. Am I right? What are the things that influence you by writing lyrics? And what comes first in KHORS, the lyrics or the music?

Yes, the main influence is ancient faith of our ancestors Heathenism. We're also interested into Slavic and Scandinavian mythologies, various ancient symbols, fleeces. And sure the beauty of our nature inspires us on writing lyrics.
We don't separate the music from lyrics. Both sides of creativity are important. Great musical stuff with weak lyrics or other way round will look defective.

8.    Ukraine is a country with a long and colorful history. There were good as well as bad times for Ukraine, but the country and its culture have never given in to enemies. What does it mean to you to live in Ukraine? Would you consider yourself Ukrainian patriots? As you surely know, Patriotism and Nationalism is something you can not find in central Europe so easily anymore. How do you think about the development in Europe, where the nations are slowly but surely replaced by some entity called the "European Union"?

First we're proud to be Ukrainians! We are proud of our Land, proud of our Nation ancestors of which tender with care and with fortiude to their destiny and destiny of their Motherland.
Sure you are right, there were different times both good and bad for Ukraine but it hasn't disappeared off from the face of the earth or even from European map and it's important. We are patriots of our land and we feel proud of its history and independence.
You have other situation in Europe and I don't think it has good influence on national consciousness. Except of crossing the borders when you can suddenly be in another country with no any problems on customs I think there are not so many benefits. One currency also has both positive and negative sides which are the weakest participants of union better feel when economy crisis. For example Greece.
As for nationalism and patriotism so we discuss this theme above yet. It's painful for the policy of European Union as it seems to me. But nevertheless each nation should have their historical heroes and pride of the Native Land and one should not connect these feelings with political extremism.

9.    Paganism: That is surely a very interesting topic. Especially when you consider that Ukraine was and is again a country with a strong Christian-Orthodox church. In the time between the Bolshevik Revolution and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Communism attempted to replace Christianity with Atheism. I think it is not so easy to find back to the Pagan roots under circumstances like that, am I right? How have you come to Paganism, and what does Paganism mean to you in your daily life? Do you observe any Pagan rites and holy days?

I have an interest to Heathenism in youth and it increased together with shifting my musical tastes to the side of folk music, viking and black metal. Influence of church on the population in our country is strong enough but it doesn't bear an interdiction on itself on ancient beliefs and existence of Pagan communities.
Heathenism is important for us as spiritual and sacral component of our way in a greater degree. We don't adhere strictly any ceremonies and celebratings but we respect such ancient traditions as Spring and Autumn equinox, Kupala, Perun day, Wnter solstice and Summer solstice.

10.    You are now working with a record label from the USA, Paragon Records. Tell me more about it, please. Are you satisfied with their work on your behalf? Was there no label from Europe interested in KHORS?

We cooperate with Paragon Records since 2008 when we've signed a contract to release our third album "Mysticism". For that moment their offer was the best one among all we've received. There were other offers from Europe and America but they conceded on some parameters to those of Paragon Records. I can definitely note that we're satisfied in full with our cooperation with label and we have no any claims. PR company and distribution are well adjusted for such not big label. In Europe our CDs now available through some distro companies that are working with Paragon Records. Besides "Mysticism" and "Return To Abandoned" albums was released especially for CIS territories by major Russian label Irond Records which is known with old and close cooperation with such labels like Nuclear Blast, Napalm, Moonfog, Relapse and many others.

11.    You are going to play at the next and final Kolovorot-Festival. How many times have you played at this festival at all? What can you tell about this event? Is it something special to KHORS, and other Ukrainian bands, to be invited to this festival?

Yes, we planned and we played)) We headlined the first day of festival. Kolovorot passed amazing, there were a lot of people, great sound, perfect light and good support from fans. For us especially itТs something like meeting of old friends first and then a festival. Very good-natured domestic atmosphere, small amount of drunk people and big amount of adequate adult public. With Khaoth (KHORS drummer) we played on Kolovorot since 1998 when we played together in ASTROFAES first then I played with ASTROFAES and he played with HATE FOREST and then together again in KHORS. In all I played on Kolovorot approx. 10 times and Khaoth 7 times. There were excellent days for us and we have some to remember. Unfortunately it was the final chapter of Kolovorot festival last year. All ever ends.

12.    Alright, what are your next plans in the near future? Will there be vinyl of your new album, too?

Starting from Spring we're going to work upon new songs. Across with that we plan some shows, tours and etc., just as always after new release is out.
Yes, vynil version of "Return To Abandoned" is in our plans and right now we're working upon this issue but nothing definite so far.

13.    Your final words to our readers

Be sincere and honest! Love your Motherland and your family!

Gauntlet zine

Khors — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:13:00 +0000

1. Did you have any ‘Spinal Tap’ moments this year?

It was our show in Moscow, RU and right after that there was gothic party in the same venue. Our drummer Khaoth was changing his clothes right on the stage as almost no light inside the venue and the people arriving on the sly. But in fact they didn't see what's happening on the stage. Right at the moment when Khaoth stayed in his pants on the stage suddenly the lights on together with the music and the crowd became laugh and cry something like: "Oh, yeah! Come on!".

2. What were some of your favorite releases from 2010?

This year I was mostly impressed by the works of TRYPTIKON, ENSLAVED, ANATHEMA, BURZUM, ALCEST, DRUDKH, BARREN EARTH

3. New Year’s resolution?

We have concert plans for upcomig year in general. Our new album which is out by the end of this year will require huge promotion as on ex-USSR territories as worldwide also. We hope we'll have luck on this direction.

4. Most memorable metal news item of 2010?

It's sad to talk about that but it goes for deaths of musicians. There was a lot of them. They will always remain in our hearts and will remind about themselves with their music.

5. Plans for the holidays?

Nothing special. Most likely I'll stay with my family and friends.

6. What’s on your ipod?

Right now as I answer these questions I'm listening to the new album of DEATHSPELL OMEGA. Also there in AMORPHIS "Magic & Mayhem", MOTORHEAD "The World Is Yours", SOLEFALD "Norron Livskust", SODOM "In War And Pieces".

7. If you could bring back one musician from the grave for a day, who and why?

I think it would be Randy Rhoads. Why? Just for shake his hand ad say thanks a lot for his music!

Widmo zine

Khors — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 07:05:00 +0000

1.   SLAVA, BIOGRAPHY STARTS WITH ASTROFAES SO... WHY GUYS FROM THAT GROUP FORMED KHORS? DID YOU PART PEACEFULLY?

Yes, we played in ASTROFAES together with Khaoth. Khaoth played there since 1997 till 2000 and I stayed there from 1995 till 2004. After my leaving of ASTROFAES I decided to gather my band and the first who became the band member with me was Khaoth. Together with him we created our first album and the rest story can be found in our biography.
My leaving of ASTROFAES passed peacefully enough, without scandals btw., but it would be wrong to say that we remained friends with Thurios.

2. DO YOU KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN ASTROFAES? ALEX FROM SUPERNAL HAVE POSTED HIS "RESPONSE TO OMAN BLAGIH" ON LINE... IS IT TRUE THEY HAD/HAVE THAT KIND OF FINANCIAL PROBLEMS?

Can't say I'm interested in deals of ASTROFAES but many of news reach me well of course. I've heard about that conflict but I don't want to comment it accordingly cause it would be not so good from my side. But having known the details I can definitely say I'm on the band's side besides the problems there not with ASTROFAES only. Some known bands left Supernal Music too.

3. GOD OF THE SUN WAS CHOSEN FOR BANDS NAME. WHY? AMONG THE METAL SCENE IT IS COMMON TO FOLLOW MOON/DARK/NIGHT ATTITUDE... ARE YOU TRYING TO EXPRESS SOMETHING BY THAT?

That's not interested for me the canons in a choice of bandnames on metalscene of today. I was guided with my own perception which name I'd like to give to my band in view of Heathen direction. God of the Sun cause the Sun itself is one of the most influential planets concerning the Earth. Its value is hard to uderestimate as for our ancestor as for us in particular too. Our forefathers worshiped to Khors and it had sacral value for them.

4. I REMEMBER AN ARTICLE (WRITTEN NEARLY 15. YEARS AGO) WHERE THE EDITOR EXPLAINS THAT THE NAMES OF THE GODS SHOULD BE PRONOUNCED WITH RESPECT AND USING THEM FOR AN ALBUM TITLE IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. I WONDER YOUR POINT OF VIEW ON THAT SUBJECTS

I'm sure it's good idea and we don't profane the name of Khors, the God at all using his name as our bandname. We bring our music under so called banner of bandname and if people wonder what Khors is then it will force’em to appeal to their great history. And it has the only positive effect in our time.

5. FORMATIONS LIKE NOKTURNAL MORTUM OR DUB BUK ARE ASSOCIATED WITH NATIONALISM, WHEREAS KHORS STAYS APART FROM THAT SUBJECTS. DO YOU MIND RIGHT WING IDEOLOGIES IN PAGAN METAL?

The deal is mass-media's accustomed to bring a Heathen band to a certain ideological position. It goes for us too as we collided with the situation we was defined as right winged band for many times. I don't want to respond it cause there's no sense. The same about NOKTURNAL MORTUM ad DUB BUK. As I told before all the lyrics of ours are Heathen and patriotic influenced and if some want to see political sense in it then it his/her right.

6. DID YOU COMPLAIN ON ORIANA? WHAT WAS THE COOPERATION LIKE? FINALLY DO YOU FIND PARAGON BETTER?

Oriana done his job well but time had come for us to change a label to the one has wider distribution and abilities. Paragon meets our requirements full at the moment. It's small label but he cares about us as necessary to do that.

7. LONG TIME AGO FOR SOME UNDERGROUND BANDS IT WAS A POINT OF HONOUR NOT TO COOPERATE WITH LABELS LIKE OSMOSE. AT LEAST THEY CLAIMED TO BE SO. DON'T REALLY KNOW THE TRUTH BUT WOULD YOU MIND SIGNING TO WORLD WIDE COMPANY DOING THEIR LIVING OUT OF YOUR MUSIC? WERE YOU SURPRISED AT OSMOSE REISSUES OF HATE FOREST?

I see no problem if an underground band release its CD on major labels. As about HATE FOREST I know Roman Saenko for a long time still up to HATE FOREST was gathered and I see no changes in him for all these years. He still writes his music fairly and the fact he get money for that is not some kind of shame. Besides it's not a business but the opportunity for him to express a part of his soul through the music.

8. ARE YOU INTO UNDERGROUND ZINES? SLAVIC EUROPE SEEMS TO KEEP THIS (GETTING OLD) TRADITION STILL ALIVE. COULD YOU RECOMMEND US SOMETHING OUT FROM UKRAINE?

We cooperate with many of magazines worldwide more or less underground as well as with some major ones. As for Ukrainian magazines so I can note Terroraiser and Atmosfear.

9. XEROED OR PRINTED? RAW OR WELL DONE? CONTENTS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BUT WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LAYOUT?

The main for me in zine is availability of interviews interested for me and the quality of issue is not so important. Sure if I read it with no eyes irritation otherwise the idea of DIY is not for me.

10. DID YOU LIKE TECHNO/ELECTRONIC PARTS IN DUB BUK'S CREATION? ARE YOU OPEN MINDED (I HATE THAT EXPRESSION) MUSICIANS?

I can't say I like it but it doesn't irritate me also. I find such the experiments normal so let the fans estimate that. As for us so we're opened enough for some experiments in music but techno or/and electronics are definitely not our way.

11. AT SOME POINT I COMPLETELY LOST MY INTEREST IN MAYHEM. NOW I SEE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WORTH OF ATTENTION IN THEIR UNCONVENTIONAL STYLE. DO YOU LIKE THEIR NEW FACE AND EXPERIMENTS IN GENERAL?

I don't like MAYHEM after "Wolf's Liar Abyss" album. I was on their show this Autumn in Kiev, UA which was on Global East Festival and their performance was kinda awful and shameful.

12. IS KHORS AFTERMATH OF YOUR FASCINATIONS OR DO YOU TRY TO FORM SOMETHING NEW. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO CREATE ANYTHING NEW IN METAL?

You know we do what we like first of all and if we sound similar with some then it's not for us to judge it. It's hard to be an innovator in metal music of today and even impossible in a greater degree. The bands became popular mostly because of their great and interesting music.

13. YOUR MUSIC IS REACHLY VARIED IN COMPARISON TO MANY OTHERS. WHERE DO YOU TAKE AN INSPIRATION FROM? DO YOU LIKE ART ROCK?

We like a lot of bands from different music styles including art rock, post rock, hard rock, doom and other styles in metal or in rock music. KING CRIMSON, KATATONIA, GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT, SOLSTAFIR, BLACK SABBATH, AMORPHIS, ANATHEMA, BURZUM, PINK FLOYD just a small list of bands which we like to listen to. Sure it impresses us and our music.

14. DO YOU LIKE INSTRUMENTS LIKE HAMMOND ORGANS. IS THERE SOMETHING IN MUSIC WHERE THE LINE WOULD BE CROSSED FOR KHORS?

We used Hammond on our new alum in "The Fog" song and we're satisfied of what became from that. Hammond passed a bit amazing both atmosphere and mood of lyrics. Hope the fans will estimate it too.

15. YOUR BAND'S TUNES SEEM TO BE POLISHED, BUT DO YOU LIKE RAW STUFF OUT FROM REHEARSE PLACES? ARE ANY OF YOU COLLECTING REH'S?

Yes, we like qualitative recordings and that's our approach to KHORS' music. Right, it should sound polished. As for other music so I can say that I like old Norwegian black metal for it is great music and there's not so important if it's recorded not so good for example. Rehearsal sound or polished one it affects on atmosphere mostly and I like old KAMPFAR for example rather than new one don't spite the new one's recorded better. There are many bands now trying to have bad records only for dirt itself. It sounds not interesting at all. There are no collectors of reh. demos among us but I have some rare bootlegs of old MAYHEM, ARCTURUS and EMPEROR.

16. I ASSIOCIATE UKRAINIAN SCENE WITH THE TOWN WHERE YOU ARE LIVING. HOW IS IT LIKE INSIDE? ARE YOU GETTING ALONG WITH EACH OTHER?

Yes, the concept "Ukrainian black metal scene" is identically of concept "Kharkov based black metal scene" and we feel proud of we're part of all it. Such bands as NOKTURNAL MORTUM, DRUDKH, HATE FOREST, DUB BUK, ASTROFAES are known worldwide and it's undoubtedly pleasant to realize it. We ain't so closely to communicate as it was since the end of 90s till the mid of 2000s due to many reasons. We all became older, have families, a lot of common works and a little bit other interests. Still we play together on joint festivals, have a lot of talks, discussing various problems.

17. PROBABLY MANY WESTERN ISSUES ARE NEARLY UNAVALIBLE AND VERY EXPENSIVE IN UKRAINE. HOW HARD IS IT TO COLLECT EG VINYLS?

Sure European prices are too high for the Ukrainians and standards of living here is low in general. But it hardly keeps true collectors cause it's not a problem to order production through the web. So the problem’s in money only. I have a little LP collection myself.

18. SOME INSPIRATIONS WERE FOUND IN NATURE. ANYTHING COMMON WITH ECOLOGISTS?

We consider the Nature as the power which has a most strong effect on our life. The power which can't be fully realized and uderstanded over. Some majestic and outstanding!
Environmental problems are clear and close to us but we ain't in an organization working in that direction but just feel sympathize to their work.

19. I READ THAT IN FORMER SOVIET STATES BECAUSE OF NEGATIVE BIRTHRATE AND AUSTERITY LOTS OF VILLAGES VANISHED FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH. HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY DISURBANIZATION AROUND?

We live in big city and we have a lot of other problems such like stopped or bad working manufacture, unemployment, criminality, alcoholism, narcotism but the main problem of our country is deep corruption of government. As for birth rate it's sure felt down a lot in comparison with 90s but it’s not about us. I have two children and Khaoth have a child))) Kharkov scene have big posterity in the whole and I hope our generation to come will make this politically sick country much better.

20. DO THE PEOPLE MISS SOVIET UNION? PROBABLY MOST OF THEM CONSIDER IT WITH STABILITY RATHER THAN 30s...

Sure some people connect their best memories with the stable 70s and those are old ones actually but one should not forget stage-by-stage destruction of Slavoniñ people by communist machine after revolution in 1907, during 30s, during II WW and after that. All the system was pointed at transubstantiation of people to a grey mass of pelters “commited to party”. For all the years of communist governing the system achieved much and the countries of ex-USSR will spat by blood still long. When 40s too many Ukrainian patriots was killed here and still they recognized as faschists and nazi by some politics.

21. BLACK SEA FLEET IS VERY EMOTIVE SUBJECT IN UKRAINE. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR OPINION IF ITS GOOD BUSINESS OR HIGH TREASON...

There’s complex enough situation in a whole with all Crimean peninsula. Initially if to take 200 years back then it was territory of Russian Empire then forwarded to Ukrainian Socialistic Republic (constituent to the USSR in that period) in 60s years of the past century. After splitting of USSR this territory remain composed of Ukraine with preliminary agreements that Russian Military Fleet stay in Sebastopol and it contradicts to the constitution of our country by the way. This agreement’s extending from time to time by some Ukrainian statesmen and sure it displeases complaints of some Ukrainian residents. But from the other side there are also negative in some layers in Russia regarding transfer of initially Russian territories to Ukraine. It’s hard for me to state fair about this issue cause the situation is out of ordinary so I better abstain from my comments accordingly.

22. HELG IS OUT. NOBODY IS IRREPLACEABLE BUT IF I'M RIGHT HE HAS WRITTEN QUITE A LOT OF MATERIAL. WILL KHORS BE THE SAME ON FURTHER RECORDINGS?

Helg was forced to leave the band due he’s being busy with his family. We remained friends, we still meet one each other and it’s possible he will work in studio with us upon our new albums. Sure his contribution in our music is huge but we always create it in strong fairway of the album’s line and this connection the author of music has important but not the determinative part. And the further arrangements have not less important value thus the version can be heard on the album a bit differs from the preliminary one. The next album will be different again and it doesn’t because of Helg absence but we just write different albums and I hope listeners follow it.

23. YOUR BAND GOT A BIT OF SUPPORT FROM SATURIOUS. ARE YOU GOING TO COOPERATE ON THE NEXT ALBUMS? IS FINST STILL ALIVE?

Saturious is our old friend. He helped us a lot with recording of keyboards on all the albums of ours and I hope such the way will remain for the future. We pleased with our collaboration with Saturious and his contribution in luck of our music is huge.
FINIST is OK! Saturious never leaves his brainchild. He has his own home studio where he actually creates something in.

24. WHY HAVE YOU NOT PREFORMED IN OLSZTYN LAST YEAR?

For many years the strange situation lies upon our shows abroad. We played several times in Moscow, Kiev, Kishinev, Minsk as well as in other cities of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Moldova playing approx. 12-15 shows in a year. But if an offer appears from abroad then some various problems follow. Or promoter disappears or financial side became very complex and unrealizable for him, etc. There was just a comedy with Olsztyn occurrence. First the festival were removing in date for three times but when the deal came to the signing official invitations for us on the promoters side then Poland consulate refused it so then there was no sense for us to sign VISAs in embassy. The reason of refuse was fun and stupid at the same time – bird fly which raged in Ukraine that time.

25. THX!

Thanks you too! Take care of you and your families!

Metalunderground Re-issue "The Flame/Cold"

Khors — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 11:13:00 +0000

Reviewed by Joe Reviled on November 19, 2010

Hailing from the Ukraine, atmospheric pagan/black metal band Khors re-released its first two albums, 2005’s “The Flame of Eternity’s Decline” and 2006’s “Cold,” as a double album this year, complete with bonus demos, live tracks, and remixes. In all, there are 16 original tracks and ten bonuses, including one live video. The albums were originally released by Oriana Music, but this time around distribution is being handled by Paragon Records.

First up on “The Flame of Eternity’s Decline” is “Wounds of the Past,” a dark, menacing, mid-paced number with sustained open chords and mid range black metal vocals, courtesy of vocalist and guitarist Helg, that are decipherable and controlled. “Eyes of Eternal Loneliness” then comes in with a blast beat intro that gives way to competent double bass drum work and another mid-tempo groove, with keyboards dutifully following the chord progression. The work on the keys is not overly busy; it’s simply there to add another dimension of darkness. A very death metal solo, whammy dives and all, is the first indication of outside influences penetrating Khors’ sound.

The first red flag is raised on just the third track, “Throne of Antiquity,” wherein the intro sounds much the same as that on the album’s opening song. It almost sound like the same riff played backwards. Needless to say, it’s a bit early in the album to get derivative, but the song is skillful, with a folk metal solo that compliments the song’s overall vibe. By the time the CD’s fourth song, the grammatically incorrect “Trees are Remembers,” rolls around, Khors has settled into a signature sound, a comfort zone of mid-tempo double bass, the occasional blast, and frenetically strummed bar chords. It’s not technical by any means, but the focus is on the overall atmosphere. An instrumental interlude that borders on the cliche follows, and on its heels is the band’s second grammatically dubious title, “Moan of the Greif,” a methodically slow song, again with a very simple structure that is heavy on conveying raw emotion. Khors isn’t a band that tries to take 20 riffs and stuff them into a four riff song.

On “Spirit of Fury,” the snare on drummer Khaoth’s kit sounds a bit loose, but his fine double bass work again comes through. He’s not a flashy player, but then again neither Warth nor Helg on the guitars or Khorus on the bass could be described as such. With that being said, Khaoth does seem to fall back on the same pace of double bass drumming time and time again.

Four demos, two alternate mixes, and a live track follow the album’s originals. The drums on the alternate mixes of “Wounds of the Past” and “Spirit of Fury” have an annoying industrial quality, or lack thereof, and the demos seem to lack the punching power of the finished songs that would later appear on the album proper. The live version of “Moan of Grief” is of good quality sound wise, but it could very well have simply been recorded live in a sterile sound studio rather than at a club. In all, the bonus tracks don’t add anything buzz worthy for fans.

Moving on to disc two, simply titled, “Cold,” we begin to see Khors moving in a slightly different direction, with a more ethereal sound on the keys, layered vocals with more low end added to the mid range, and clean guitar passages contributing to a celestial, dark dreamscape with emotionally tinged solo work. From the opening track, “Ashes,” it’s clear that the solos have been given more room to run, alongside the spacey tone on the synth elements. “Garnet,” sounds almost like black ‘n’ roll, and Khors exhibits that simplicity for effect’s sake is the order of the day, with a lucid piano passage toward the end capturing the essence of the band’s focus on emotional impact. Truth be told, the solo wouldn’t sound out of place in an eighties hard rock ballad.

This formula persists through the heart of “Cold,” with songs such as “Misery” and Conscious Burning” following in a similar vein. Clean guitar passages over spacey effects, double bass drumming, and strummed black metal chords make for a densely layered sound that Khors finds itself exploring. At times, things do sound a bit stagnant. Just as an irregular noise can keep you awake, a constant, unaltered drone can lull you to sleep. But all things considered, credit is due to Khors for maintaining some semblance of change from one album to the next.

An instrumental interlude also makes an appearance, and comes off as slightly lazy and a touch pointless to list it as an extra song. Why not use it as an intro for another song? By the time the disc’s final two originals are reached, the listener can almost predict what the next song is going to sound like. It’s no surprise when a mid-paced song with strummed blackened chords and ethereal keys slows its tempo in the bridge, gives way to a ringing solo, and things are brought back up to speed again before the outro takes us to the conclusion. But the last song, “The Abyss,” shows that Khors do just enough in terms of variation to avoid being accused of being one trick tyrants. This is the band’s most haunting track, and it’s a good attempt at keeping the overall body of work from becoming stale, but it kills any momentum the work as a whole had with a slow, anticlimactic vibe that fails to live up to what preceded it. A nod to Cradle of Filth with the half-whispered vocals likely won’t do anything to endear the band to purists.

Though “Cold” has less bonus material than disc one, it brings something more interesting, with the alt-rock version of the title track offering an expansion on the elementary black ‘n’ roll sound featured on “Garnet.” An almost bluesy piano passage and guitar lead work takes Khors toward the sound trademarked by Finland’s Sentenced. Another live track, “Ashes,” again adequately captures the band in a live setting, but could just as easily be skipped over.

All in all, this reissue takes material that is good enough to stand on its own and doesn’t add much in the way of intriguing bonus material. But it was a good idea to take previously released material that might not have been easily obtainable and put it out in a double album format. It’s a good way to get acquainted with a capable black metal band — just don’t expect to be blown away by the unremarkable bonus material.

Highs: Solid material throughout with a high level of emotional resonance.

Lows: The featured bonus material can, save for the live video and the alt-rock version of "Cold," largely be skipped over.

Bottom line: A good excuse to expand your Eastern European black metal library.

→ http://www.metalunderground.com/reviews/details.cfm?releaseid=4348

Album Release date

Khors — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 07:05:00 +0000

Paragon Records has announced the release date of 4th full length album of KHORS «Return To Abandoned». The album should be out in a format digipack CD on December 14. «Return To Abandoned» recorded and mixed in the first half of the year in the studio Blacklight. Keyboardist NOKTURNAL MORTUM Saturious helped to record the album.

Metallized Re-issue "The Flame/Cold"

Khors — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:13:00 +0000

I Khors sono un esempio di sintesi di ciò che si può trovare nella fiorita scena ucraina. Non posso dire "fiorente" per ovvie ragioni: l'Ucraina ha goduto e gode tutt'ora di notevoli band, capaci soprattutto di aver dato vita ad un movimento che, dall'astrazione tentacolare dei primi anni del nuovo millennio, si è circoscritto e sviluppato concretamente all'interno della nazione. Senza disquisire troppo sulla scena NSBM, mi limito a ricordare che questo genere ha avuto un boom considerevole attorno al 2002-2003, per poi spegnersi lentamente (per il cambio di focus delle band capostipiti, che hanno pian piano abbandonato l'odio razziale per concentrarsi sulle radici folkloristiche delle proprie nazioni). In questi anni però le band che si sono affacciate nel panorama più generale del black metal sono state molteplici: dai capomastri Nokturnal Mortum, agli Hate Forest, dagli ormai consolidati Drudkh, fino a tutta la scena folk/NSBM della Stellar Winter Production (Temnozor, Astrofaes...). In tutto questo perenne pentolone di minestra continuamente riscaldata, sono riusciti ad emergere in tempi recenti i Drudkh, mentre i Nokturnal Mortum hanno dato qualche segno di vita con il buon disco di quest'anno.

I Khors si piazzano proprio in mezzo a tutte queste band, non per un fatto cronologico o artistico, ma perché i nostri membri nascono proprio dalle ceneri degli Astrofaes, e sono un po' gli stessi di Temnozor e Nokturnal Mortum. Questo doppio disco che mi accingo a presentare è niente di meno che la versione ristampata dei primi due lavori della band (The Flames of Eternity's Decline e Cold), arricchiti dalla presenza del demo e da qualche mix, entrambi di evitabilissima fattura.
Il percorso della band, non può apparire più chiaro di quello che ci si presenterà all'ascolto: da una clone-band a metà strada fra i Nokturnal Mortum e i Mayhem (quindi senza l'uso di tastiere), i Khors diventeranno nel giro di un solo anno (il debut è del 2005, mentre Cold è datato 2006) una particolare, e quanto meno degna di nota, band di epic/black di stampo bathoryano. La produzione di The Flames of Eternity's Decline ricorda molto le chitarre di Blasphemer, e se non fosse per qualche intermezzo con synth e flauti (Breath) si potrebbe pensare di essere al cospetto di b-sides dei Mayhem. La linearità e la canonicità dei brani scorre in modo naturale ma mediocre, e anche negli attimi più thrasheggianti (Spirit Of Fury), l'ascoltatore è tutt'altro che rapito dalla band. Il demo messo in chiusura del disco non aggiunge né toglie nulla al gruppo; l'unica nota interessante che si può notare è come la produzione non sia così diversa dal risultato finale del full: è solo un po' ovattata ma di uguale effetto.

Per fortuna le cose cambiano decisamente con Cold. I nostri Khors sembrano aver afferrato a piene mani il processo creativo di Quorthon, e come lui abbandonano l'old-school per tentare di incidere il proprio personale Blood, Fire & Death. Le chitarre prendono dei toni più epici, gli screaming di Helg sono più curati, mentre i synth incorniciano continuamente i brani, creando delle interessanti atmosfere in stile Nordland (molto belli i pianoforti della traccia di apertura, come i sintetizzatori di Garnet).
I nostri riescono decentemente a reggere il gioco utilizzando degli escamotage per niente geniali, ma di efficace effetto: gli arpeggi e i flanger di Misery riescono a tenere alta la soglia di attenzione e anche gli assoli di chitarra hanno abbandonato il caotico caos dell'album precedente, procedendo nella direzione della melodia e dell'accompagnamento delle strofe. In mezzo a brani molto più tirati, come Conscious Burning, il nostro combo riesce a tirar fuori l'ennesimo interludio strumentale (Whisper) in grado di farci apprezzare la componente creativa. Degne di nota sono le ultime due tracce che vanno a chiudere l'album: da un lato la lunga e "progressiva" In The Dephts Of Black Hills, che mi ha ricordato i Nokturnal Mortum dell'ultim'ora, nonché gli Abigor degli albori; i riff si susseguono epici e malinconici e malgrado la loro ripetitività riescono a fare uno slalom fra synth e fraseggi di chitarra solista. La conclusiva The Abyss si tratta, invece, di una sorta di synth-song accompagnata solo dalla batteria e da una declamazione sottovoce dei testi di questo epilogo.

Insomma, anche se entrambi i dischi non possano essere considerati come dei perfetti esempi del proprio sottogenere musicale, e non possono neanche rappresentare una versione speciale di questi, i Khors sono una realtà che non sarà passata inosservata a chi si nutre di questo tipo di black metal. D'altronde l'Ucraina è rimasta territorio di perenne attenzione dagli ascoltatori di questo tipo di musica. Quindi se state cercando delle variazioni sul tema di Nokturnal Mortum e dei primi Drudkh, questo doppio disco può fare per voi. Il mio consiglio però è quello di aprire il case, e di invertire l'ordine dei due cd, così da mettere a portata di mano il lato migliore (Cold, appunto).

Voto di The Flames Of Eternity's Decline : 55
Voto di Cold: 72

→ http://www.metallized.it/recensione.php?id=4623

Occult Black Metal zine

Khors — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 07:05:00 +0000

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?

Nothing special. Rehearsals, main work, common life. Autumn/Winter is just a season for good job, practice, plans and hopes…

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new release?

It’s consistent enough. I think it’s the very best sound we could ever make on our records.

3. What are some of the lyrical concepts and topics that the band has explored on both newer and older albums?

Nature, it’s mystical essence, Paganism

4. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

You know it hard to mark out the one very best show but it’s always great to play together with our old friends on Ukrainian Kolovorot fests and Pagan fests. I can’t describe our stage performance. It can be described by anyone saw it. There’re good performances and not so good ones and it depends on the atmosphere in the venue, support, understanding and of course on our inner feelings and state.

5. When can we expect the new album?

We hope it is out this December just as our label plans

6. Recently you got signed to Paragon Records and they are getting ready to re-issue your older material, how has the support been from that label so fasr?

We love to work with Paragon Records cause we always get huge support and understanding in many ways. We are very thankful for that.

8. How have pagan/black metal fans worldwide react to your music so far?

If following the reviews on our records in the web so I can definitely say we’re not so bad). We’re also getting some positive feedbacks from fans Worldwide.

9. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

Actually I think that our fourth full length album is more professional in technique, songs structure and sound recording than our previous records. The progress is obvious once you start to listen to our new album but sure if you know the previous ones)). There are many directions for us to go to further and right now I can’t exactly say how we’ll sound on our next records. Time will tell…

10. Do you have any plans in the future to tour the United States?

No. It’s impossible cause too expensive.

11. What are some of the bands and musical styles that have influenced your music, and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Oh! There are too many bands influenced us by the years just like classic gothic FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM, TYPE O NEGATIVE, SISTERS OF MERCY, also KATATONIA, PARADISE LOST, old school death metal bands like OBITUARY, DISMEMBER, BOLT THROWER, classic BM like DARKTHRONE, BURZUM and of course many of classic hard rock bands like BLACK SABBATH, W.A.S.P. and so on. Nowadays we still listen to metal music)) We also love some post-rock, post metal bands, some progressive like PORCUPINE TREE but mainly we still in metal)))

12. Are there any current side projects going on these days, besides this band?

No any side projects now. There were times we have some but now almost all the members of KHORS play in KHORS only.

13. How important is Slavic Paganism to the music and do you have any interest in any other forms of paganism or occultism?

It is very important as it’s the main ideological component of KHORS. Our interests are also in history, traditions, mythology, culture, architecture, poetry, etc. It goes about European Heathen Culture not only about Slavic Paganism.

14. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Our families, rest times, football, cars, musical instruments and equipment, videos and so on.

15. Any final words or thoughts before we close this interview?

Thanks for your time!

→ http://occultblackmetalzine.blogspot.com/2010/11/khors-interview.html

Dak City #60

Khors — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:05:00 +0000

- Вот и вышел в свет новый альбом группы Khors – знаменитых суровых харьковчан! Мои поздравления музыкантам и всем, кто (как, кстати, и я) ждал этого релиза! И прямо сейчас я приветствую Александра Khorus`а, бессменного лидера и основателя группы, и начинаю с вопроса «по существу»: каковы музыкальные и смысловые особенности `Return ToAbandoned` и как вы всё это сотворили?

«Новый альбом является для нас продолжением движения группы к новому звуку, аранжировкам, атмосфере. В музыкальном плане мы решили сделать наш материал более динамичным, агрессивным и тяжёлым в отличие от его предшественника – альбома `Mysticism`. В этом отношении `Return…` ближе к нашим первым двум работам, хотя в плане гармоний и мелодики скорее ещё сложнее, нежели упомянутый `Mysticism`. В некоторых композициях мы использовали безладовый бас, в клавишных партиях есть некоторые заимствования из музыки 1970-ых – так, в песне «The Fog» мы использовали Hammond Organ, который создал очень своеобразную атмосферу, разбив песню на две совершенно разные части, но в то же время и тонко подчеркнув её лирическую составляющую. Что касается текстов, то здесь не произошло коренных изменений. Разве что могу отметить некоторое влияние на тексты Helg`а скандинавской мифологии. А в остальном это, как и ранее, – мистика, древние корни, славянство. Эти составляющие в большей или меньшей мере всегда влияли на наше мировоззрение и лирику».

- Листая буклет, можно заметить, что фотографии музыкантов уже не соответствуют вашему сегодняшнему фактическому составу – расскажи, кто прибыл-убыл и как это случилось?

«За последние два года наш состав сменился ровно наполовину. Сначала по музыкальным причинам покинул Nоrt, и ему на смену пришёл Warth – гитарист харьковских Faces Of Death. Из этой же группы летом нынешнего года к нам присоединился гитарист-вокалист Jurgis – он заменил Helg`а, который уже по семейным обстоятельствам не смог далее продолжать играть вместе с нами. Тем не менее, и Nort, и Helg остаются нашими друзьями и частью Khors. Мы по-прежнему видимся и в дальнейшем не исключено их участие в студийной работе над альбомами Khors. Что же касается «новобранцев», то Warth отлично проявил себя на `Return…` как сильный аранжировщик и гитарист, а у Jurgis`а будут все шансы это сделать, когда начнётся работа над новыми вещами».

- В связи с новыми участниками, не сменится ли стиль группы и, вообще,

`Return…` — это некий финал определённого этапа, а потому – чего ждать от следующей работы?

«Музыка у нас постоянно меняется, и это никак не связано с изменениями в составе, к тому же серьёзные перемены начались лишь после предыдущего диска. `Return...` можно рассматривать как окончание двухлетнего цикла работ по созданию нового материала и финальный этап для Helg`а, как музыканта, внёсшего большой вклад в первые три альбома группы. А новые песни пока лишь в набросках, в голове. Есть определённая линия, в фарватере которой мы и планируем создавать материал: возможно, поэкспериментируем с различными инструментами, которые ранее не использовали, а также и с языком».

- Практически все обложки ваших альбомов очень живописны – кто автор нынешнего оформления диска?

«Мы опять работали с нашим дизайнером Sir-Gorgoroth`ом. Ему вновь удалось передать атмосферу музыки и глубину лирики, и фотографии в буклете правильно подчёркивают содержание диска. К слову сказать, дизайн и сами буклеты на российском и американском изданиях будут разными».

- Получился, значит, этакий перспективный подарок будущим коллекционерам ваших дисков! Khors – одна их тех групп, альбомы которых наравне с Украиной и Россией выпускаются и за границей. Как обстоят дела с новой пластинкой?

«`Return...` как и `Mysticism` будет издаваться американским лейблом Paragon Records – на весь мир, и российским Irond – для наших слушателей на территории СНГ. Мы довольны отношением и работой обоих лейблов, и я не думаю, что смена «значков» была бы правильной в данный момент. Кроме того, англичане Heidenwut Productions издали наш дебютник `The Flame of Eternity`s Decline` на виниле, а Paragon Records переиздали первые два альбома – `The Flame…` и `Cold` – в формате двойного диска в слип-кейсе. На этом переиздании добавлено 10 бонус-треков – ранее не издаваемые песни, которые, думаю, будут интересны слушателям».

- Да, особенно заинтересовала арт-рок версия песни «Cold» – как вы умудрились её записать?

«Эта версия возникла, шутки ради, при записи клавишных и гитарных соло для одноимённого диска. Естественно, о том, чтобы использовать её на том альбоме речь и не шла, поэтому вариант положили на «полку», дабы использовать в дальнейшем как бонус-информацию. А когда я готовил материал для переиздания, то, конечно, не мог не вспомнить о таком занятном варианте заглавной композиции».

- В свете того, что вас выпускают и американцы, и англичане, и наши лейблы – что ты думаешь по поводу сей индустрии там и тут, по поводу винилового ренессанса и т.п. тенденциям этого бизнеса?

«Сейчас и здесь и там нелегко. Музыкальная индустрия переживает не лучшие времена: музыку и видео-концерты «качают» в большей степени, нежели покупают. Единственная разница заключается в покупательской способности фанов здесь и там. Не думаю, что в ближайшие годы ситуация станет лучше, но при этом всегда будут люди, желающие видеть у себя продукт в физическом виде. Пример тому – возрождения винила, который, казалось бы, полностью потерял свою актуальность в начале 1990-ых, а уже в 2000-ых имеет немалый спрос среди коллекционеров, да и просто любителей музыки. Не могу сказать, что я сильно переживаю в связи со всеми этими событиями – для нас музыка не является бизнесом и, как правило, все заработанные деньги мы вкладываем в инструменты или запись. Хотя, конечно, приятнее, когда твоя музыка не только «качается», но и покупается».

- А вот если бы тебе пришлось записывать сольный альбом — вообще без ограничений средств, музыкантов, стиля, что это была бы за музыка?

«Во-первых, это возможно только в случае отсутствия основной группы. Я не распыляю своё внимание и занимаюсь всегда чем-то одним. Во-вторых, я достаточно самовыражаюсь в Khors. Не на сто процентов, естественно, т.к. существуют, какие-то моменты, когда всё решается общим голосованием, и мои идеи не работают. Что касается музыки, которая была бы на моём «сольнике», то наиболее близок к ней альбом `Mysticism`. Но в альбом имени себя я бы привнёс ещё больше чистого вокала, разнообразных аранжировок, мелодики а-ля Стив Уилсон и духовых инструментов».

- Ну, Исан из Emperor уже дожил до таких вот сольных изысков – будем надеяться, что и тебе судьба предоставит такую возможность. Понятно, что создавая песни, ты на них влияешь, а как они влияют на тебя в результате? Каким ты был вначале твоего "творческого пути" и какой сейчас – что тебя меняет и что, наоборот, помогает оставаться на каких-то старых позициях?

«С каждой новой песней или альбомом музыкант растёт, чему-то учится, что-то меняет в подходе и реализации идей. На начальной стадии своего пути я многого не знал и не умел, но, естественно, со временем приобретал соответствующий опыт, на который в дальнейшем опирался и опираюсь в процессе творчества. Не думаю, что на данный момент я на пике знаний и самовыражения, ибо планов и задумок пока достаточно».

- Скажи, а что для тебя "корни" и как ты считаешь, может ли человек о своих истоках когда-нибудь совсем забыть или избавится от связи со своими корнями навсегда — во всех смыслах и значениях этого образа?

«Для людей истоки и корни имеют сакральный и духовный смысл и являются важнейшим и неотъемлемым свойством народа в целом. Каждый человек наделён связью с прошлым своего рода: всё это находится, как правило, на подсознательном уровне и не все понимают и чувствуют эту связь. Но она, без сомнения, есть и очень крепка. Человек, пытающийся забыть или избавиться от связи со своими корнями, оказывается слабой былинкой, лишенной опоры, которой легко манипулировать. Что же касается меня, то для меня значение корней бесценно и имеет прямое влияние на жизненное мировоззрение».

- Что ж, «большие деревья знают, как вызвать ветер» — удачи тебе, и всей группе Khors! Будем ждать вестей, концертов, новых побед и, конечно же, песен!

Unholy Gate zine

Khors — Sat, 01 May 2010 06:05:00 +0000

Unholy Gate: For the uninitiated, please provide a quick description about you and your band.

- Hi! We’re Khors, we gathered up in August of 2004 to play some kind Slavonic black metal. Till now we recorded and released three albums and the fourth one is out soon. Hope you know what band name means if you’re in Slavonic mythology a little. Otherwise one can find a definition in the web. We also play shows and we played around 50 ones in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Moldova.

Unholy Gate: Tell us about your latest album.

- Our latest album for now called “Mysticism”. It differs from the fist and the second albums with its mystical atmosphere, mid-tempo songs, lot of keyboards and so on. I don’t know exactly what should I tell about it. I like it and I offer you to listen it and maybe you’ll like it too.

Unholy Gate: What's your touring situation?

- Actually we play shows in C.I.S. territory as I wrote before. We never played abroad and we hope we will but you know, it’s not important for us cause our attendance in our NativeLand in general.

Unholy Gate: Any videos or special appearances coming up, or perhaps a recent story to share?

- We have got bootleg videos almost after each show and we released DVD “Cold Ways” two years before which includes our performances in two cities. It’s good enough in sound and picture but we think to make professional DVD. Now I can’t say when we’ll book a show to film DVD in. We thought to do it this Spring but now the terms shifted to Autumn this year. We’ll see…

Unholy Gate: What does your music mean to you?

- Our feelings, our thoughts, colours of our souls….

Unholy Gate: Where should one go to find more about your band?

- On our myspace page for example. On our official website too. One can also write to us using contacts indicated there!

Darkside 2 "Mysticism"

Khors — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:13:00 +0000

Да, Харьков, откуда родом эти музыканты, — столица украинского блэка, вне всяких сомнений! Как бы ни старались молодые и не очень группы остальных городов, все равно в этом плане они работают скорее на потребление. Вот только Khors надоело удовлетворять потребность в блэке у других, и захотелось удовлетворить собственную потребность сыграть нечто более музыкальное. Так что харьковчане взяли курс на то, чтобы стать славянскими Borknagar. Дело, конечно, почетное. Но вот реализация такого курса — занятие сложное. Просто тщательно перемешать на блэк-основе элементы фолка, дума, прогрессива и готики — вовсе недостаточно. Такая смесь должна звучать гармонично и не замыливать уши навязчивым сходством с западными и северными легендами жанра. По-моему, этот план "Хорс" даже перевыполнили. Сдается мне, что иногда они даже специально уходят на время в более традиционные и шумные музыкальные построения, чтобы для поклонников перемены в жанре не казались излишне резкими. Так что не все композиции мне однозначно нравятся, но в целом... все очень мягко, очень лирично, соответственно названию мистично и просто красиво. Иногда — безумно красиво! Заметьте — даже к записи того самого "потустороннего" шепота подошли со всей ответственностью, выбрав того, у кого лучше получилось. А лучше получилось у басиста Хоруса. Акустические гитары, клавишные — не просто в духе лучших образцов жанра, они сами — образцы мелодичной непошлости и суровой красоты! А вот чего мне критически не хватает у Khors — так это лирики на родном языке (хоть русском, хоть украинском). Ведь в такой музыке необходима органичность во всем, ведь даже то, что музыканты подписаны на американском лейбле, учитывая специфику стиля, вовсе не требует от них обязательной англоязычности. И еще очень бы не хотелось, чтобы следуя примеру тех же Borknagar, Khors стали бы продолжать карьеру выпуском акустического альбома. Слишком уже трендово это будет смотреться.

Jotun 12 мар 2010

8/10

→ http://www.darkside.ru/album/17551/

Paragon Records

Khors — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:05:00 +0000

1.hail brother: how is the weather in the Ukraine today?? I hear Ukraine has one of the most beautiful landscapes you will ever see. Why woulkd you say that is?

Hi there! The winter stays too long in Ukraine this year. In the middle of March here all is covered with snow still, cold weather keeps and Ukrainians looking forward for Spring.
I think that each country has a number of beautiful places that bears a cultural value of which its inhabitants are proud of. Therefore we are proud so much that Ukraine has a lot of places having been sung by poets and writers of different times. It’s important for us and we’re proud to be Ukrainians!

2. On your last cd "Mysticism" the band seem to take a more original approach. Would you agree and was this a natural progression?

Is this a progression or recourse – it’s not to us to discuss it. “Mysticism” is the album that we created with other mood and other influences than it was rather on two previous albums. A little bit another side of our souls – romantic and mysterious yet penetrated by a mystical cold.

3. You use to be a member of Astrofaes. Why did you leave? Do you still have correspondence with the band?

There are two of ex-ASTROFAES members now in KHORS namely Khorus (bass) and Khaoth (drums). The last one has left ASTROFAES in far 2000 when has lost interest to the band’s music but Khorus, one of founders of ASTROFAES, has left that band in cause of disputed situation with Thurios (other founder of ASTROFAES) in 2004 year then has gathered KHORS. We don’t have contacts with ASTROFAES, to be exact, with Thurios, the unique band member for now.

4. Khors often gets linked to having political agenda with their music. This is FALSE. Would you please clarify to your readers what the band does stand for.

I can’t understand where one can find political implied sense in our music or in lyrics. We feel sympathize to the Ukrainian patriotism but it has no attitude to a politics too.

5. What was the most memorable show you have played up to this point, and what was the most memorable show you have seen?

It’s hard to note the only memorable show which was remembered most of all. Metal Head’s Mission fest in Crimea, UA was cool in 2008 when we played open air almost directly on seacoast at sunset. It was stylishly. Thematic shows with our friends are also well remembered usually.

6. What festival would you really like to play more then any other?

We’d like to play on any big festival on the basic stage but this dream perhaps from the category unrealizable but that’s not so important in general. To tell you the truth we feel the festivals where people are waiting us are much more interesting and pleasant for us. Let it be a show in small club but for our public. I think it’s necessary to play at big fests when your occurrence there is proved by a number of factors.

7. What are some of the influences the band puts into Khors?

History, Native Land, national creativity, traditions…

8. What countries you would like to visit and why?

It’s always interesting for us to visit any country but European countries seem most interesting for us as the countries of brotherly culture

9. Is the scene strong in the Ukraine and are there plenty of places for underground bands to play?

More than. Practically in each city there are clubs the bands playing metal music can play a show in which. But another matter that the so-called metal culture is not an even anymore and sometimes there’s no simply to interest the listener.

10. We have come to end for this interview brother. The last words are yous.

Lucks and power!

Funeral Rain "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 11:13:00 +0000

Alright! Another contender from Paragon Records who’s geared up and ready to attempt to kick my ass with brooding black metal! Let’s see how these Ukrainian black/pagan metalers stand up to a formidable catalog…

Oh my! Khors have managed to bounce back after their last album Cold, left me feeling about the same. With Mysticism however, they managed a whirly-gig of a style change from forgettable, no frills blah brand black metal to a whimsical, chillaxed version. Akin to Ceremonial Castings’ Into The Black Forest Of Witchery, Mysticism takes you on a frightening journey through the depressive state of man and nature share when in less than perfect sync with one another. Forceful vocals lash out with screeching hatred at the listener a he tried to make peace with the world around him. But the occasional presence of synths and the haunting spectral guitars uproot your firm footing in reality and cast you, spiraling back into the abyss… damn. This album plays with your head!

Overall: A vast improvement over Cold. This is one record with hunting down for black metalers, doomsters and folkies!

9/10

→ http://www.funeralrain.net/2010/04/29/khors-mysticism/

Dcwebzine "Mysticism"

Khors — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism

Helg — Rhythm & Acoustic Guitars, Lead Vocals
Nort — Rhythm Guitars
Khorus — Bass & Whispers
Khaoth — Drums & Percussion
Saturious — Keyboards
Wortherax — Lead & Acoustic Guitars
Michael “Maiden” Smirnoff — Clear Voices & Whispers

Khors is a bit of an all-star project, containing a cross-section of pretty much the entire Ukrainian scene. As such, it should surprise no one that they play atmospheric pagan black metal. Still, there's plenty of room for diversity in that sub-genre and Khors is closer to doom metal and gothic rock than most of their peers. Reminding me most of Nokturnal Mortum's Twilightfall demo, Mysticism sounds at times gloomy, epic, mystic or nostalgic, but remains mostly upbeat with a smattering of rocking leads, lush keyboards, catchy rhythms and harmonies and snappy mid-paced drumming. Gruff and clean vocals, clean bass guitar and plenty of acoustic guitar round out the sound. Every instrument is played to perfection and the production is impeccable. It's practically redolent with mystical atmosphere.

Ukrainian pagan black metal is usually not the most ear-unfriendly metal around, but Khors' latest album takes that one step further by being so unutterably pleasant to listen to. Now, normally my grim self would balk at making any positive associations with metal that is this easily digestible and nice to hear, but Khors really manage to make emotionally resonant and meaningful sounding music. I won't even call this a guilty pleasure, because this is so amazingly well-crafted, honest and artistically significant that its general accessibility becomes a strength. You can keep listening to it over and over, which is made even easier by its somewhat regrettably short running time of 38 minutes. I want more of it! It's also nice to have something to bring along to friends or significant others who aren't into the extreme metal underground, but who'd appreciate softer metal like Moonspell.

Ukraine will remain a bastion of impressive and diverse folk tinged extreme metal if it can keep producing gems like this. Anyone who isn't put off by atmospheric keyboards and generally relaxed guitar-playing, or conversely occasional heavy riffing and harsh vocals, will probably find a lot to like in Mysticism, since it so expertly manages to balance accessibility with artistry.

Rating: 8.0

→ http://dcwebzine.com/reviews/khors-mysticism.htm

Hassgesang zine

Khors — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:05:00 +0000

1.   Hails to all who participated in Khors music. How are you today? Do you have any news around band?

- There are not many news. During this current year we played some shows supporting our new album in many cities of ex-USSR such as Kishinev, Kiev, Moscow, Minsk, etc. This summer we’ve got line-up changes. The place of our old combat comrade Nort occupied new guitarist namely Warth. Now we’re working upon new album.

2.   What does name Khors mean and have it some special sense?

- KHORS is God of Solar Disc in Ancient Slavic mythology.

3.   Months ago,you came out your third album Mysticism,which was great too. what is the main theme of lyrics about? Is it Similar to last two albums or have they developed,just as your music? I can recognize in cover of album „Cold“ that it should be mainly about winter and nature, but what about your debut and „Mysticism“ which has the ruins on cover?

- The lyrics has not changed, it still transfers the atmosphere of Ancient Times, times of Pagan Beliefs and great achievements. But on this album we wish to transfer mystical, mysterious essence of the nature. The atmosphere of darkness, light, pain, grief should absorb you... Raised emotionality and sensuality is that we wished to show by both the music and lyrics.

4.Where are you taking ispiration from? I really like idea of old riuns in your booklet. Who had this idea?

- I’ve got an idea and our designer namely Sir Gorgoroth could embody it in the booklet more than successfully as I think. That’s what you see on the front cover is the eye of the beast. It doesn’t matter of which one cause it’s just an image. In pupil reflects the fragment of ancient fortress. There are some other fragments of that fortress also used in booklet. The eye of the beast associates with the nature as with eternal unrestrained force to which even stone construction built for protection is subject. This is all figuratively and also has the inner meaning…

4.   What kind of music do you and your mates listen to? From your music I can hear plenty of influences not only from metal music or black metal.

-   We listen different kind of music, for example GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT, ISIS, AT THE SOUNDAWN, NOCTE OBDUCTA , HEAD CONTROL SYSTEM, ULVER, PORCUPINE TREE, KATATONIA, The CURE, FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM, LYCIA, BURZUM, KAMPFAR, CELTIC FROST, PROTECTOR, GREEN CARNATION.
-
5.   Why are you singing in English and not in your mother tongue as the most of your collegues from Ukrainian black metal or pagan bands bands??

- That’s because we consider English much suit for our music. One can see Russian verse of lyrics on our website. We write our lyrics on Russian then translate it on English usually.

6.   During your three albums you quite changed your style from, lets say, pagan black metal to almost instrumental music, if I can say. In your new album is more instrumental songs where are not vocals or they are in background. I am quite curious about your next album. Had it some purpose or it is only evolution?

- The matter is we always do that we want at define moment and we ain’t adhere the borders was built by our previous albums. Sure some restrictions exist in arrangements and melodies we write but they don’t affects on album in global sense. We understand well that not all the fans of our previous albums will accept and understand “Mysticism” but nevertheless just this album’s given the strongest push to promotion and development of our band. As for new album it will differ from “Mysticism” and from our previous albums a lot but not to instrumental side for sure.

7.   And when we are talking about your style, how can charakterize your music yourself?

- It’s difficult for me to characterize our music and I have no desire to do that. Let it’s done by journalists, listeners, reviewers. Usually they like to glue labels.

8.   Did you have any problems with your music in your country or in the other? Any curious experiences on tour and so on? Havent for example antifa tried to beat you as they did to Kroda?

- We had some problems on Ukrainian fest when some inadequate pro-communistish band from Germany prevented our show there. We decided to cancel our performance for not to transform musical fest to political shit.
There are some things which very hard to fight with for example human stupidity and inadequacy. The ideas of patriot, nationalist are frequently mixed with the ideas of faschist and nazist. This cases the arguments have no sense.

9.   Do you collect vinyls? And what is your opinion to internet piracy?

- Yes I’ve got a small collection of vynil releases and actually it’s LPs of veterans of such styles as Heavy Metal, Thrash, Black Metal and Gothic. You can’t stop internet piracy and it’s obvious. It helps in some way but also harms in other. Basically it helps to new bands to be heard but it stirs to sales due to not to many people buy CDs but prefer to download Mp3 versions. It’s sad cause we spend a lot of money for recordings, to pay for studio, etc. and soon musicians will have no possibility to record well cause no sales and no money due to that. But I believe that people will buy CDs, LPs anyway cause personally I do so as I like the music.

10.   What is your stance to NS or Rac music,which is quite extended country? Although for example Khaoth played in Nokturnal Mortum, but in your lyrics is nothing what can evoke some political or nationalistic sense.

- Actually I treat NS or RAC music with respect but I can’t name myself as fan of that kind of music as a whole. Khaoth stayed in NOKTURNAL MORTUM for one rehearsal so it’s not logical to talk about his valuable participation in the band’s life. However we ain’t intending to hide that fact as well as long-term friendship with the guys of NOKTURNAL MORTUM. As for absence in our lyrics any political and national implied sense it’s due to conception of our creation which doesn’t mean this subject matter.

11.   Although Ukraine fought in WWII in the side of Germany, germans considered slavs as something like subrace, what do you think about new Hitler-Slavic worshipers in Ukraine? Nothing against it.

- Real Ukrainians in II WW times fought for the Native Land. Their enemies was both Red Soviets and German armies. There are some divisions formed by volunteers from Ukraine, Estonia, Latviya and they really fought on German side having save their Land from Soviet Red Plague. We consider Soviet Union policy in II WW times destructive, ruinous, the policy which has put Russian culture and intellectuals on knees. Contrariwise Hitler were destruct our culture and our people too so we consider him as enemy for normal Ukrainian and Ukraine in whole. You should write more about Ukraine in II WW to see better.

12.   At last,there wont be any question,just space for you,if you want to say something to Czech Republic and your Czech fans.

- Thanks for your interest to our band in your country. Be fair before yourself in your acts and respect your past as the base for the Present and for the Future!

Thank you very much for interview. I wish you good luck and I hope we will soon see Khors in Czech Republic. Hails!!!

blogs.myspace "Mysticism"

Khors — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism
Paragon Records — 2008

Alright! Another contender from Paragon Records who’s geared up and ready to attempt to kick my ass with brooding black metal! Let’s see how these Ukrainian black/pagan metalers stand up to a formidable catalog…

Oh my! Khors have managed to bounce back after their last album Cold, left me feeling about the same. With Mysticism however, they managed a whirly-gig of a style change from forgettable, no frills blah brand black metal to a whimsical, chillaxed version. Akin to Ceremonial Castings’ Into The Black Forest Of Witchery, Mysticism takes you on a frightening journey through the depressive state of man and nature share when in less than perfect sync with one another. Forceful vocals lash out with screeching hatred at the listener a he tried to make peace with the world around him. But the occasional presence of synths and the haunting spectral guitars uproot your firm footing in reality and cast you, spiraling back into the abyss… damn. This album plays with your head!

Overall: A vast improvement over Cold. This is one record with hunting down for black metalers, doomsters and folkies!

9/10

→ http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=401774438&blogId=533859986

Connection Point "Mysticism"

Khors — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS "Mysticism" 2009

Божественно. Уж не знаю, что там эти украинцы играли раньше (а группа, судя по интернет-мнениям, достаточно весомая), но "Мистицизм" просто прекрасен — один из лучших альбомов, слышанных в 2009-м... Атмосфернейший, романтичный, разнообразный и невероятно мелодичный dark(doom?)/black metal с волшебными гитарными соляками — ай да хохлы, как порадовали! Альбом — коротенький, всего 38 минут с копейками и восемь трэков, — но какой яркий и запоминающийся... Кстати, тут в качесте гостевого вокалиста на "Red Mirrors" засветился Михаил "Мэйден" Смирнов из MENTAL HOME — если кто помнит такую банду... И — отдельный респект за оформление: обложка в зеленых тонах с глазом и руинами запомнилась мне с первого раза (это, кстати, в топик про обложки... найду побольше размер — запостю туда).

PANZER

→ http://connection-point.ru/index.php?showtopic=334&st=1740

Musica Must Die

Khors — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:05:00 +0000

1.
В: Новый альбом KHORS "Mysticism" вышел на Paragon Records в прошлом году, а на Irond в России в этом. Расскажи, что в группе происходило в последнее время, какие события предшествовали записи и выпуску пластинки?

Работу над "Mysticism" мы начали в 2007 году. В течении всего этого года сочинялась бОльшая часть материала, а в декабре в киевской "Blacklight Studio" с барабанов и ритм гитар стартовала запись альбома. В течении зимы -лета 2008 года были дописаны остальные инстументы, произведено сведение и мастеринг. Осенью мы договорились о выпуске альбома американским "Paragon Records", оставив права на территорию экс-СССР себе. В конце зимы 2009 года договорились о выпуске диска для жителей этой территории с российским лэйблом "Irond Records". В течении нынешнего года презентовали альбом во многих городах бышего СССР, таких как Кишинёв, Киев, Днепропетровск, Москва, Тула, Тверь, Гомель, Минск. Летом у нас состоялась смена гитариста, место нашего старого боевого товарища Nort'а занял новый гитарист Warth.

2.
В: Вы выпустились на американском Paragon Records, которые не является не только ведущим в Underground, но и даже особо уважаемым среди любителей black-metal. Как, например, Supernal, на котором издавались ASTROFAES. Как так вышло?

У нас было несколько вариантов лэйблов и некоторые из них действительно являются более известными и уважаемыми в мире, нежели "Paragon Records", но есть такое понятие как "заинтресованность в группе". Парни из Paragon проявили эту самую заинтересованность и настойчивость. Они выполнили все наши требования\пожелания, которые не были просты ни в финансовом плане ни в других отношениях. Мы получили отличную дистрибъюцию по миру через такие сети как Plastic Head, The Omega Order, Code 7. Рецензии на альбом были опубликованы в порядка 80 ти печатных и интернет ресурсах. Также благодаря нанятому лэйблом пиар-агенству Earsplit Promotions (Destruction,Theatre of Tragedy, U.D.O, Obituary, Marduk и многие другие) было дано большое количество интервью различным изданиям по всему миру. Неплохая работа как для маленького и не особо уважаемого лэйбла согласитесь? :).

3.
В: В России ваш альбом издали Irond Records, которые тоже не слишком увлекаются выпуском отечественных UG коллективов. Что ты думаешь об их работе? Почему ваш выбор пал на них и были ли другие варианты издания у KHORS?

C "Irond Records" было всё просто. Мы принесли промо, лэйблу материал понравился и поступило соответствующее предложение о выпуске диска. Другие варианты не рассматривались, Irond — российский металлический лэйбл №1 с соответствующими своему статусу дисрибьюцией и каталогом.

4.
В: Как ты относишься к такому утверждению, "Mysticism" немного не то, что хотели услышать поклонники KHORS? Может ли быть такая ситуация? Что ты сам думаешь об эволюции музыки вашей группы?

Думаю что любой новый альбом KHORS немного не то, что хотели услышать наши поклонники после предыдущего. Тоже будет относиться и к 4 му альбому, кстати. :)
Дело в том что мы всегда делаем то что нам хочется в данный момент и не очень придерживаемся рамок предыдущих альбомов. Естественно существуют какие либо ограничения в аранжировках и мелодиях, но они не влияют на альбом в глобальном смысле. Мы прекрасно понимаем, что не все поклонники первых двух альбомов примут и поймут "Mysticism", но тем не менее именно этот альбом дал сильнейший толчёк продвижению и развитию нашей группы.

5.
В: Мне показался новый альбом очень атмосферным. В какую атмосферу, по задумке самих музыкантов, должен погрузиться слушатель? О чём 'Mysticism'?

Альбом и планировался в первую очередь именно атмосферным, так что вам не показалось. Дыхание древности, в единый миг её величие и её забвение. Загадочность и меланхолия с некоторым налётом мистичности. Но в любом случае у каждого слушателя своё восприятие музыки, поэтому мне бы не хотелось направлять его в какое-либо русло. Так будет даже интереснее...

6.
В: KHORS относят к "харьковской" black-metal сцене, если возможно такое
выражение. Сейчас что-то давно ничего не слышно о NOKTURNAL MORTUM. В каком состоянии сейчас эта "сцена", а, главное, относите ли вы себя к ней? У меня в голове сразу всплывают такие понятия, как 'pagan', 'black'... Относишь ли ты KHORS к pagan-metal? И что для тебя pagan-metal? Придерживается ли какой-то идеологии KHORS?

Выражение "харьковская сцена" не столько возможно сколько является определяющим в современном блэк-металле. Группы Drudkh и Nokturnal Mortum находятся среди лидеров, а остальные харьковские команды, за редким исключением, в той или иной степени являются мощными единицами мировой сцены бм. Это не голый патриотизм, это элементарная статистика прослушиваний на Last FM, просмотров на Youtube, востребованности мерчендайзинга и прочие определяющие интерес публики факторы. Мы горды, что являемся частью этой сцены и наши корни крепко переплетены с лучшими её представителями.
Nokturnal Mortum, к слову, сейчас на последней стадии завершения работы над новым альбомом "Голос Стали". Им они очень громко, я бы даже сказал оглушительно напомнят о себе!
Мы всегда являлись и будем являться pagan-metal группой и здесь в отличие от музыки перемен не будет никогда. Наше мировозрение сформировалось достаточно давно и главенство в нём веры предков не поддаётся никакому сомнению.

7.
В: В прошлом году вы также выпустили DVD. Расскажи об этом опыте? Какие цели ставили вы, его выпуская? Что нам ждать от KHORS в концертном варианте? Может обширный тур по США?

DVD "Cold Ways" — это однокамерный бутлег с довольно таки неплохим звуком.
Дело в том что мы снимаем на стационарную камеру многие наши концерты.
Просматривая пачку видео после осеннего тура по Украине 2007 года(совместно с беларусами THELEMA), наш тур-менеджер и по совместительству шеф донецкого лэйбла Eclectic Productions Евгений Бутенко, видимо впечатлившись,:) предложил выпустить в формате двд концерт в городе Луганск в клубе Hot Jam. Цель издания подобного бутлега может быть только одна: дополнительный промоушен для группы.
Хочу сказать что этот двд в большей степени для фанатов нашей группы периода альбомов Cold и The Flame Eternity's Decline. "Cold Ways" был выпущен весной 2008 года и на данный момент уже давно продан. Так что милости просим на youtube, там достаточно видео разных периодов нашего творчества. Что касается концертов в США, то на данный момент это маловероятно. Наш лэйбл организацией подобных мероприятий не занимается. Экономически тур для местного организатора должен быть привлекательным, так как только наш перелёт будет стоить немалых денег. Кроме того тур необходимо делать именно обширный, а это тоже будет сопряжено с трудностями уже с нашей стороны, ведь у всех есть основная работа, семьи.

8.
В: Куда дальше в музыкальном плане будет развиваться KHORS? Существуют ли какие-то определённые планы?
Планы есть, на новый альбом. На данном этапе пять песен уже приобретают отчётливые контуры. В музыкальном плане это будет опять "немного не то, что хотели услышать поклонники KHORS", после альбома "Mysticism" в особенности. :)
Спасибо за внимание к нашей группе!
Удачи вам и вашим читателям!

Khorus/KHORS

→ http://musica.mustdie.ru/ru/articles/1/63187/

Casus Belli zine

Khors — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:05:00 +0000

1. Немного необычный и, может быть, в чем-то глупый вопрос. Но почему у украинских музыкантов так в чести буквосочетание "KH"? Khors,Khorus,Khlyst,Khaoth и т.д.???

- Я никогда не задумывался над этим, но скорее всего это связано с тем, что когда black metal приходил на землю Украинскую, то приходил он с Северными командами, где доминировали сочетания TH, KH, GH и так далее. Не секрет что мы были под большим влиянием, многие сегодня не любят об этом говорить, ха-х! Так вот когда большое и вообще влияние рассеялось, то мы просто решили ничего не менять в этой области.

2. Вопрос к Helgу. Существует ли сейчас Runes of Dianceht? Ведь в свое время это была одна из самых первых украинский NSBM групп. Впечатляющая концертная активность, выход альбома на Battlelord Productions на CD и кассеты на Ориана\Коловрат, выступления почти yf всех фестивалях Коловорот... и вдруг тишина... приоткрой завесу тайны, группа жива?

- По информации от Helg'a, группа RUNESOFDIANCEHT после длительного перерыва подаёт признаки жизни и планирует продолжить запись нового альбома, которую они начали более 6-ти лет назад.

3.После выхода Мистицизма Вы стали довольно успешны. Вон даже Dark city уделил целый лист интервью с Вами. Приятно быть популярным? Многие опосаются,что после всей этой шумихи Khors потеряет свою элитарность (глупое, наверное, слово, но многие так считают).

- Это профанация и непонимание ситуации в целом. DarkCity опубликовал первое интервью с KHORS после выхода “Cold”, второго нашего альбома, хотя “Cold” издавали далеко не Irond. Рост так называемой популярности ощущается разве что в количестве рецензий на последний альбом в большей степени, хотя понимание популярности у каждого свое. Это нормальная, предсказуемая и правильная работа лэйбла. Андеграунд это среда обитания наиболее подходящая для нас и мы всегда будем оставаться там вне зависимости от количества разворотов в буклете CD или полос в топовых журналах.

4. С чем связан переход с идеологически верной Ориана на сомниельный Paragon?

- Только лишь тем, что идеологически верная Oriana больше не находила ни времени, ни желания заниматься группой KHORS. Мы хорошо стартанули с первым альбомом, получив полную поддержку от Орианы, но постепенно эта поддержка сходила на нет и уже со вторым альбомом мы сами занимались своим promotion в Украине и в других странах, натолкнувшись на недопонимание со стороны лейбла. Осмелюсь предположить, что Oriana сейчас и в будущем – лейбл для одной группы.

5. Боюсь, без этого вопроса никак не обойтись, но... Ваше отношение к NSBM? Стиль изжил себя и Khors двинулись дальше? Я понимаю,что сами Вы себя никогда не причисляли к этому стилю, но многие (слишком многие) так думали.

- Мы всегда были рядом и остаёмся там же, но когда НСБМ стал трендом, и достаточно было разместить на обложке профиль фюрера или символику ты тут же попадал в число культовых команд, имея при этом неплохой успех — мы решили в открытую упомянуть о том, что группа KHORS находится вне политики, отвернув от себя часть слушателей. Это, кстати, к вопросу о потере элитарности….

6. О Мистицизме приходилось слышать только приятные отзывы (лично мне — да) или были какие-то негативные???

- И негативных хватало тоже, ведь очевидно что не все любители первых двух альбомов поняли нас на “Mysticism”, особенно любители первого альбома. Также мы всегда провоцировали рвотные позывы у тех, кому приставка Pagan не даёт покоя, а также тех, кого мы разочаровали на обложке своего DVD...

7. А что там, на обложке DVD, такого разочаровывающего? Кстати, раз уж зашла речь, расскажи, как проходила работа над этим DVD и довольны ли вы полученным результатом?

- Именно на задней части DVD мы отметили, что группа KHORS не является политической. Вероятно это разочаровало определенную группу лиц. Работы над самим DVD по сути и не было, мы просто пересматривали видео материалы после тура и нашли, что запись с выступления в Луганске получилась хорошей как по звуку, так и ”по картинке”, с учетом того, что съемки производились на обычную handycam. Мы решили оформить этот видеоматериал в виде DVD, дополнили его еще парой треков с Московского концерта и, таким образом, получился "Cold Ways” DVD вполне доступный во всех отношениях. Насколько мы довольны? Если учитывать то, что мы специально ничего не делали – не выбирали зал, не нанимали группу профессиональных операторов, не работали над сведением материала, т.е. по сути, спонтанно получили неплохой результат как для бутлега, то да — вышло неплохо, но мы и не планировали профессиональной съемки для DVD. Проще говоря, это, по нашему мнению, достаточно качественный бутлег!

8. Khors по прежднему "pagan-like" группа? Если да, то что для Вас Земля, Язычество, Кровь? Чувствуете ли Вы причасность к своей истории? Какова цель Вашего Творчества?

- А что должно было изменить нашу идеологическую составляющую? Смена лэйбла и так называемая коммерциализация музыки? Да, мы по прежнему "pagan-like" группа твоими словами, это, кстати, тоже явный вестник тренда на Pagan. Плохой такой вестник. Одень мы вышиванки или добавь в музыку аутентичности, вопросов бы таких, наверное, не возникало, как в большинстве случаев и делается сейчас. Наше мировоззрение нисколько не поменялось за пять лет существования KHORS и вряд ли поменяется впредь.Древняя вера всегда имела сильнейшее влияние на каждого из нас и это было задолго до того, как мы собрались вместе, в одну группу. В современном мире, в современном обществе Язычество для нас сильнейшее наследие с его гордым свободным духом и особенно важно для нас не просто сохранить его в себе и идти с ним, а передать, вложить своим детям, воспитать в них гордость, величие, тягу к вечному, зов крови. А что же до творчества, то оно как и наследие, стремится в умы, стремится быть услышанными и понятыми ПРАВильно: холодом времен, мистичностью древнего мира, багровым пламенем закатом вечности…

9. Каковы дальнейшие творческие планы? Будет ли это сборник редкостей, как вы говорили в том же интервью Дарк-сити, или сразу же новый альбом???

- Боюсь что мы обойдёмся без сборника редкостей, оставив его для лучших времен. Как раз может накопим ещё бонусного материала. Сейчас мы работаем над новым альбомом. Большая часть материала уже готова, часть в разобранном состоянии, но уже сейчас мы готовы говорить о том, что в первой половине следующего года, а может даже и раньше, мы сядем за его запись.

10. Наверное, ещё рано спрашивать, но всё-таки, не расскажете, что можно ожидать от нового материала KHORS? Будет ли он похож на “Mysticism”, или группа раскроет новую грань творчества?

- На данный момент написано больше половины материала для нового альбома, но конечную окраску музыка приобретает на том этапе, когда все аранжировки написаны, а у нас это происходит обычно в момент записи. По крайней мере, я могу отметить что новый материал должен быть неким синтезом “Mysticism” и “TheFlame of Eternity’s Decline” – нашим первым альбомом. Сейчас он мне видится именно таким.

11. Какие концертные выступления запомнились Вам больше всего??? Осуществилась ли мечта (если она была) сыграть с кумирами на одной сцене?(Если они были)))

- У нас есть команды, творчество которых нам нравится или очень нравится, но вот слово «кумиры» как-то не попадает ни под одну из тех команд. Я не помню чтобы мы когда то хотели сыграть с ними, скорее просто хотели бы сыграть в тех же условиях, может на тех же фестах отчасти, но, как правило, выступление с командами первого эшелона сулит в большей степени проблемами, т.к. ты по сути являешься командой, сет которой можно сократить или вообще урезать в пользу капризов именитых музыкантов. Так приходит еще и разочарование, а это еще один минус.

Любим играть с друзьями, с дружественными группами. Какой концерт запомнился больше всего? Трудно сказать. Наверное запомнились невзрачные выступления, без поддержки, на плохих аппаратах, там, куда больше ехать не хочется. Радует, что таких концертов было минимум.

12. С харьковскими камрадами поддерживаете отношения?

- Естественно!

13. У Вас не так давно изменился состав. Расскажите, с чем это было связанно?

- Кадровый вопрос назревал еще давно, а именно тогда, когда мы стали играть материал из “Cold” живьём, но встал ребром после записи и концертов с “Mysticism”. Гитарист Nort прошёл с нами долгий путь, но просто не был готов продолжать его…

14. Многие харьковские группы, и вы в том числе, сводят свой материал у московского музыканта Михаила “Maiden’а” Смирнова. Специалистов его уровня нет в Украине, или вас связывают дружеские отношения?

- Кроме KHORS, у Миши не сводился никто из Харьковчан, да и мы свой последний альбом доверили Shaddar’у из Киевской студии Blacklight. Михаил Смирнов по сути штатный звукооператор KHORS, поэтому дружеские отношения очевидны.

15. Что Вы испытали, когда Вам запретили выступать на МХФ всвязи с якобы "нетолерантными" взглядами участников группы?

- Это был фестиваль Про-Рок. В последствии провальный и имеющий нешуточный резонанс в другой плоскости. Сначала мы подумали что шутка какого-то антифашника или просто «доброжелателя» не даст развития, пока информация не дошла до молодых групп, подверженным новым молодежным течениям. Так или иначе, мы не могли поступить по-другому, посему не думаю что KHORS когда-нибудь появится на крупных фестивалях в своей стране.

16. И напоследок. Огромной удачи Вам! Во Всех ваших проектах и планах! Продолжайте искренне радовать нас своей уникальной и ни с чем не сравнимой музыкой!

- Спасибо за вопросы, спасибо за высокую оценку нашего творчества! Удачи и силы Casus Belli и тебе лично!

Khaoth/KHORS

→ http://casusbellizine.com/intervews/item/khors.html

Fog Music Shop "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS — Mysticism — Digi CD

Что мы с вами можем увидеть, взяв в руки третий полноформатник Khors?
Отменно оформленный и качественно сделанный многопаннельный дигипак с буклетом.
Восхитительные фото и дизайнерская работа Sir Gorgoroth.
Мелодичная, нежная и проникновенная, но тем не менее сильная и грамотно сыгранная музыка. Нет — Музыка!
Плюс — два концертных видео.

Кто там писал, что "дурацкий" лэйбл выпустил "мутную" музыку?! Всем тиражом в .... штук вам по голове!

Мои лучшие рекомендации — 5/5

Рейтинг: [5 из 5 звезд!]

Дмитрий Б.

Дата добавления: Воскресенье 13 Сентябрь, 2009

→ http://www.fog-music-shop.com/shop/khors-mysticism-digi-pri-216.html?reviews_id=4

Stilet "Mysticism"

Khors — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Новая работа под знаменем KHORS. Новая во всём: и в звуке и в стиле. В общем, всё за что мы любили харьковчан, всё что мы любили в их музыке, перевёрнуто с ног на голову. Очень зрелый альбом, который на мой взгляд, является подведением итогов за прошедший период жизни. Что было? Что стало? Вопросы, вопросы, на кторые можно получить ответы, если слушать вдумчиво. Если окунуться в эту атмосферу с головой, то вынырнув, можно увидеть много необычного. Рекомендую тем, кто не загоняет себя в стилистические рамки, а способен слушать музыку душой и сердцем. Не для коллективного прослушивания.

Dak City #50

Khors — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:05:00 +0000

- Страна, да и весь мир не в самой лучшей форме, а группа Khorsвыпускает самый лучший на сегодня свой альбом — `Mysticism`. Как же так?

Khorus (бас-гитарист, лидер группы): «Да, может, и не совсем вовремя выходит альбом и, наверняка, его коммерческий потенциал и не получится реализовать в полной мере, но это нас не сильно беспокоит, потому как дальше, думается, будет ещё сложнее выпустить диск и продать его в большом количестве. Особенно это будет касаться молодых команд, которых лейблы будут подписывать весьма разборчиво».

- Когда создавался `Mysticism`, как шёл отбор песен? Не пугало ли вас то существо, которое постепенно вырисовывалось в воздухе посредством звуков ваших инструментов?

«Создавался альбом в обычном для нас режиме: мелодическая линия – ритмическая линия. Когда начали появлятся основные черты, мы отметили для себя, что многих, видимо, удивим такой музыкой. В особенности людей, знакомых с нашим ранним творчеством. Страшного ничего в процессе создания альбома точно не происходило, но мистицизм присутствовал повсеместно! Постоянно всё затягивалось: то запись, то сведение, то выпуск самого диска. Даже каким-то непонятным образом из посылки в Америку, где в конце прошлого года увидел свет наш альбом, пропал диск с офомлением, а также его копия, что весьма странно, если учесть, что остальные материалы дошли. В общем, сплошной мистицизм!»

- Честно говоря, ни слова плохого про ваш альбом ещё не слышал – а каково вот так отовсюду получать одни восторги?

«Получать восторги всегда приятно, а со всех концов света тем более! Но отрицательная реакция тоже была, и я не вижу в этом проблемы. Чаще всего она исходила от поклонников первого альбома, либо от людей, просто не понявших `Mysticism`. Хотя в процентном соотношении доля таких рецензий минимальна. Ну, а чаще всего главной реакцией на новый материал было, как мы и предполагали, — удивление.»

- Как и где велась запись и что за фотографии использованы в буклете?

«Работу над основным материалом мы начали ещё в середине 2006-го, хотя инструментал, получивший название “Pagan Scars”, был сочинён Helg'ом (вокал, гитара) ещё в 2003-ем. В ноябре 2007-го мы записали гитары и барабаны в киевской студии Blacklight, а весной 2008-го продолжили работу в харьковской AudioALchemia и московской Buddha-Cat. Затем летом вернулись в Blacklight для сведения альбома и закончили этот процесс в октябре. Для оформления диска использованы фотографии Таракановьского форта (вблизи города Дубно) и древней крепости около деревни Старе Село (подо Львовом)».

- Кто, вообще, помогал в становлении вашей группы и кто участвовал непосредственно в нынешней записи, кроме основных участников коллектива?

«В первое время очень здорово помогли парни из Oriana Music и морально, и в плане продвижения группы на рынке. Что касается записи, то состав уже третий альбом неизменный плюс постоянные студийные участники: клавишник Saturious(Nokturnal Mortum), гитарист Wortherax (ex-Nokturnal Mortum) и звукорежиссёр\вокалист Михаил «Maiden» Смирнов (Mental Home).

Это наши старые друзья и вклад каждого из них в общее дело просто неоценим. Я думаю, что именно благодаря такой команде, мы смогли добиться столь солидных результатов при записи `Mysticism`».

- Что для вас есть мистицизм в музыке и в жизни?

«Мистицизм в музыке это, прежде всего, атмосфера, ощущение тревоги, загадочности, таинственности. Создать такое состояние у слушателя с помощью музыки не так просто, на мой взгляд. И очень хорошо, если нам это удалось. В жизни же мы сталкиваемся, в основном, с гораздо более важными и сложными проблемами и там не до мистицизма совершенно. А случающиеся странные и необъяснимые вещи, как правило, быстро забываются и закрываюся новыми сложностями. Поэтому я предпочитаю мистицизм в музыке, где можно уйти от всех проблем и погрузиться в совершенно иную жизнь».

- Иная жизнь – иные просторы… А я так и не спросил, как вы у американцев-то оказались?

«В процессе записи альбома мы начали переговоры с различными лейблами из Европы и США. В конечном итоге остановились на Paragon Records, которые предложили нам наилучшие условия как финансовые, так и по части промоушена. На данный момент мы довольны ситуацией, причин для беспокойства нет, лейбл этот хоть и невелик, но свою работу делает исправно. Распространение наших дисков через ведущую европейскую дистрибьюцию Plastic Head также добавляет им баллов».

- А в России вашим альбомом ведает теперь Irond?

«Да, права на издание диска на территории СНГ мы оставили за собой и, соответственно, после выхода диска в США я начал подбирать варианты в России, как наиболее мощной по части лейблов стране. Irond я знаю практически с самого основания и считаю его наиболее сильным по созвездию групп в каталоге. Тут без всякой лести – я достаточно давно варюсь в этом котле и не понаслышке могу судить об этом. Я передал на лейбл промо и через некоторое время нам поступило предложение о выпуске диска. Здесь, в отличие от Paragon, мы попали практически на «мажор», поэтому ждём ещё более успешной совместной работы».

- Значит, ваш альбом начал путешествие по миру, а где корни у самой группы — географически и музыкально?

«Географически все харьковчане, за исключением Helg`а – он родом из Керчи. Что касается музыкальных корней, то здесь всё достаточно традиционно: хэви, трэш, дэт, блэк. Мы придерживаемся термина "хорошая музыка", а в этом случае стилевые рамки отсутствуют. Поэтому мы можем слушать и пост-рок, и такие группы как Depeche Mode, The Cure или Porcupine Tree. Изначально стиль Khors был более приближён к классическому среднетемповому блэку, но с каждым альбомом он менялся в более мелодичную и медленную сторону. Итогом всего этого и стал мрачный и атмосферный `Mysticism`».

- Для расширения кругозора читателей Dark City я обычно прошу наших гостей рассказать что-нибудь интересное из истории их города.

«Харьков был основан в 1654-ом году – по крайней мере, так говорят официальные цифры. Достаточно долгое время выполнял роль важного для Слобожанщины города-крепости. Так было около трёхсот лет вплоть до преобразования его в губернский город, что позволило Харькову со временем стать одним из центров торговли и промышленности Слободско-Украинской губернии. Это продолжалось вплоть до революции 1917-го года. Ну, а дальше уже не так интересно. Сейчас город не в лучшем состоянии, впрочем, как и вся страна, но я надеюсь, это временно».

- И какова сейчас ситуация на вашей местной и общеукраинской тяжёлой сцене?

«На местной сцене, как и прежде, главенствует блэк-метал. Харьков, как и раннее, является лидером блэк-метал-движения Украины, да и, пожалуй, всего СНГ. По остальным стилям мне трудно судить, но кроме модного ныне метал-кора выделить нечего. Что касается украинской сцены, то качественный сдвиг однозначно наблюдается. Могу отметить такие команды как Flying, Grimfaith, Hell:on, Mental Demise, Mournful Gust, Kroda – это одни из лидеров в своих стилях и, думаю, уже достаточно известные слушателям коллективы».

- Кто откуда и когда пришёл в вашу группу? Где ещё заняты, кроме Khors?

“Мы с барабанщиком Khaoth`ом из Astrofaes, довольно известной в определённых кругах группы. Helg из Runes Of Dianceht, группы на данный момент находящейся в долгом летаргическом сне. Все трое мы находимся в составе с самого начала и ничем кроме Khors не обременены. Гитарист Nort пополнил наши ряды примерно через год после основания группы, параллельно он играет в своей собственной группе Nagual».

- Поставив такую высокую планку как ваш новый альбом, вы будете работать над очередным прыжком выше головы, или затаитесь, готовя какой-нибудь релиз би-сайдов или «зе бест оф»?

«Сейчас трудно ответить. Мы размышляем – с одной стороны нам в этом году исполняется 5 лет и этому факту можно приурочить какой-либо сборник с неизданными либо заново записанными песнями, а с другой стороны надо начинать работу над новым альбомом, который с нашими темпами будет года через два-три. Так что вопрос пока в стадии обсуждения».

- Ну, если вы дообсуждаете этот вопрос до ещё одного «Мистицизма», то не буду отвлекать и мешать. Спасибо за интервью! Мира и Удачи!

Fucking Thrash Hell Zine

Khors — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:05:00 +0000

Atmosfear zine

Khors — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:05:00 +0000

1.Привет...... Первым делом хотелось бы поздравить тебя и весь Khors с выпуском альбома, который несомненно стал сенсацией не только на украинской метал-сцене.

- Привет! Большое спасибо за такую оценку!

2.Mysticism сильно отличаеться от ваших предыдущих работ, также как и от других, привычных слушателям, паган/блэк ответвлений. Это уже что-то вроде experimental/post-black metal. Как ты бы мог назвать стиль вашей последней работы?

- Вот уж действительно не могу определить. Кто-то называется это dark metal’ом, кто-то ещё как-то по-другому, но мы не задумываемся над определением, а предлагаем послушать и решить эту задачу каждому самостоятельно. Если попытаться обрисовать новый альбом, то напрашивается палитра красок из мрачных, в то же время сентиментальных эмоций на полотне размеренного, мелодичного black metal’a.

3.Не вызвали ли эксперименты со звучанием потерю "старых" фэнов? Как вообще реагировала публика во время выступлений, например, на композицию Milk of heavens?

- Часть «узкопрофильных специалистов» отсеилась еще с выходом альбома “Cold”, что уж говорить про новый альбом! Не могу сказать что мы жалеем об этом и не стоит забывать что с выходом “Mysticism” мы приобрели «нового» слушателя, как оставили и часть старого, более взрослого в музыкальном воспитании. Что касается “Milk of Heavens”, то это в большей степени импровизация, рожденная прямо в студии и мы никогда не играли ее на концертах.

4. Как ты относишся к понятию post-(вписать нужное) в музыке? Стоит ли придумывать название нового стиля или достаточно вначале поставить post? Каких представителей пост-сцены ты слушаешь?

- Я немного не понял каким образом мы можем иметь отношение к определению новых стилей. Это как комета, которая пролетает раз в икс-лет и в случае с появившимся новым музыкальным стилем музыковеды тут же определяют знаки различия, которые уже давно есть и в той музыке, которая идёт с прицепом “post”. Я интересуюсь такой музыкой, но достаточно выборочно. Мы все очень уважаем творчество таких коллективов как GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT, ISIS, AT THE SOUNDAWN, NOCTE OBDUCTA, NORTH, HEAD CONTROL SYSTEM, ULVER, DISBELIEF, хотя последние не то чтобы и пост…

5.Первые два альбома вышли на Oriana Records, а последний релиз на американском Paragon Records. Почему выбор пал именно на американский лейбл? Какие еще лейблы предлагали свое сотрудничество?

- Сотрудничество предлагали многие лейблы, но выбор пал именно на Американский Paragon Records по той простой причине, что их условия нас устраивали гораздо больше и в процессе промо-компании мы поняли что не ошиблись и Paragon Records действительно в нас заинтересованы.

6.Выход альбома на американском лэйбле, дистрибюция европейской Plastic Head и выпуск диска на известном Irond-e -все эти факты заставляют логично предположить, что в будущем, однозначно будет иметь место штурм мировой метал сцены. Поступали ли уже предложения о участии в зарубежных метал фестах?

- Поступали, но на данном этапе вопрос реализации достаточно хлопотный по причине достаточно большой затратной части. Не многие Европейские промоутеры готовы привезти андеграундную Украинскую команду типа нас, затратив на это дело примерно столько же, во сколько обходится участие более известных Европейских коллективов. Мы надеемся что со временем ситуация изменится в нашу пользу.

7. Что тебе больше по-душе — многостилевой, многодневный, всемирный метал фест вроде Вакена, или вечернее выступление в определенном клубе с немногочисленной, но адекватной публикой?

- Не стоит ставить в один ряд крупные фестивали и клубные концерты, поскольку это совершенно разный опыт и впечатления. Нравится в различной степени и то и другое: приятно играть на большом фестивале с хорошим оснащением перед большой аудиторией, как приятно играть для немногочисленной публики в небольшом клубе имея с ней больший контакт. С другой стороны все мы отлично понимаем, что как и крупный фест, так и клубный концерт могут оставить негативные впечатления, поэтому ты абсолютно правильно определил публику, ведь именно она создает атмосферу.

8. Существует определенная тенденция, в частности среди отечественных блэк-метал групп (Крода, например), выпускать некоторые альбомы на виниле. Какой из ваших альбомов был бы издан в формате пластинки?

- В прошлом году на виниле был издан наш второй альбом “Cold” и на данном этапе мы на стадии подписания контракта с Немецким лейблом Fog of the Apocalypse на выпуск виниловой версии “Mysticism”.

9. Слово "Мистицизм" почему-то сразу вызывает ассоциации с эзотерикой, оккультизмом и т.д. Хотя в текстах ничего такого, оккультного, я не обнаружил. Насколько я понял, речь идет о волшебной силе Природы, ее чарующей красоте. Так ли это? Интересуешся ли ты современной эзотерической мыслью?

- Это так! А сама по себе эзотерика интересна мне лишь в определенной степени.

10.Да...чуть не забыл. Мои поздравления с выходом вашего дебютного видеоклипа. Почему была выбрана именно песня Red Mirrors? Как я понимаю, это самая "легкая" композиция с последнего альбома. Такое решение было принято с целью большей промоуции группы, с возможностью попасть в формат музыкальных каналов?

- Спасибо! Нет, никаких коммерческих целей мы не ставили, просто наш друг из Москвы Дмитрий Мартиросян послушал эту песню, и ему захотелось снять на нее клип. Продумали варианты реализации и приступили к съемкам.

11. Кто был режиссером видеоклипа? Сколько примерно длились сьемки?

- Режиссером был Дмитрий. Сами по себе съемки длились недолго, но затянулся процесс монтажа и приведение клипа к конечной форме.

12. В роли двух воинов с мечами снимались участники группы или приглашались фехтовальщики? Кстати, интересно знать, сколько весит тот двуручный меч, который можно неоднократно увидеть в клипе?

- Это Khorus и Михаил ‘Maiden’ Смирнов — вокалист в этой песне. Не могу назвать точный вес того меча, но весит он однозначно тяжело.

13. Доволен ли ты результатом? На сколько процентов готовый клип отвечает твоим ожиданиям? Для следующего клипа будет выбрана песня из Мистицизма или он выйдет примерно в одно время с следующим альбомом?

- Сложно сказать. Есть масса огрехов, но из отснятого материала полученный результат это максимум того, что можно было выжать. Мы думаем об очередном клипе на песню из “Mysticism”, который должен будет выйти гораздо раньше появления нового альбома, о котором мы пока ещё даже не думаем.

14. Когда в ближайшем будущем, и в каких городах/странах, можно будет услышать обновленную программу?

- С начала этого года, то есть с момента выхода нового альбома, мы уже играем обновленную программу на концертах. В ближайшее время мы дадим несколько концертов в России, а также на фестивале «Про-Рок», который состоится этим летом в Киеве.

15. Спасибо за интервью. А теперь, твое слово вашим поклонникам, нашим читателям и всем, идущим вперед, открывающим для себя новые горизонты, людям…

- Спасибо за уделенное время и интересные вопросы. Читателям, поклонникам и всем идущим вперед жалею не сбиться с пути. Слава Земле!

Khaoth/KHORS

Heathen Harvest "Mysticism"

Khors — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism
Tuesday, September 01 2009 @ 02:00 AM PDT
Contributed by: Unaesthetic

Artist: Khors

Title: Mysticism

Label: Paragon Records

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Track Listing:

01 Through the rays of Fading Moon
02 Raven’s Dance
03 Milk of Heavens
04 Winterfall
05 In the Cold Embrace of Mist
06 Pagan Scars
07 Mysticism
08 Red Mirrors

Now, I’m not much for Metal; if I do venture into heavy guitar-based music I usually enjoy something crushingly rhythmic or abstract and strange. ‘Atmospheric Black Metal’ is a new style for me. What Black Metal I have heard has generally been of the lo-fi noisy variety, or more experimental fare like Gnaw Their Tongues. So I come to Khors with fairly fresh ears and a slight sense of foreboding since I’m not really a fan of this kind of thing.

There are two or three things I don’t like about metal in general: I don’t enjoy extreme metal vocals, the screaming and growling all sounds forced and not in the least bit intimidating or infernal. Give me a dispassionate spoken-word delivery or simple shouting, such as you’d find in Power Electronics, any time. I also dislike noodling – particularly guitar wankery. I just can’t take somebody wibbling around on a guitar fretboard at all seriously.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised by opener ‘Through The Rays Of Fading Moon’, an instrumental piece. It slowly builds a nice intensity, layering synths, drums and guitar until a beat kicks in and the guitars get amped up. I can hear the ‘atmospheric’ in this but not so much the ‘black metal’. However this track merely serves as an introduction and segues perfectly into ‘Raven’s Dance’, which is much more what I was expecting in terms of vocals, riffs and the like. It’s a relatively slow track, quite Gothic in mood, with a decently epic feel. There is a certain amount of lead-guitar noodle towards the end which doesn’t work for me.

And if the lead guitar on ‘Raven’s Dance’ sounded perhaps a little Prog, it has nothing on the whistling keyboard line on ‘Milk of Heavens’; I don’t know when pitch-bend sounds good but it certainly doesn’t here! Despite this, ‘Milk…’ is a nicely atmospheric piece, with whispered vocals and no heavy guitars. In contrast, ‘Winterfall’ kicks in with churning guitars, pounding drumming and vocals back to their throaty scream. This track actually changes pace a couple times, its chilled-out passages have a nice backbeat and delicate guitar-picking but somehow fit smoothly in with the more full-on metal segments. ‘In the Cold Embrace of Mists’ uses a similar dynamic to ‘Winterfall’, but its softer sections are darker and tenser, and build more dramatically to the heavier, vocal-led parts. Indeed the whole track builds and builds to an atmospheric climax, unfortunately topped by that lead guitar again, but over a nice swirlingly dark maelstrom of synths and drumming.

‘Pagan Scars’ is a much slower, brooding affair, with cello and picked guitar leading to strings and flute. This piece is very folk-influenced, but also sounds quite Prog. It certainly showcases a different mood to the rest of the album, but is a bit too chin-stroking and twee for me. But any kind of tweeness or folky balladeering is blown away by title track ‘Mysticism’. This is relentless and pummeling, chugging guitar and screamed vocals for its whole length. The odd change of tempo is thrown in to keep things interesting. I must admit, this track is how I was expecting the whole album to sound, and it’s probably the track I’ve enjoyed most. Album closer ‘Red Mirrors’ has an entirely different mood. Its synth pads and clean vocals put me in mind of an 80s rock ballad. The mood is once again Gothic, but this time it seems more goth rock than black metal. And again with the lead guitar solo!

Well, for a venture into heavy metal land, I must admit that this wasn’t too bad. Even the vocals didn’t grate as much as I thought they might. The only parts of this record I had trouble tolerating were the obviously Prog leanings of the lead guitarist and the keyboard player. It didn’t come off as anywhere near as pompous as Genesis or Pink Floyd but it certainly deflated the dark and Gothic mood of the rest of the music. This could, however, just be an issue of personal taste.

→ http://www.heathenharvest.com/article.php?story=20090830144327467

Metallian Magazine

Khors — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:05:00 +0000

1. During the year 2004, you decided to leave the Astofaes camp to form the Khors project : what were the reasons for this departure ? Was this new birth followed by new artistic aspirations ?

The reason of my leaving of ASTROFAES lies in absence of mutual understanding regarding further evolution of ASTROFAES band between me and Thurios (guitar/vocs) as well as deterioration of attitudes in the whole.
I would like to play another kind of music more atmospheric, melodic with lot of guitar solos and keyboards.

2. The name Khors refers to the Slavic god of the winter sun. Why did you elect this specific deity as a banner for the band ? More generally speaking, which are the aspects / episodes of the Slav mythology & divinities that appeal to your senses ?

KHORS is a name of the God of a Solar Disk in late East Slavic mythology. Solar light was the most important creator of life for our ancestors. It is very important symbol for us too.
We don't stop on certain moments in history but we scoop inspiration from the general layer of Ancient Slavic Culture which have sprouted through darkness of the Middle Ages up to our times.

3. A third album is often synonymous with an acquired maturity, a stronger personality, some kind of consecration before setting new goals and achievements. How would you evaluate the three first steps of Khors©ö expression, the pagan trilogy formed by The Flame Of Eternity©ös Decline (2005), Cold (2006) and Mysticism (2008) ?

"The Flame..." is the most aggressive work of ours. Powerful but melodic enough. This album helped us to become on feet and it's allowed us to attract attention.
"Cold" is more rhythmical, melancholic and more various in it's mood. On this album we become more melodic and mid-tempo
"Mysticism" is atmospheric and beautiful and it also separates us from canons of traditional black metal further. Actually we call it dark metal to expand music frameworks. The new more hardworking label, new better sound, new fans. Progress is obvious in our opinion, but it's up to you to judge.

4. Among your pagan & melancholic black metal based compositions, one can feel an emphasis on the keyboard passages. What kind of dimensions/atmospheres do you aim to express through those eerie soundscapes ?

Keyboards is obligatory component of our music, they are something like soul of KHORS. Soul which in the various moments can transfer a condition of grief, mysteriousness, beauty and many other feelings

5. Do you think that Khors©ö creations are a medium to express a deep spiritual quest ? Do you aim for the preservation of the cultural heritage belonging to Ukraine, your homeland, & the return of the associated ancestral values ?

Our Native Land has very rich with glory and its people's feats history. From ancient times till near past. I feel proud of that I live on the Earth impregnated with force, will and ancient spirit of our ancestors. It is very important to have your history, to know your history, to bring up ancient spirit in ourselves and our descendants

6. Last year saw the release of Khors©ö first DVD, "Cold Ways", which featured one show in Lugansk (Ukraine — 2007) plus one in Moscow (Russia — 2008). Do you plan to release a continuation to this first part ? Have you yet thought of making a video clip to illustrate one of the tracks featured on « Mysticism » ?

I can't say nothing defined about new live DVD now. Almost on each show we make live video so when we'll have good quality record with new songs then probably we'll make something like "Cold Ways".
As for video for any track from "Mysticism" we'll working on it now and I hope video clip for "Red Mirrors" song soon will be out. You may check trailer here:...

7. From an aesthetic point of view, could you explain the meaning behind the scene depicted on the album cover, with the illustration of the eye reflecting the image of an ancient castle?

The eye of an animal which you see on CD cover, has no which value, it is only image. In the pupil of the eye reflects the fragment of ancient fortress. Animal’s eye associated with the nature as with eternal unrestrained power to which dependent even stone made construction. All this has it's own meaning to each and every person. Probably it's different individually.

Rate Your Music "Mysticism"

Khors — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors Mysticism

Paragon Records

A sophisticated and ethereal black metal release that utilises atmospheres to compliment song structures implicitly and without tardiness. Another plus side is that Khors are a black metal band that actually believe in high fidelity. A very enjoyable, concise and memorable listen. I only wish it all sequenced together such as some tracks here actually do--because it sounds great.

susurrus 4/5

Aug 25 2009

→ http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/khors/mysticism/

Darkside "Mysticism"

Khors — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors Mysticism

Atmospheric Black Metal

Paragon Records

7/10

С «Mysticism» украинцы Khors продолжают путь удаления от блэк-металических стандартов. Альбом воспевает искусство чистых линий и непростительной для блэка прозрачности. И станет просветлевший черный абстрактно-темным, и соответственно с этим будем строить ожидания! Итак, язычество снова выступает как позитивный, миростроительный аргумент. Доказательством тому выступает весь славянский микрокосмос, облаченный в слегка экстремальную оболочку. Украинцы берут за основу смягченные гитарные линии в манере Borknagar (особенно позднего) и используют преимущественно медленные и средние темпы. Душевный скриминг не одинок как способ передачи настроения и наименее адекватен музыкальному содержанию – куда как органичнее здесь выглядят реинкарнации романтического зла – шепот – и героизма – чистый вокал. Khors крайне внимательны к думающим инструментам, потому не раз и не два ненавязчиво выйдет на первый план бас или акустика. Клавишные имеют традиционный романтический колорит и, самым органичным образом переплетаясь с музыкой, делаются абсолютно незаметными. Такую же ровную, природную ткань составляет «Mysticism» в целом: ничто не выбивается из его стройного ряда, разве что неожиданная вступительная агрессия “Winterfall”, которая затем продолжается следующей песней. На оригинальность в этом поджанре уже давно забили, да и когда она здесь была? В том, что музыка Khors останется самодостаточной, и не будет обслуживать откровения метеорологов, можно быть уверенным, хотя попытки они как будто делали… Кому-т явно будет мало 38 минут и при условии больше запоминаемости материала я бы, несомненно, подписался под этим. Но имеем то, что имеем – хороший образец, но далеко не «маст-хэв». Тем не менее, радостно, что на территории СНГ продолжают делать красивую и согласную с загадками природы музыку, которая здорово оттеняет попытки других рубить возмущающий слух, невзрослеющий материал. (Диск предоставлен компанией “Irond”).

Blackknot

→ http://www.darkside.ru/album/17551/

Metallibrary "Mysticism"

Khors — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors: "Mysticism" – 2009

Irond

Хорс – в восточнославянской мифологии бог солнечного диска

Группа Khors была создана в городе Харькове (Украина) в августе 2004 года бывшим бас-гитаристом Astrofaes. За пять лет существования успела выпустить три альбома "The Flame Of Eternity's Decline" (2005), "Cold" (2006) и новейший "Mysticism", о котором мы поговорим сегодня, а также выступить на одной сцене с такими именитыми командами как Behemoth, Samael, Cynic, Moonspell, Hate.

На двух первых альбомах команда исполняла среднетемповый black metal с вкраплениями клавишных партий и гитарных соло, но на новом альбоме музыканты решили пойти еще дальше в своих экспериментах, сделав музыку более разнообразной и мелодичной. Некоторые сравнили "Mysticism" с классическими творениями британцев Anathema и португальцев Moonspell, и надо сказать, в этом есть резон. Удручает другое, опусы Anathema и Moonspell стали классикой не только потому, что содержат прекрасный музыкальный материал, но так как созданы уже достаточно давно, а сейчас команды продолжают творить и развиваться уже в другом ключе, а в этот самый момент в "незалежной", да и у нас тоже музыканты пытаются повторят достижения десятилетней давности, вместо того чтобы искать свои пути для развития, в прочем такое положение вещей, к сожалению, будет сохраняться еще некоторое время в силу естественных причин. Мы долгое время были оторваны от культурного процесса, и за десяток лет сложно наверстать упущенное, как минимум должно вырасти новое поколение людей.

С другой стороны стоит отдать должное ребятам из Khors, музыка у них получилась действительно интересная и проникновенная, бьет в самое сердце. Мощные гитарные рифы, то жесткие, то протяжные идеально сочетаются с легкими партиями клавиш создавая общую тревожную атмосферу композиций. Этому же способствует периодическая смена ритма и настроения музыкальной темы. Вокал разнообразен, как и музыка. В разных случаях музыканты используют три типа вокала: гроулинг в лучших традициях Фернандо Рибейра, чистый голос и вкрадчивый шепот. Последний в полной мере оправдывает название альбома, привнося в композиции настоящий мистицизм. Ну и конечно последний трек "Red mirrors" – настоящий шедевр в художественной галерее альбома "Mysticism".

Ganconer 4 / 5

→ http://www.metallibrary.ru/articles/reviews/6879.html

Abyss "Mysticism"

Khors — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS — Mysticism

2008 Paragon Records

Vychodni Evropa plodila vzdy nahravky od hlavy k pate svojske, misici v sobe bezprostredni puvab lidove hudby, potazmo folkloru a pohanskych motivu obecne, s nemalou davkou syrovosti pramenici z prirozene povahy prostredi. Obecne receno bychom mezi nejznamejsimi pohanskymi kapelami z tohoto koutu sveta oproti jejich zapadnim kolegum hledali nejakou umelost nebo kalkul obtizneji. A i kdyz rozlisovani na "zapadni" a "vychodni" zavani retorikou nedavnych totalitnich dob, rozdilne naturely formujici nejen pristup k hudbe nepopiratelne nevymizely a jeste dlouho nevymizi.

Ona svojskost jde samozrejme ruku v ruce s tradicemi, procez je pozoruhodne, ze KHORS dokazali od predchoziho alba "Cold" v kontextu konzervativnich pomeru urazit relativne veliky kus cesty. Namichali trikrat tolik atmosfery, pridali na hitovosti a pomoci skvele produkce dovedli potahnout pagan-blackovou zemitost silnou atmosferou.

Kdyz se rozezni prvni tony "Through the Rays of Fading Moon", rikam si, kam dal lze zajit v naladotvornosti, jestli je vubec mozno z vicemene obycejnych kytar a klaves vyzdimat vetsi porci kouzla. Pred ocima vam probiha scenerie mracen valicich se pres karpatske vrcholy vstric nekonecnym ukrajinskym lanum obili... Pozvolne zacinajici mini-opus dramaticky graduje, az se doslova jako orgasmus rozleti v pravdepodobne nejlepsi skladbu daneho zanru roku 2008. "Raven's Dance" je splnenym snem, vodou na mlyn kazdeho fanouska, kteremu srdce bije v rytmu pohanskych ritualu. Intenzita cisici z kazdeho okamziku, ryzost a skvele fungujici spojeni klaves s kytarami.

KHORS nalezli cestu jak spojit zanrovou riznost s dojmem autenticke atmosfery, jinak receno dosahli vrcholu klasickeho pagan-blacku. V teto souvislosti me napada situace, kdy na kopci kousek od Charkova stoji Helg a rve smerem k zapadu. Jeho veta "takhle se sakra dela pohansky metal" se vzduchem nese tak mocne, ze o stovky a stovky kilometru dal, ve vzdalenem Svycarsku, padaji chudaci clenove ELUVEITIE z posteli.

sestava: Helg – kytara, zpev, Khorus – baskytara, Khaoth – bici, Nort – kytara, host: Michail "Maiden" Smirnoff – cisty zpev
cas: 38:40
zeme puvodu: Ukrajina
styl: pagan black
odkaz: www.khors.info, www.myspace.com/khorspagan tracklist:
1. Through the Rays of Fading Moon
2. Raven's Dance
3. Milk of Heavens
4. Winterfall
5. In the Cold Embrace of Mist
6. Pagan Scars
7. Mysticism
8. Red Mirrors

hodnoceni: 80 %

→ http://www.abysszine.com/2009060044-khors-mysticism.html

Ereses "Mysticism"

Khors — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism (3/5) — Kolmanteen levyynsa edennyt Khors suoltaa tunnelmallista ja paaosin melankolista black metalia, joka luottaa enemman toistoon kuin innovoimiseen. Vaikka yhtye ei tavoittelekaan aivan burzummaista askeettisuutta, monin paikoin edetaan silti muutaman soinnun ja yksinkertaisten melodioiden voimalla.

→ http://fi.ereses.cz/khors-mysticism-3-5-283723.htm

Crusher "Mysticism"

Khors — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS
MYSTICISM
PARAGON

Ukrainian septet Khors rely way too much on keyboards to be considered a full-on black metal troupe, as their gloomy metal inclinations and moody morosity indicates on their latest eight-track endeavor Mysticism. The intro on "Red Mirrors" sounds so 1987 it hurts while "In The Cold Embrace of Mist" boasts a key solo that sounds more in step with Deep Purple than anything in corpsepaint. Yet this unit's somber vibe remains strong between the flowery tinklings, pouring on the pity like a hybrid of Moonsorrow and Katatonia during the disc's darkest hours of need ("Winterfall"). ----Mike SOS

→ http://www.crushermagazine.com/reviewindexes/commcds/april_09_rev_digest.htm

Audiodrome "Mysticism"

Khors — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS | Mysticism

Nel panorama del metal estremo, dopo lo slancio degli anni ’90, non e facilissimo trovare dei gruppi che esprimano qualcosa di interessante, e il black metal non fa eccezione.

Nel caso di questi Khors, alla terza release, la proposta e per certi versi coraggiosa: se da un lato gruppi piu legati al black veloce e furioso non cambiano affatto nel corso degli anni quel tipo di sound, dall’altro tendenze come un black basato su mid-tempos oppure esplicitamente black‘n’roll rischiano gia di saturare il mercato, e in questa situazione generale Mysticism presenta molti aspetti decisamente apprezzabili. Infatti, il black metal che possiamo ascoltare in questo disco punta sull’atmosfera piu che sull’aggressivita, attraverso tastiere e arpeggi che mostrano una certa ricerca musicale del gruppo. Niente di nuovo, certo, soprattutto se consideriamo che i suoni di tastiera sono molto debitori nei confronti dei primi Dimmu Borgir e a tutta quella scena, ma questo non significa che i Khors non risultino piuttosto interessanti. Al contrario, Mysticism sembra poter essere collocabile sulla scia della lezione di gruppi quali gli ultimi Enslaved o i Negura Bunget, senza, e pero doveroso rilevarlo, assurgere a quei livelli. In ultima analisi, questo lavoro e senza dubbio gradevole e di piacevole ascolto sia per gli amanti del genere sia per chi voglia avvicinarvisi, dato il buon gusto melodico del gruppo.

3\5
A cura di: Giorgio Grimaldi

→ http://www.audiodrome.it/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=4755

Ox "Mysticism"

Khors — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS
Mysticism

„Contrary to rumors, the band is not attached to any politically motivated groups or extremists", schreibt das Label, ein wenig Recherche im Internet zeigt aber, dass die Ukrainer sich neben KHORS auch in Bands wie NOKTURNAL MORTUM, HATE FOREST, ASTROFAES oder RUNES OF DIANCEHT betatig(t)en.

Wunderbar, die NSBM-Elite der Ukraine in nur einem Satz! Schon dagegen ist, dass KHORS au?er Kinder-Black-Metal und „atmospharischer" Bombast-Schei?e nichts zu bieten haben. Dafur wurden sie in der Holle glatt ausgelacht werden.

Black-Metal-Nazis haben eben das selbe Problem wie ihre Bonehead-Kollegen: sie konnen nur miese Musik machen. Sind aber ja auch miese Menschen.

Andre Bohnensack 1\10

→ http://www.ox-fanzine.de/web/rev/65801/reviews.207.html

Worm Wood Chronicles "Mysticism"

Khors — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS — "Mysticism"
by Dr. Abner Mality

Khors hail from The Ukraine and were a totally uknown proposition to me when I cracked open "Mysticism". Surprise, surprise, I found myself quite enamored of the band's laid-back, mysterious style. The album is well-named, because there is indeed a very "mystical" feeling to the music, which is mostly slow to medium paced and based on droning, ethereal melodies. Black metal power rears its ugly head, especially on the colossal opening of "Raven's Dance" and the primtive rush of "Pagan Scars", but mostly the music is a kind of fuzzy, folk-based jam built on layers of keys and guitars. Lengthy opening cut "Through The Rays of Fading Moon" is a cool journey through the misty fields of a prehistoric night, with beautifully twinkling keyboards and foggy guitar. Even though it is overly much less heavy than "Hels Vite", I found "Mysticism" to be the more hypnotic and compelling of the two releases.

→ http://www.wormwoodchronicles.com/torturechamber/t/thyrkhors/text.html

Indie Music News "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism

Ukrainian black metallers Khlors have released their third accomplishment "Mysticism," eight tracks of somber, atmosphere rich melodies that showcase their real style and creativeness within the music itself. The black metal genre has been expressed again and again by numerous bands from all over the world. But when Khlors does it, they do it well. The instruments played through each of the eight tracks offered takes its matters into its own hands. The guitars and drumming tactics presented blend together easily with the vocals that send out a rough but raw source of energy that blends everything together. On such tracks as "Raven's Dance," "In the Cold Embrace of Mist," and "Winterfall," these three each create a tale. A tale that follows through leading into one another, for instance "Raven's Dance," dances its way right on through into "Winterfall," letting the combination of the atmosphere of the instruments make their way through having the rapture of the guitar riffs blast louder and louder. Whereas "Winterfall," goes off into a mellow driven tune that blasts loud every now and then letting the drumming blast beats take control showcasing the vocals that rise above. In the end concluding with "In the Cold Embrace of Mist," that showers the trio in a cold blanket of air letting the blend of vocals start off and grunt their way bashing against the drums and guitars as the song is built. Khlor?s ?Mysticism,? is a mystical adventure.

→ http://www.indiemusicnews.com/index.php?action=fullnews&id=305

Dirt Culture "Mysticism"

Khors — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS
MYSTICISM
PARAGON
Ukrainian septet Khors rely way too much on keyboards to be considered a full-on black metal troupe, as their gloomy metal inclinations and moody morosity indicates on their latest eight-track endeavor MYSTICISM. The intro on "Red Mirrors" sounds so 1987 it hurts while "In The Cold Embrace of Mist" boasts a key solo that sounds more in step with Deep Purple than anything in corpsepaint. Yet this unit's somber vibe remains strong between the flowery tinklings, pouring on the pity like a hybrid of Moonsorrow and Katatonia during the disc's darkest hours of need ("Winterfall"). www.paragonrecords.net -Mike SOS

→ http://www.dirtculturezine.blogspot.com/

Musica Mustdie "Mysticism"

Khors — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism (2008)

Украинцы KHORS, созданные басистом ASTROFAES Khorus, достаточно известны на отечественной сцене. Их альбомы привлекали к себе внимание любителей black-metal с языческими мотивами. Кстати, я не уверен в ‘pagan’ ориентации KHORS, но альбомы, вышедшие на лэйбле NOKTURNAL MORTUM говорят о многом. И по сей день группу можно встретить на фестивалях соответствующей направленности разного калибра.

“Mysticism” уже никак не вписывается в black-metal звучание прошлых альбомов группы. Эта пластинка записана в редком жанре атмосферного black-metal с обилием акустических гитар, неторопливостью мелодий и за’дум’чивостью материала. Я бы мог сравнить нынешний KHORS с ANATHEMA «хорошего периода» и группами black-doom-metal направления конца 90-х, например, ESTATIC FEAR или AGALLOCH. 38 минут этого альбома погружают в приятные мечтания и навевают соответствующее настроение. Я долго ждал, когда же KHORS прервут свою медитацию и окатят слушателя неожиданной волной агрессии. Этого так и не случилось. Наоборот, вокалист на последней песне перешёл на чистый вокал, что окончательно сроднило новый альбом харьковчан с ANATHEMA.

Мне понравилось. Подобные пластинки встречаются не часто. KHORS не пытаются вышибить из слушателя слезу или поразить любителей запоминающихся мелодий. Их музыка излечивает мозг, уставший от бешеного ритма города, или помогает в созерцании природы, если главный орган вашего тела надёжно скрыт в деревне или маленьком селении городского типа.

Vit Belov 7.5\10

→ http://musica.mustdie.ru/ru/band/khors/14304/

Xtreem Music "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 10:13:00 +0000

BANDA: KHORS (ukr)
TITULO: Mysticism
FORMATO/ANO: CD 2008
SELLO: Paragon Records
CALIFICACION: 8/10
AUTOR: Juanma Torre (02/2009)
Visitas: 150 desde 10.02.2009

?Como puede ser que un grupo en tres anos cambie de esta manera? hace bien poco hacian un Black Pagan crudo con toques Folk en su album debut "The flame of eternity's decline" (2005) y en la actualidad, apuestan por un Post Black Pagan (pero eso si, de una factura impresionante). Los senores Helg, Khorus, Khaoth y Nort pueden dormir tranquilos, ya que, en vez de encajonarse en un estilo y sonido predeterminado, se lanzan al vacio para sorprendernos con este, su ultimo trabajo "Mysticism" (2008).

El tema que abre el album, "Through the rays of fading moon", es una instrumental que nos va sumergiendo poco a poco en la tonica que marcara el album, para despues contraatacar con "Raven's dance", donde aportan unos riffs machacones, con una voz profunda arropados con unas guitarras melodicas y un buen solo. El siguiente "Milk of heavens" cambia la voz agresiva por susurros a traves de una base muy tranquila, para que con "Winterfall" acelere de nuevo el ritmo (vamos, que no decaiga el animo) y disimuladamente embaucarnos con tempos mas lentos y melodias impregnadas de nostalgia. Con "In the cold embrace of mist", nos ofrecen un poco mas de lo mismo, pero con ritmos un poco mas rapidos. "Pagan scars", de nuevo esta presente otra instrumental, arpegios, melodias de flautas y guitarras acusticas, buenisima. "Mysticism", tema que da titulo al album, vuelve un poco la velocidad, con unas bases de teclados que eclosionan con la voz, cortesia de Helg, pasando por los medios tiempos de rigor. Por ultimo, nos queda "Red mirrors", con guitarras limpias, voces melodicas, etc., un tema super-extrano. En total son ocho temas en 39 minutos, mas dos videos como bonus, con una presentacion en digipack excelente.

Al grano, si eres un "jevi" del infierno, ni te acerques, pero si al contrario amas la buena musica sin complejos, esto es lo tuyo.

→ http://www.xtreemmusic.org/index_query.html?q=http%3A//www.xtreemmusic.org/reviews/criticas/php/critica.php%3Fid%3D2537%26varbus%3D%26chkrel%3D

ROCKCOR #6 2009

Khors — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS "Mysticism" IROND LTD 09-1594

"Mysticism" — уже третий альбом небезызвестной украинской команды KHORS, состоящей из бывших музыкантов группы Nokturnal Mortum. По сравнению с двумя предыдущими релизами стиль изменился почти полностью — если раньше KHORS играли достаточно простой "сырой" нордический black metal, то теперь мы слышим неожиданно мелодичную, красивую и спокойно — размеренную музыку. Впрочем, это всё тот же блэк, но уже на совершенно другом уровне. Скоростные и энергичные пассажи, привычные для предыдущих альбомов KHORS, заменили мягкие и немного мистичные рифы и переборы. Качественный скрим идеально вписывается в звуковую канву альбома , а от чистого вокала и шёпота(да-да, исполнитель говорящий шёпотом, указан в буклете отдельно) и вовсе бросает в дрожь. Могу сказать, что ничего подобного я пока не слышал ни у украинских, ни у российских музыкантов. Оригинальный и очень качественный альбом, который может стать украшением фонотеки любого поклонника тяжёлой музыки, а уж поклонникам таких команд как Leviathan, Azrael или Empire Auriga его просто необходимо услышать — KHORS играют не хуже, а местами даже лучше этих команд.

Cardinall 4/5

Psycho "Mysticism"

Khors — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS — Mysticism

Gdzies w swiadomosciach mlodych ludzi, zespol KHORS zaszufladkowany jest jako black metalowy twor. Zostalo to tak, ze sie wyraze, zaklepane dzieki pierwszej plycie, ktora niosla za soba klimaty znane z plyt chociazby Nokturnal Mortum. Teraz zespol za sprawa swojej juz trzeciej dlugograjacej plyty odetnie sie od tych porownan, jak odcina sie nowonarodzone dziecko od swojej matki.
Album "Mysticism" nadal posiada w sobie duzo black metalowych akcentow, ale mozna smialo wyjsc z hipoteza, iz ich "Mysticism" to juz bardziej zlozona i niejednolita forma muzycznego przekazu. Klimat, mistycyzm, poganskiego ducha i mnostwo melodii znajdziemy na tym krazku. Ukraincy ida na tej plycie bez jakiejkolwiek trzymanki, bez jakichkolwiek kompleksow. Nie boja sie umiescic obok siebie takich numerow jak "Pagan Scars", ktory smialo moglby znalezc sie na jednej z ostatnich plyt Anathemy, przy tytulowym "Mysticism", majacym w sobie duza porcje black metalowych patentow. I wlasnie takimi rozwiazaniami, zaskakujac sluchacza KHORS sprawili, ze album ten slucha sie namietnie od samego poczatku do jego konca. Prawdziwym majstersztykiem tutaj jest numer "Red Mirrors" majacy w sobie niesamowity klimat przesiakniety aura tajemniczosci znana z ostatnich plyt MOONSPELL czy taka nostalgie a'la SENTENCED. Sprawdza sie doskonale ten utwor jako tlo pod wieczorne figle ze swoja kobieta!! Naprawde wypasiony numer, chociaz zdecydowanie odbiegajacy juz calkowicie od kanonow black metalowych w 100%. Wlasnie dzieki takim progresywnym, momentami mocno az art rockowymi wypadami zespol KHORS moze stracic kilku starych fanow, ale spodziewam sie, ze "Mysticism" otworzy im droge w kierunku calkowicie innych odbiorcow. I to moze, ale nie musi, zespolowi przyniesc komercyjny sukces. Dlatego uwazam, ze ten krazek powinni poznac przede wszystkim Ci, ktorym melodie, akustyczne gitary, czasami wrecz rockowe akordy nie przeszkadzaja w odbiorze muzyki.

Recenzent: BELANGER
OCENA: 4/5

→ http://www.psychozine.eu/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=1695

Streets Webzine "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS 'Mysticism'
2008 Paragon Records/IMPORT

Ukrainske Khors ble dannet av Khorus i 2004 med det formal a spille dyster, men ogsa atmosf?risk black metal. De er na ute med sin tredje fullengder og med unntak av termen «dyster», sa har visjonen til grunnleggeren av bandet lykkes ganske greit. Lyrikken er av hedensk karakter, sa sann sett er det vel ikke ordentlig black metal heller, men det er na sa. Medlemmene har ellers fartstid fra bade Astrofaes, Hate Forest, Nokturnal Mortum, Runes of Dianceht, Temnozor og Lucifugum, sa det er en rutinert gjeng bak dette relativt ukjente bandet. Legg til litt Drudkh og Moonsorrow og du skulle ha et relativt greit bilde pa hvordan dette later. Den aller storste innvendigen mot skiva dreier seg i stor grad om en mildt sagt j?vlig synthlyd. Den kan best beskrives som «pling-plong» og kan fa enhver barsking til a knekke sammen av ren frustrasjon. Heldigvis har den ingen prominent rolle, men gud bedre sa den odelegger likevel. Michail Smirnoff fra Mental Home gjor en gjesteopptreden pa vokal og hans rene fyldige stemme gar godt i lag med de smamelankolske stemningene som bringes pa banen av de krispe, akustiske gitarene. Egentlig er det vel sa mye rock i soundet til Khors som det er metal og jeg er ganske sikker pa folk som til vanlig skyr ekstrem musikk kunne ha falt for det rent instrumentale. Legg til smagotiske stemninger og man er n?rmere osteuropeisk Pagan Metal med en sval og mild touch, enn atmosf?risk Black Metal. Far du ikke fnatt av synthen, kan du legge til halvannet poeng pa karakteren, som forovrig er i overkant snill.

→ http://streetswebzine.com/index.php?name=MReviews&op=show&rid=2935

1 ROCK №3(5) июнь 2009 "Mysticism"

Khors — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors Mysticism

Paragon\Irond

Итак,господа,перед нами третий полноформатник украинцев Khors. Ещё с первого прослушивания стали заметны небольшие изменения в звучании,которое стало более артистичным (если хотите,даже слегка прогрессивным). Что-то в музыке группы навеяло воспоминания о замечательной команде Mental Home. Заглянув в буклет,я,к удивлению своему, увидел в нём упоминание о Михаиле Смирнове (он же Maiden). Клавишник давно закрывшегося "Дурдома" приложил руку к аранжировкам и спел на "Red Mirrors",снялся на видео к этой композиции,которое можно посмотреть на Youtube,а также является концертным звукорежиссёром Khors.
Впрочем,всё написанное выше стоит записать коллективу в жирный плюс.Блэк-дэт-металлическая основа Khors от внедрения более мягких и мелодичных структур ничуть не пострадала,напротив,даже выиграла. Альбом Mysticism — это явное преодоление очередного этапа композиторского созревания,избавления от болезней детства. Всё меньше и меньше чувствуется влияние Astrofaes и Nokturnal Mortum,всё больше вырисовывается свой собственный облик. Жаль, конечно,что группа мало изветна в мировом масштабе,но надеюсь.что это поправимо.

Сергей Зубков 8\10

Chaosvault "Mystisim"

Khors — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors “Mysticism”

Wydawca: Paragon Records

Ja pierdziu, Nergal kreci z Doda! Ok., ja nie o tym… Tak tylko sobie wspomnialem. Dzis jednak zajmiemy sie zgola innym tematem, ciekawszym i bardziej adekwatnym dla naszego szacownego lepzina.

Od pudelkowatych rewelacji odciagnal mnie bowiem najnowszy krazek ukrainskiej formacji Khors, nadeslany do mnie onegdaj z Paragon Records. O Khors juz slyszalem, lecz samej ich muzyki jeszcze nie. Dotychczas. „Mysticism”, czyli trzecia plyta zespolu, potwierdzila jednak zyczliwe opinie o tej kapeli. Ekipa Khorusa gra atmosferyczny black metal, ulotka promocyjna informuje nas, iz materialem powinni sie zainteresowac fani Moonsorrow, Kampfar czy Borknagar. I tu moge sie zgodzic, bo Khors kreuje dobra atmosfere i widze (a raczej slysze) pewne punkty wspolne, laczace ich z tymi zespolami. Z zalozenia Khors gra black metal, ale jesli ktos slyszal wymienione wczesniej kapele, wie jakiego sortu czarnej muzy sie spodziewac. W stonowana w wiekszosci muzyke wpleciono z rozwaga klawisze, ktorych rozmyte plamy nadaja muzyce rzeczywiscie jakby lekko mistycznego klimatu. Do tego dochodza miejscami akustyczne gitary, przez co material jest dosyc zroznicowany. Z takimi zroznicowanymi utworami jak „Winterfall” czy wienczacy calosc „Red Mirrors”, krazek Ukraincow jest iscie wielowymiarowy. Dlatego tez ow black metal powinien byc brany jako wyjscia w wielowatkowej podrozy, w jaka zabiera nas Khors. A uwierzcie mi, sporo jest do zwiedzania. Bogactwo srodkow muzycznych idzie w parze z obfitoscia linii wokalnych, od szeptu do wrzasku, dopelniaja tego solowe popisy keyboardzisty i gitarzysty, caly czas cos sie dzieje, mimo, ze plyta z pozoru wydaje sie ospala, jakby rozmarzona (choc to srednio mi pasuje do kapeli blackowej, hehe). Na pewno Was nie wynudzi.

Bardzo spodobala mi sie najnowsza propozycja Khors, bo przeciez nie sama mrozna rzeznia black metal stoi. Co poniekad udowodnil tez imc Nergal, hehe. Nie no, koniec ze zlosliwosciami, zazdrosc przeze mnie przemawia. „Mysticism” to swietny krazek, wiec zapoznajcie sie z nim. Warto.

Ocena: 4,75/6

→ http://chaosvault.com/?p=1560

Aquarius Records "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS Mysticism (Paragon)
As we've mentioned in a few other black metal reviews, at first glance, it's easy to be knocked out by these incredible scenes in places like Russia and the Ukraine, but upon closer inspection, it becomes obvious, that it's the same 5 or 6 guys in each scene making up all of those different bands. Sometimes it's even the exact same members, with just a new name and a different sound. Still pretty impressive for sure, just in a different way.
So here we have Ukrainian black metallers Khors, who among their ranks, include various members of other Ukrainian groups you most likely recognize, like Nokturnal Mortum, Astrofaes and Hate Forest.
And while Khors' sound invariably shares some similarities with the various members' other outfits, as well as fellow Ukrainian black metal horde Drudkh, the sound here is definitely unique, taking midtempo black buzz, and mixing it with some seriously melodic more straight forward rock, lots of space-y atmosphere, and super tripped out almost Pink Floyd-like keyboards. It's that melodic aspect, and the keyboards, that give Khors a definitely whatthefuck vibe.
The record begins with a two minute intro, all shimmery keyboards, and super tight, almost jazzy drumming, even when the guitars come in, the sound is weirdly poppy, with some almost bluesy leads, before slipping into the first track, a lurching black metal pound, with churning riffs, and howled vokills, wild guitar trills, but also sparkling sheets of tinkling keyboards, rife with folky melodies, the whole thing epic and majestic, especially when the band lock into the instrumental jam parts, guitar leads evoke some eighties movie montage, before slipping back into something more black or in the case of the next track something even more, um, cheesy? But not in a bad way. Skittery drums beneath soft synths, whispered vox, and some almost Chariots Of Fire sounding piano. Seconds later, the band is blasting through a frosty field of buzzing guitars wrapped around furious blast beats, and we're back in serious black metal territory, but hold up, Khors shift gears again, and slip into something a bit more Journey. Or Europe even. Super slick sounding studio hard rock from the eighties, which on its own might sound unappealing, but then drape some super distorted buzzy guitars and growled hellish vocals over the top and we're into something definitely bizarre and WAY unexpected.
The PURE metal parts here will definitely appeal to folks into the Ukrainian sound (Nokturnal Mortum, Hate Forest, Drudkh), but it's pretty twisted, and weird mix, and least for the grim and troo, and at times, not even remotely metal, which might make this more appropriate for the aQ metalheads who tend to be up for the stranger stuff. Although to be fair, there's nothing truly fucked up and weird here, it's just the combination of black buzz and smooth jam that makes this so strange, and thus, so awesome!

→ http://www.aquariusrecords.org/cat/k6.html

Nocturnal Cult "Mysticism"

Khors — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors

Mysticism

Paragon Records 2009

Mysticism represents the third full length outing from these Ukrainian heathens. This is my first experience with this band and I must say I am impressed. There is an overall sense of dreamlike pagan qualities to the material. Through the Rays of the Fading Moon walks nighttime paths with Cure-esque bass-lines, nocturnal synths and clean guitars that later develop into thick riffs. As the next track, Raven's Dance, kicks into powerful and bombastic riffs accentuated by sharply intense keyboards, the dream turns into a an intense waking nightmare especially when the double bass clashes against the swirling guitars. Winterfall surges forth with mid-tempo riffs, double bass drumming, and grinding deathly vocals. The subconscious landscapes are brought once again to the surface as the crystalline keys and somber clean notes take center stage. Pagan Scars is emboldened by sorrowful and evocative guitar notes as well as woodwind styled synth passages. An ancient mood permeates the instrumental track. It sets the stage nicely for the more orchestral style of the title track with its midtempo assault with pagan keys and full and powerful guitars. Helg's vocals are deathly in their powerful delivery. Finally Red Mirrors dwells in a much more gothic realm with deep clear vocals and a beat not unlike Sisters of Mercy. The song drifts into light and summery realms that are not unlike a more pagan version of Voivod's Missing Sequences. Perhaps a slightly off the wall comparison but I feel the connection bears merit. The production on this album is surprisingly full and clear. Each instrument is powerful and crystal in its clarity. While not blown away by Khors I was surprised at how mature and thoughtful the compositions were on Mysticism. Paragon Records has once again discovered another eastern gem.

→ http://www.nocturnalcult.com/Mysticismreview.htm

Noiz "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 31 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors – Mysticism
[Paragon Records, 2008]
Genre: black, gothic, atmospheric metal
Review by Edenbeast

→ http://noiz.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/khors-–-mysticism-2008/

Metalheim "Mysticism"

Khors — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — 2008 — Mysticism

Под конец издохшего 2008 года харьковский KHORS порадовал своим третьим полноформатником. Хотя, кого-то он, наоборот, огорчил или удивил. Уж очень неоднозначный альбом записали братья украинцы. Но обо всём по порядку.

ВИА KHORS, образованный не так давно в 2004 году всегда привлекал к себе внимания своим жирным составом. В стройных рядах группы засветились и продолжают светиться музыканты из маститых групп, представляющих передовые дивизионы украинского BM, таких как NOKTURNAL MORTUM, ASTROFAES, HATE FOREST, RUNES OF DIANCHENT. Ясно, что в данной ситуации группе записывать фуфло просто не положено. Первые работы были внимательно рассмотрены и одобрены любителями в меру мелодичного и атмосферного black metal’a. Чувствовался серьёзный подход к делу, добросовестность, честность. Правда было и немало упрёков. Мол, группа вроде как паганская, поэтому негоже тексты писать на мове заморской.

Итак, “Mysticism“. Прежде чем перейти к подробному осмотру пациента, скажу следующее. Рассматривая музыкальную эволюцию коллектива чётко прослеживается движение в сторону угасания, замедления, омелодичивания музыки. Чувствуется всё больший крен в дум. Такой приблэкованный дум-дарк, очень эпичный и атмосферный. Именно такой порядок царит на последнем альбоме. Монументальность, рассудительность, умиротворённость — такими эпитетами я могу наградить прослушанный материал. Здесь вы не найдёте ни злобы, ни агрессии, всегда присущим группа из тех краёв. Нет призывов жечь, распинать, гнать… Наоборот, здесь виден явно философский подход людей с уже сформировавшимся мировоззрением, очищенным от разных юношеских максимализмов. Нет никаких языческих плясок, сопелок, дуделок и прочих заигрываний с фольклором. Хотя языческой мудростью и величием наполнен каждый звук, каждая строчка. Кстати, лирика, неизменно на английском языке, от Helg’a и Khorus’a также заслуживает уважения. Храброе сердце и учтивая речь (С) Каа.

Осторожно начинается интро. Тихие клавишные переливы, акустические проигрыши, но атмосфера постепенно накаляется и, настроившись на нужный лад, ты встречаешь “Raven’s Dance” и вокал Хельга, наверно, единственный, что осталось от блэкового прошлого группы. Тылы укреплены загадочно звучащими клавишами, а соло-зарисовки рождают воображение, что гитару держит не угрюмый мрачный металлист, а такой олдскульный хард-роковый дядька с сигаретой во рту, закрыв глаза от наслаждения и элегантно скользя пальцами по грифу.

“Танец Ворона” плавно перетекает в “Молоко Небес“. Атмосфера остаётся аналогичной только теперь скрим сменяется шёпотом вокалиста, погружая сознание в транс. На душе как и в строчках текста — некая обречённость и безысходность.

“Winterfall“… Мгновенно просыпаешься ото сна. Трек начинается с энергичного молотилова и гитарожужжания, за которыми следует опять затухание и смена ритма. Хельг опять вещает про вечные красоты зимних пейзажей, но недолго. Внезапно вокал замолкает и последние минуты две отданы в распоряжение другим членам группы дабы они завершили начатое.

Следующая композиция.. Попадаешь “В Холодные Объятия Тумана” и блуждаешь в них следующие 5 минут. А голос невидимого источника зовёт и зовёт. И, непонятно, то ли он хочет тебя вывести, или, наоборот, помочь здесь остаться, и дать возможность ещё и ещё раз насладиться окружающим великолепием зимнего леса. Здесь Хельг постарался на славу. Текст великолепен. Последний куплет так врезается в мозг что его уже допеваешь на пару.

“Pagan Scars“. Ещё одна инструменталка. Что тут сказать? А слов-то не надо. Музыка говорит сама за себя. Ловишь себя на мысли, что за ней ещё последние две песни и всё…

Одноимённый “Мистицизм” один из самых волнующих и напряжённых треков на альбоме. Великолепная клавишная аранжировка красной нитью проходит через всю композицию и помогает подвести итог проделанной работе.

Слушая заключительные “Red Mirrors” с первых секунд осознаёшь, что это действительно конец. Чистый вокал, наполненный меланхолией и неприкрытой грустью… Музыканты прощаются со слушателем, напоследок пытаясь сделать так, чтобы финальная мелодия в пробралась в каждую клетку мозга, и не смела покидать своего пристанища. Пытаясь как можно больнее поразить и без того израненное сердце, затронуть самые чувствительные ниточки нервов.

Чёрт побери… и это им отлично удалось.

→ http://bm.metalheim.org/?p=32

Pitchline "Mysticism"

Khors — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors
Mysticism

Con un poco de miedo me dispuse a desgranar este “Mysticism” una vez recibido el material por parte de Paragon Records. El hecho de que provinieran desde Ucrania y la banda estuviera compuesta por musicos de bandas como Nokturnal Mortum, Hate Forest o Astrofaes y un nombre como Khors me hizo pensar en que me encontraria a otra banda “mas” de Black metal eslavo. Pero sorprendentemente esta banda en su ya tercer album me sorprende y podrian dejar boquiabiertos a cualquier oyente con una excelente mezcla de Black metal atmosferico, progresivo y “avantgarde”.

Imaginate una mezcla de bandas como los Borknagar del “Quintessence”, primeros Vintersorg, Limbonic Art en su mayor esplendor atmosferico y obtendras a Khors (siempre bajo una personalidad mas que obvia). Realmente este material no tiene nada que ver con la de las bandas de las cuales proceden, con una musica “magica” y “mistica” como da nombre el titulo a este album. El hecho de ver que “Mysticism” ha sido grabado por 7 personas (3 guitarristas, bajista, bateria, teclista y 2 cantantes) tiene buena parte de culpa, con musicos con unas ideas realmente interesantes, es mas, es escuchar Khors y es hasta pensar en que son carne de canon para el sello italiano Code 666 por su propuesta.

Ninguno de los 8 temas tienen ningun desperdicio desde el equilibrado tema “Raven's Dance” entre la atmosfera de los teclados y las geniales y siempre presentes guitarras, pasando por la borknagiana “Winterfall” que destaca por unas bellas guitarras acusticas. El tema mas “pagano” quizas sea “Pagan Scars” (obvio) sacando esa vena bien propia de bandas de Ucrania, tema lento, pausado y con “halo” eslavo (flauta incluida). “Mysticism” es el tema mas “progresivo” y bombastico y hasta por momentos diria setentero. Y es que puestos a explorar cualquier via dentro de la musica, Khors se despiden con un tema (“Red Mirrors”) con voz limpia bastante “folkie” y accesible.

Se ve que esta edicion ha sido editada en digipack y ademas contiene como extra los 2 primeros temas en video de un concierto en “Khmelnitski” con un sonido e imagen bastante aceptable y que demuestran que la banda sabe llevar a la perfeccion su magia a los escenarios.

No me gustaria dejar tambien escapar la gran pericia de estos musicos a la hora de ejecutar los temas, con un sonido realmente muy bueno, y es que ademas de “transmitir” se ve muy buena tecnica detras de los instrumentos y una personalidad bastante palpable en lo que a la musica de Khors se refiere.

Este es un album ideal para dejar los prejuicios atras que uno pueda tener de las bandas eslavas y se adentre en esta maravillosa banda con un Black metal moderno, trabajado y tecnico/progresivo. Sin duda mas vale tarde que nunca descubrir a bandas de este calibre.

8/5\10

. Redactor ... Fekalot, The King of the Underworld .
. Fecha de publicacion ... 28-05-2009

→ http://www.pitchline-zine.com/reviews.item.php?id=001288

Chertobes "Mysticism"

Khors — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors «Mysticism» (2008).

Сборная знаковых музыкантов украинской сцены разродилась уже третьим альбомом. Сей труд ещё выше поднимает планку качества, поднятую достаточно высоко ещё на прошлом альбоме – «Cold», и ныне музыка «Khors» звучит практически полностью мейн-стримно и очень профессионально. При этом продолжилось погружение в атмосферные дебри – Black Metal’а практически не осталось, музыка меланхоличная, мягкая, переполненная клавишами, акустическими проигрышами и разнообразными мелодиями. Лишь вокал пока ещё можно отнести к блэковому, но появилось довольного много чистого голоса. Таким образом, группа эволюционирует от пусть атмосферного, но всё же Black Metal, к атмосферному же просто-металлу, с неким даже налётом готичности (не нелепым, впрочем). По настроению слушается очень хорошо, работа достаточно интересная и более разнообразная, нежели «Cold». Жаль только, что в сторону мейн-стрима смещается не только музыка коллектива, но и, по всей видимости, взгляды музыкантов. Вон и издатель уже – не идеологически верная «Oriana», а дурацкий «Paragon».

→ http://chertobes.livejournal.com/85000.html

Dark City #50 "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 24 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS
'Mysticism' (Irond)
5/5
Ещё одно подтверждение того, что и на наших просторах, бескрайних землях так называемого бывшего СССР, а в данном случае на Украине, может появиться нечто не просто стОящее, но и, действительно, феноменальное. К сожалению, это происходит пока исключительно на правах исключения, подкрепляющего общее не весёлое правило. Харьковчане Khors не только не побоялись разочаровать поклонников своих первых двух альбомов (а особенно особо блэкового дебютника `The Flame Of Eternity`s Decline`), но и решились поставить самим себе такую планку, выше которой уже не прыгнешь даже с шестом – только взлетать придётся. Первыми на этой планете диск `Mysticism` выпустили американцы Paragon Records в конце прошлого года – и теперь в России этот релиз на совести (и в копилке) у Irond. Такой альбом не в каждом каталоге есть и не каждый год появляется! Очень мощно, очень красиво, очень интересно! И при этом скорости композиций – от медленных (почти эмбиентных) до среднетемповых. Однако все они такие же «фирменные» Khors`овские – мрачные и холодные. Гроул и скрим в “Raven`s Dance” и “Winterfall”, шёпот в “Milk Of Heaven”, чистый вокал Михаила «Maiden» Смирнова (клавишника культовых Mental Home) в “Red Mirrors” – открытие за открытием в жанре, от которого почти уже ни чего не ждёшь. В общем – тотальный мистицизм! www.khors.info Георгич.

Metal Observer "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 24 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism (8,5/10) — Ukraine — 2008

The Ukrainian Atmospheric Black Metallers of KHORS are back with their latest effort, titled “Mysticism” and after the previous album “Cold” had been a fairly big surprise to me almost two years ago, I was looking forward to how the quartet from Kharkiv had progressed in the mean time. Other than the other bands the members have (had) been in before I do not know much about this band, so let’s dive into the music right away and the title definitely is very well chosen, as a somewhat mystic atmosphere emanates from almost all songs on the album, beginning with the three minute instrumental “Through The Rays Of Fading Moon”, which starts out very calmly and then builds up, seamlessly leading into “Raven’s Dance”, which continues in slow tempo and with keyboard support, so haters of the keyed instrument will probably not last long.

Even when they speed things up and increase the Black Metal content, as on “Winterfall”, and create more power, KHORS know how to take things down a notch and insert these wonderfully atmospheric instrumental passages that even offer up some clean guitars in the middle, creating the mental imagery of a winter storm sweeping through and then giving way to the serene beauty of a wintery landscape, showing that they are one of the few bands out there that actually actively manage to transfer emotions and true imagery through their compositions alone, which is further aided by the immensely clear production, which lets each single detail shine (just listen to the bass drum patterns of the title track) and allows the Ukrainians to let the atmosphere flow freely.

Some of the harmonies and melodies almost have a PINK FLOYD-ish quality, such as the dreamy guitar melody of “In The Cold Embrace Of Mist” or the closing “Red Mirrors”, which goes very well with the harsh, abrasive vocals of Helg and the thundering double-bass driving the often slow rhythm forward. One of the great things about KHORS is their ability to combine the ugliness of Black Metal with the beauty of melodies and atmospheres in a very nice flow, with surprises and twists and turns, yet without losing the accessibility and catchiness. Speaking of surprises, “Red Mirrors” not only has a PINK FLOYD touch, but also complete clean vocals, deep and expressive, definitely would not have expected that from KHORS.

“Mysticism” should cater to a fairly wide variety of listeners, as they cover a quite big spectrum, I could see fans of BORKNAGAR or MOONSORROW like this as well as those who enjoy Post Rock/Metal influences, this is a little masterpiece that took a big step forward from the already enjoyable “Cold”, so if you feel attracted to what I have written here, check this out, otherwise you might miss out!

(Online May 24, 2009)
Disclaimer

→ http://www.metal-observer.com/articles.php?lid=1&sid=1&id=16202

Imhotep "Mysticim"

Khors — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS – Mysticism
Published: 2009.05.21

Paragon Records (2008)

While I was ripping the CD, I looked up the name of the band. Wikipedia had no page on the band, but told me that “Khors” was the name of the Slavic god of the winter sun. Which by itself is pretty cool, but then I also read the info sheet on the album, which alluded to the band dabbling in extremist politics (by denying it, but we all know what that means, haha). Mysterious... and also, that's pretty much the name of the album!

So I listen to the first track, “Through The Rays Of Fading Moon”, and before my inner eye I see the vast and empty steppes of Siberia with rime on the grass and frozen rivers and air so cold, it cuts into your throat. But what I desire does not correspond with what I hear, which is a very cheesy synthesizer which overwhelms me until the guitars start playing a very unimaginative riff.

The promo sheet says this is supposed to be “atmospheric black metal”, which seems to work as an excuse for substituting thoughtfulness with keyboards. The single tracks lack definition so I see it fit to discuss the album as a whole: Basically, it sounds like “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant” by Dimmu Borgir with the production of the original “Stormblast”. But unlike those albums, here you will not find atmosphere or interesting song structures. All tracks follow the same formula: keyboard intro, guitars, some verses, guitar solo, fade out. Some songs do slow down after the first semi-aggressive part in order to degenerate into some pseudo-mysterious atmosphere, following the standard formula, dominating keyboards and some slow, clean guitars. Sometimes, we can even “enjoy” clean vocals.

The last song, “Red Mirrors” is a foray into new territory of all-clean vocals, a journey I could have lived without. Sounds like some people trying to play older Lacuna Coil.
What is there left to say… You get the picture.

http://paragonrecords.org
www.myspace.com/khorspagan

Composed by Bollverk

→ http://www.imhotep.no/?did=9090208&aid=9069489

Manuscript "Mysticism"

Khors — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Вихід третього альбому харків'ян змусив нас трішки зачекати, і це пов'язано зі зміною заводу в США. Чи винуватий в цьому кризис, що розсіявся по світу я не знаю та й в музиці як і в мистецтві це не повинно відігравати великої ролі, але цим переймаються господарі музичних фірм. Ми ж отримали KHORS "Mysticism" від басиста — Khorus'a, і це саме під час весняної сесії в інституті. Дивлюсь на оформлення. де зображене око в центрі якого старовинний замок і відчуваю погляд, але такий, що хоче щось донести і чому саме ліве око та дивиться в ліву сторону? Сказати: "Потягнуло на ліво" музиантів KHORS буде не коректно. А спостерігаючи за творчістю стає очевидним розвиток з кожним альбомом як з кроком Людини до нового Буття. Певна присутність меланхолії в піснях занурює в минуле і той замок в центрі ока нагадав замок Чорторийських, що на Рівненщині. Мелодійність і водночас задумчивість KHORS все далі знаменує відхід від black metal і зараз вони черпають натхнення стилі dark metal. Незрозуміло мені для чого було ставити першою інструментальну композицію "Through the rays of fading moon" яка має розслаблюючі влстивості і це на початку альбому! В сердці таке відчуття як закінчення літа за яким зрозуміло прийде похмура проте гарна осінь, але така атмосферність це лише розквіт KHORS

KHORS "Mysticism" CD 2008 (Paragon Records)
Вихід третього альбому харків'ян змусив нас трішки зачекати. Наскільки мені відомо це пов'язано зі зміною заводу в США. Чи винна у цьому славнозвісна, а вірніше горезвісна криза, що розсіялась по світу, я не знаю. Але думаю що в музиці як і в мистецтві загалом це не повинно відігравати великої ролі. Хоча цим і переймаються власники музичних фірм. Парадокс, але творчість без матеріалізму теж нікуди. Витвір Khors "Mysticism" я отримав як завжди від басиста Khorus'a. Ознайомлюючись з оформленням, я відразу відчув погляд чийогось ока і глибокий подих старого замку, намагаючись щось донести своєю таємною силою... Переходячи до внутрішнього аспекту неординарної Khors’івської творчості, а саме музичного наповнення, стає очевидним зміна репертуару. Мелодійність і водночас задумливість Khors все далі знаменує відхід від black metal, і зараз вони черпають натхнення в стилі dark metal. Важко говорити про техніку виконання. Тут більш важливим є емоційне сприйняття. І дійсно даркова присутність меланхолії в піснях занурює в минуле. Перша інструментальна композиція "Through the rays of fading moon" відразу відносить в пітьму, і тільки гітари своїми важкими рифами відроджують Нове Буття. Я сказав би, що ця композиція є інструментально-думовою. Це те інтро, яке супроводжує нас у містицизм всього альбому. Після прослуховування всього альбому в сердці лишається відчуття кінця світлого і початку мороку. Така атмосферність — це лише розквіт Khors.

→ http://manuscript.hmarka.net/reviews/khors_mysticism.html

Blistering "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 17 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism (Paragon Records)

By: David E. Gehlke

[8/10] Hard to peg this one down, something we’ve grown accustomed to when tackling the wide assortment of bands on Paragon Records. Khors call the Ukraine home and claim black metal is their forte, but that might be a tad misleading, as Mysticism shouldn’t limit itself to being tied in with the rest of BM goons and clowns.

What it is, is the type of BM that Agathodaimon rolled out in the late 90’s; it’s more reserved than it should be and lays off the speed, yet each of Mysticism’s eight cuts have something of value. In fact, the Gothic metal undertones cultivated in “Raven’s Dance” and “In the Cold Embrace of Mist” are quite memorable, bolstered by a crisp, jagged production job that again, reminds one of Agathodaimon or Graveworm.

Gut-wrenching acoustic guitars highlight “Pagan Scars” and “Red Mirrors” while delicate keyboard tinklings add a wreath of darkness around “Milk of Heavens” and “Mysticism.” The band proves itself to be formidable songwriters, thus resisting the temptation to speed things up, which would probably soil this well-plotted land of Gothic BM gravestones.

Across the board, Mysticism gets high praise here, as it’s the type of release that ultimately props up black metal and keeps the subgenre fresh and varied. However, don’t mistake this as your dyed-in-the-wool Cradle of Filth “Goth” BM outing – this is darkness, a dish best served cold, Ukrainian-style.

→ http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/15540/tempidx/4/menuid/2

Ancient Death "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 17 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS
Mysticism
Paragon Records

When Khorus departed from his former band Astrofaes, he decided he wanted to create a new one. In 2004, Khors was formed by him to play atmospheric black metal. Khorus had taken the name Khors from the Slavic god of sun and light. He then started recruiting members to make the new band complete. With Khorus handling bass duties, he brought in his ex-Astrofaes bandmate Khaoth on drums and Helg from Runes of Dianceht on guitars and vocals. Later on, Nort from Nagual was brought in as second guitarist and the band was complete. This is the bands third full length release that took four years to put together and their first on Paragon Records. "Mysticism" is an extremely well put together album from these Ukrainian black metallers and is one of the best atmospheric black metal albums I have heard in the past year or so. Khors has two different vocal styles in their music, one is from their frontman Helg who has a growling vocal delivery and the other is sung clearly by Michail "Maiden" Smirnoff from the band Mental Home. The music is a good mix of aggression and melody, most of which is in the guitar playing of Helg and Nort. You won't hear much tremolo picking on the album, instead their guitar riffs are mainly melodic with some acoustic guitar passages that fit right in. There's also quite a bit of synth playing on the album by session keyboardist Saturious who seems to know very well how to add atmosphere without over doing it and making it sound like a bad goth metal band. While some of the members of Khors have ties to bands that are considered National Socialist, the band states that it has no political ties. Either way, this is some seriously good metal being played on "Mysticism" and definitely worth buying.

→ http://www.ancientdeath.com/reviewsip.htm#khors

Deadshop "Mysticism"

Khors — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS “Mysticism” 2008 DigiCD
Paragon Records
Great fact that yet one Ukrainian band has signed by foreign label. This time our KHORS from Kharkiv has the deal with Paragon records from USA, and their last album was released there. Well, first of all, for tho9se who don’t know, KHORS was created back in the year of 2004 by musicians from ASTROFAES, TESSARCT, HATE FOREST, RUNES OF DIANCEHT… as you see, by well-known musicians. And their music is Pagan Dark metal, of course with black metal influence. As a whole their music is very good, musicians did good job, they compose excellent stuff with emotional, atmospheric, memorable melodies and so on (as well as great guitar solos are involved here and there)… Music made in various tempos, both fast and slow, with enough of tempo-changes and other musical thresholds. Also I can dare to say that as I remember by myself, there on the CIS’ scene didn’t such music yet. Also this music is for fans of “light” but dark music. Except of darkness you can expect great mystical moods over here. Be prepare also for excellent keyboards, here are really intelligent ones, and made with the soul. As for vocals, then you’ll be please by great growls and clear vocals which are perfect binded with musical conception. Thus we have really nonUkrainian album from Ukrainian band, to be honest I didn’t expect hear such great stuff from them, and looks Ukraina growing up! Hail KHORS!
5\5

→ http://www.deadshop.info/reviews_8.html

Brutalism "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 10 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors – Mysticism

Khors are a "black metal" band from Ukraine formed in 2004 and, even if they are still not well known to many of us, this Mysticism is their official third album. Why the commas over the definition of black metal? Well because it's quite hard to talk about the influences of these guys but I can say that the first band I had in mind during the listen was the mighty In The Woods. Who knows this name will understand perfectly the sound of Khors: not a classic raw and infernal black metal, but a dream travel through melodies, atmospheres and suggestions, recalls to bands like Pink Floyd or King Crimson, progressive parenthesis, ethnic touches, epic and pagan feelings and a little dose of brutality that probably is the only connection with what we usually call "extreme music". Personally I can say that I was a big fan of bands like In The Woods, Ved Buens Ende and Arcturus, brave musicians and free minds, and that because of this I've enjoyed an album that sounds melancholic, dark and reflexive without being uselessly gothic and boring as many other releases around. Nice surprise. (review by Jacopo)

→ http://www.brutalism.com/wb/pages/reviews/reviews-k/khors.php

Exclaim " Mysticism"

Khors — Tue, 05 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors
Mysticism
By Laura Wiebe Taylor

Spacey art rock one moment, visceral blackened metal the next — sometimes both at once — Khors is an odd hybrid beast. Heavy in dark atmosphere, the band's third album, Mysticism, is gloomily warm rather than chilling, despite the numerous "icy" references of its lyrics. Harsh growls and pounding, distorted guitars end up emphasizing rather than disrupting the vibe, making the slower velvety tones of synths and acoustic guitar all the more effective. The same kind of contrast surfaces in the album's harmonic structure as well, its rich resonance and flowing melodies holding their own against long moments of nearly atonal repetition and rasping. Though Mysticism seems more concerned with the wonders of nature than technological magic, here it contradicts itself again, sounding progressive instead of atavistic. Yet in the end, Khors come off as reflective, even introspective rather than confused, leaving few definite clues as to where they're going from here. (Paragon)

→ http://www.exclaim.ca/musicreviews/latestsub.aspx?csid1=130&csid2=870&fid1=37243

Music Style

Khors — Sat, 02 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

1 Оцените пожалуйста роль последнего альбома для группы.

На данный момент сложно судить о его роли в контексте увеличения популярности или значимости группы. В США (Paragon Recs) альбом вышел аккурат под новый 2009-й год,а в России(Irond Recs) для стран СНГ в апреле.Так что прошло не так много времени чтоб делать какие-либо серьёзные выводы.Единственное,что можно отметить, теперь у нас два солидных лэйбла, их работа на данный момент нас устаивает и начинает давать плоды.

2 Самые ведущие песни альбома.

На мой субъективный взгляд Raven's Dance и Winterfall. В какой то степени Red Mirrors,но она получилась слишком неоднозначной.

3 Какую философию или мифологию хотели донести зрителям?

Наверно всё таки слушателям?:) и скорее идеологию.

Мы живём на земле, пропитанной силой, волей и древним духом наших предков. Своей музыкой,лирикой и атмосферой мы хотим воссоздать ощущение тех славных времён и заставить слушателя обратить взор на собственную историю.

4 Соответствуют рисунок основным песням?

Оформление всего дигипака и фронтковер в частности передаёт атмосферу всего альбома.По другому и не могло быть.

5 Сколько было идей для обложки?

Одна,та,которую вы видите.

6 Кто придумал и изготовил окончательный вариант?

Придумал я,а довёл до совершенства известный харьковский дизайнер Sir-Gorgoroth.

7.\8. Кто/что изображено и где это находится?
Почему глаз, почему развалины, почему основной зеленый цвет?

То что вы видите на обложке — глаз животного,не имеет значение какого,это образ.В зрачке глаза фрагмент древней крепости.В буклете также использованы элементы этой крепости.Глаз животного ассоциируется с природой,как с вечной,необузданной силой,которой подвластна даже каменное сооружение,постоенное человеком для защиты от человека. Это всё образно и имеет свой внутренний смысл. Возможно для каждого свой.
Само название Мистицизм не более чем абстрактно в данном контексте,объединяет в себе восприятие альбома как в визуальном так и слуховом режиме.
Для дизайна использованы фотографии Таракановського форта (вблизи г. Дубно) и крепости на территории с. Старе село (вблизи г.Львов) авторства Максима Карпенко.

9 Были мистические моменты при изготовлении обложки?

Нет. За исключением пропажи мастер-дисков по дороге в США.

10 С кем еще работал дизайнер?

С такими группами как Nokturnal Mortum,Hate Forest,Drudkh,Astrofaes и многими другими.

11 Удалась ли работа? (мнения со стороны)

Да,этот вывод можно сделать по многочисленным рецензиям и мнениям со стороны.

Melody Of Darkness

Khors — Sat, 02 May 2009 06:05:00 +0000

1. Привет! Прошло уже три года, с того момента когда мы вели беседу и вот снова судьба свела к перу и бумаге, но посредством интернета и будучи уже на Украине. Каким был для вас тот 2006 год?

Приветствую! Приятно окунуться в воспоминания, кстати это было первое интервью группы KHORS :). А 2006 год был для нас очень удачным: множество концертов, запись второго альбома и его выход в один день с нашим выступлением на ежегодном фестивале языческой музыки "Коловорот".

2. Вслед за альбомом «The Flame Of Eternity’s Decline» вышел «Cold», который оказался более мелодичным и отчасти умеренным и меланхолическим. Желание творить, именно такую музыку было с самого начала создания группы или же это пришло со временем?

Скорее со временем. «The Flame... планировался именно таким каким вы его услышали, тоже самое и с «Cold». Когда мы начали работать над программой для него, мы изначально планировали изменение музыки в более медленную и меланхоличную сторону, но это произошло уже после релиза «The Flame...>.

3. Были ли у Вас какие-то «проколы» при записи «The Flame Of Eternity’s Decline» и чем они повлияли на звучание и на восприятие альбома в целом?

Проколов не было, за исключением того что нам захотелось его полностью пересвести :), что и было сделано в московской студии ”Buddha-Cat Studio”. Там мы добились более чистого звучания, удалили несколько партий клавишных и полностью саксофон. После этого альбом зазвучал вполне приемлемо как для того момента времени.

4. Расскажи о приходе в группу второго гитариста NORT-a?

Nort появился в составе группы летом 2006 года. Нам был необходим второй гитарист для оптимизации гитарного звучания на концертах.

5. В каких еще группах задействованы музыканты и как это сживается с KHORS?

Khaoth занимался своей группой Tessaract,но на данный момент она находится в замороженном состоянии. Wortherax и Saturious,которые помогают нам в студии, также заняты своими группами. Saturious — Nokturnal Mortum и Finist. Wortherax — сольным творчеством и Finist. Неразрешимых сложностей у нас в связи с этими фактами не было никаких.

6. Не возникает ли проблем из за того что NORT параллельно играет с NAGUAL?

Также не замечено, у NAGUAL не такой насыщенный концертный график как у нас, так что всё нормально.

7. Первые два диска были выпущены на ORIANA MUSIC. Насколько Вы удовлетворены работой этого лэйбла?

Настолько, насколько мы можем быть удовлетворены работой небольшого, но амбициозного лэйбла, стеснённого в возможностях финансами и месторасположением.

Мы благодарны парням(и дамам) за работу, за помощь в становлении группы и вполне достойное распространение дисков.

8. Я слышал, что в Азии есть много рип’оверов, которые представляются мифическими лейблами или журналами, но насколько это правда я не знаю. Ты высылал диски на рецензии для сомнительных личностей?

Нет,не отсылал. Я сотрудничал только с известными интернет и печатными изданиями.И делал это только для первых двух альбомов, а промоушеном "Mysticism" занимаются Paragon и Irond по миру и России соответственно. Я лишь разослал несколько промо по журналам на Украине и Белоруси.

9. На личном опыте знаю, что нечестные лейблы есть и в Европе. Твое отношение к чужим среди своих?

Ну а как я должен относиться к ворам? Есть масса вариантов: посадить на кол, отрубить руку, электрический ток ещё, говорят, помогает :)

10. С кем приходится делиться репетиционной базой в Харькове? Бытует мнение, что если группа хочет достичь профессиональности нужно репетировать почти каждый день. Если я не ошибаюсь, то когда-то так сказали музыканты московской трэшевой группы SHAH. Насколько часто репетируете и как относитесь к данному высказыванию?

Не знаю, да мне и не интересно с кем мы репетируем на одной базе, если честно :)

Может репетировать каждый день и полезно, спорить не буду, но на это элементарно не хватит ни времени, ни сил. Все мы ещё заняты на основных работах, имеем семьи, детей.

А денег, заработанных группой, хватает пока только, собственно , на нужды группы: запись, инструменты и т.д. Так что репетируем мы примерно 2 раза в неделю и на данный момент это оптимальный вариант.

11. Судя по реакции слушателей, альбом «Mysticism» пожалуй, наиболее удачный. Своим названием он уносит в прошлое и в голову приходят воспоминания о ASTROFAES периода «DYING EMOTION DOMAIN». Почему именно «Mysticism», и какие таинственные силы повлияли на альбом?

Ну наверно только названием, у ASTROFAES на «DYING EMOTION DOMAIN» есть песня "Fiery Mysticism", авторство текста на которой, кстати, принадлежит Khaoth'у. В остальном мало общего, хотя атмосфера, возможно, в чём то и схожа.

Таинственных сил было предостаточно и в основном они были сконцентрированы на затяжке процесса записи, микса и прочих работ над альбомом. После этого они зачем-то похитили из посылки в Нью — Йорк два диска с дизайном, что тоже несколько задержало выпуск альбома...

12. Выпуск третьего диска состоялся на американском PARAGON. Что было особенного в их предложении?

Самая главная особенность — это то что они согласились на все наши условия, как финансовые, так и по части промоушена. И нас на данный момент их работа устраивает на 100 процентов, мы нисколько не жалеем что выбрали именно этот лэйбл.

14. Расскажи о сотрудничестве с московским звукорежиссером; он часто ездит с Вами на концерты? В чем его особенность?

Михаил Maiden Смирнов — клавишник одной из самых известных российских групп — Mental Home, которым в конце 90-х удалось одними из первых получить контракт с западным лэйблом (The End Recs,а потом и Century Media). Maiden является нашим постоянным концертным звукооператором. Он делал сведение альбомов "The Flame..." и "Cold" ,а также спел на Red Mirrors. Очень профессиональный и грамотный звукорежиссёр, в этом его и особенность и значимость.

15. На предложение польского лейбла выпустить кассетный релиз «Mysticism» вы дали положительный ответ. Зачем Вы согласились на такой отживший себя формат?

Первой нашей реакцией на это предложение было "зачем им это нужно?" :)

Хотя на самом деле отжил такой формат только в бывшем СССР. На западе это по прежнему представляет интерес.

16. Переиздание «Mysticism» «в стекле» на IROND — это прорыв, и, наверное, Вы скоро будете часто светиться на страницах DARK CITY. Связываете свое будущее на следующий альбом с IROND или есть обязательства перед PARAGON?

Мы и так периодически появлялись на страницах DARK CITY, было интервью в поддержку "Cold" и различные новости, реклама. В связи с новым контрактом количество публикаций возможно возрастёт. Не будем загадывать будущее.

17. Ну и напоследок, довольно, стандартный вопрос: ваши пожелания читателям журнала.

Будьте здоровыми, и морально и физически! Берегите себя!

Спасибо за интервью, удачи!

Khorus/KHORS

Mega Metal zine

Khors — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:05:00 +0000

Mega Metal(Tom): What is your name and current position in the band?

- I’m Khaoth and I play drums in KHORS band since ‘2004, from the beginning

Mega Metal(Tom): Tell us about the history of the band. More specifically, when was the band formed, how did you meet, and have there been any particular highlights or low points in your career, any crucial events that have taken you where you are today?

- It was in Summer of 2004 when I’ve got call phone from Khorus, bass guitar player of ASTROFAES band. He told me that he left his current band and he’s searching for a musicians for the new one, playing a little bit another kind of music but still in black metal vein. We always been in very good friendly attitutes with Khorus and it was interesting for me to help him with his new project. In two we started to reherase and some rehearsals we played in bass & drums only while guitar/singer Helg was invited to join us some weeks later. The first album we prepared in three and we started to record it till the end of 2004 year. Our debut abum was released in Spring 2005 by local Oriana Record. That year we invited second guitar player Nort from NAGUAL band and till the end of 2005 we started to play live. From that time till now we played a lot of shows, recorded two more albums which was released in many formats, changed management and so on. There was many of moments in our career bright and dark but we think we’re on a proper way.

Mega Metal(Tom): Do you remember how the idea of forming the band first came up?

- When Khorus played in ASTROFAES he felt a little bit tired with music and sound of latest releases in last years he played there. He liked to play more atmospheric yet melodic kind of black metal with more qualitative records so one day he left that band to gather the new one.

Mega Metal(Tom): How long after you formed was it until you played your first live show?

- Our first live performance was in Lugansk city which is on the East of Ukraine. It was in October of 2005 but we gathered up in August 2004 so as you can see a year and half of passed since the beginning of our career.

Mega Metal(Tom): What are your memories of the performance?

- It was definitely great. Many of famous Ukrainian bands played there and KHORS among them so it was pleasure for us to play in that company as well as before big crowd of fans. Good sound, good performance, good memories.

Mega Metal(Tom): Tell us about the band’s name?

- Khors is God of the sun in East Slavonic mythologies. His name rises to Scythian-Sarmatian language. So the meaning of root “Khor” is the sun, solar disc. Khor still means the sun in Ossetic language.

Mega Metal(Tom): What is your latest album and why should people buy it?

- Our latest album namely “Mysticism” is our most mature, complete and qualitative record. We think this is the best album in our discography at the moment so if you like to listen what the KHORS band is we recommend you to check our latest record.

Mega Metal(Tom): How would you categorize the style of the band? And did you ever consider or try playing other styles of music than the one(s) you are playing now?

- All of us played in different bands before KHORS. Helg played satanic black/death in RUNES OF DIANCEHT band, Nort plays in NAGUAL band and they play something like avatgarde black metal, Khorus played fast black metal in ASTROFAES and I played death metal in TESSARACT, doom metal in LITIJA and SIDERIS NOCTEM bands, black metal in HATE FOREST, ASTROFAES. As for considering our music style so it’s a little bit different from album to album. We’re starting from straight mid-tempo black metal but on our second album we represented almost the same style but much melodic. We think that the music on our third album has wider frameworks for definitions. It’s dark and sad while romantic and atmospheric music on platform of black metal.

Mega Metal(Tom): Can you share with us one or two of your favorite moments with the band?

- It’s hard to note a couple of favourite moments only but I mention only the ones I think really bright and those are our performance on big festival last year, great realization of our latest stuff and also I remember nice times of recording process of it.

Mega Metal(Tom): Does the entire band contribute to the writing process?

- Khorus and Helg bring some riffs, sometimes whole song and we’re making arrangements together.

Mega Metal(Tom): How important do you rate the lyrical side of your albums?

- It’s very important so we approach to this deal with the big share of accuracy

Mega Metal(Tom): What are your current tour plans, if any?

- Right now we’re going to play some shows in Russia and to play on big fest namely Pro-Rock in Kiev, Ukraine in July.

Mega Metal(Tom): Describe your live performance?

- We always try to choose a combination of tracks for it to be much interesting for people coming to our show. We have good soung engineer in our staff, it is Michael ‘Maiden’ Smirnov who sing on the last track in “Mysticism” album so we have good sound on our live performance thanks to him. Actually one can check some video tracks on YouTube to see better.

Mega Metal(Tom): Let’s talk a little about the band’s equipment list. What is everyone playing and do you have endorsements?

- Sure we don’t have any endorsements but we hope we’ll have one day. Guitar players use Moser and Jackson guitars, POD pedals, Dean bass. I use Sabian cymbals, Pearl pedals, Sonor hardware and so on…

Mega Metal(Tom): What one CD should everyone have in their collection?

- Can’t note the very one CD ?

Mega Metal(Tom): Tell us about your local music scene?

- Ukraine has big and interesting underground music scene. A lot of cities you can play live in. We had one big metal fest here till this year, but now there’re three of with famous headliners playing there. A number of great bands well known outside of Ukraine and some of them are very famous Worldwide. Unfortunately economic situation here in Ukraine can’t allow musicians to give due quantity of time for music so a lot of them play when have free from the basic work time.

Mega Metal(Tom): Why do you think people are into your music?

- Each kind of music are reflection of ideas, thoughts, feelings so if anybody feels our music treads on his corns then he stays with us

Mega Metal(Tom): Thanks for answering these questions. Do you have any last comments or words of advice for the readers of Mega Metal?

- Thank you for your good question, thank you, the reader, for your attention. Let there be great times for all of us! Glorify a heritage of your Land!

Terroraizer Zine (UA)

Khors — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:05:00 +0000

1. Итак, начнем с нового альбома “Mysticism”. Мне показалось после его прослушивания, что теперь говорить о KHORS как о группе, принадлежащей сцене black metal уже невозможно (ведь многие всегда рассматривали и продолжают рассматривать вас как именно black metal коллектив)… Вы сознательно старались расширить рамки своего стиля, или это вышло спонтанно?

- В большей степени спонтанно, как и сознательно. Мы никогда не думаем о стиле, когда создается музыка, она отражение души в определенный момент, так что у нас нет формулы или рецепта приготовления песен. Пара композиций родились в процессе импровизаций прямо на студии, с другой стороны мы всегда стараемся сделать новый альбом не похожим на своего предшественника. Все же мне кажется что black metal’ическая основа по прежнему доминирует.

2. Участники KHORS играли и играют в разных харьковских формациях – разных в том числе и стилистически. Насколько все участники группы были вовлечены в процесс написания материала к “Mysticism”, и насколько их музыкальные взгляды и вкусы были задействованы? Другими словами, отсеивался ли материал по признаку не качества, а просто потому что стилистически он не соответствовал музыкальной философии KHORS?

- Как и прежние альбомы, “Mysticism” написан Helg’ом и Khorus’ом, только с той разницей, что в аранжировках принимали активное участие и сессионные музыканты. Часть материала действительно отсеивалась, но не потому что не соответствовала музыкальной философии, а точнее атмосфере альбома, а может потому, что звучала неубедительно и пусто.

3. Были ли какие-то факторы во время подготовки материала, которые в значительной степени повлияли на него?

- Никаких, кроме нашего увлечения некоторыми пост-роковыми командами, сладжем и другими группами, творчество которых мы раньше пропускали по каким то причинам.

4. Можешь уточнить какик конкретно команды произвели впечатления на вас в последнее время?

- Без проблем. Это GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT, KATATONIA, ISIS, AT THE SOUNDAWN, NOCTE OBDUCTA, DISBELIEF, HEAD CONTROL SYSTEM, PORCUPINE TREE и др.

5. Где и как записывался новый альбом?

- Мы записали барабаны и ритм-гитары на Киевской студии BlackLight, часть вокалов и басс на Московской студии Buddha-Cat, всё остальное у себя дома в Харькове на студии Audio Alchemia, с которыми мы работали ранее на предыдущих двух альбомах. Сведение и мастеринг происходили на BlackLight Studio.

6. Насколько мне известно, альбом вышел в США на Paragon Records, а в России на Irond. Есть ли еще какие-то региональные издания, и с кем конкретно вы заключали контракт? Или права полностью принадлежат вам, и вы распоряжаетесь своим материалом – кому и на каких условиях его отдать?

- У нас были только права на лицензионное издание для территории СНГ, что оговаривалось изначально и права на выпуск виниловой версии. На данном этапе на стадии подписания контракт с Немецким лейблом Fog of the Apocalypse, которые собираются издавать “Mysticism” на виниле, а также Польский Werewolf Promotion готовит коллекционное издание кассетных версий всех трех альбомов.

7. Не кажется ли тебе, что кассетный формат незаслуженно забыт? Многие кивают на то, что цифра – это более качественно и надежно. Но, как мне кажется, это не всегда так – ведь аналоговое звучание по-прежнему в цене у аудио-филов, да и степень надежности дисков тоже вызывает нарекания. К тому же очень многое по-прежнему достать на дисках невозможно. Что ты думаешь по этому поводу?
И кстати, почему нет какого-то эксклюзивно-украинского издания – хотя бы в том же кассетном формате?

- Ты знаешь, я не скучаю именно по кассетному формату. Если говорить об аналоговом звучании, то это винил, а не кассета и, к слову говоря, цифровое звучание действительно уступает, несмотря на то, что сегодня аналог производится из цифровой записи, а не наоборот, как было раньше. Кассетный формат имел ряд недостатков: ты помнишь посыпанные со временем пленки, голодные кассетники, жующие любимые записи? Или МС компиляции, на которых песни шли с разной отстройкой головки? Кассеты в конвертах, которые грузные тети в почтовых отделениях с особым цинизмом отбивали печатями? Класc! Ну кто-то и древними мобильниками пользуется, сетуя на особую долговечность.
В Украине нет никакого эксклюзивного издания по той простой причине что его никто и не предлагал!

8. KHORS достаточно активны в области концертов. Какие из последних концертов запомнились больше? Как вы оцениваете сегодняшнюю ситуацию с концертами в Украине и ближнем зарубежье?

- Концерты в большей степени более-менее одинаковые, не считая фестивалей, положительно отличающихся тех. обеспечением и сборами. Ситуация с концерами в Украине на данный момент именно такая, каковой и должна быть. Более привыкший к различного рода концертным акциям Восточный регион отличается особенной прихотливостью, фамильярностью и низкими сборами, в то время как Западный регион по-прежнему приятен во всех отношениях. Ряд энтузиастов сошли с дистанции, закрыв часть городов для концертов, ряд продолжают развиваться. Собственно аналогичная ситуация в ближнем зарубежье, с той только разницей что концерт в будний день это финансовое самоубийство для промоутера и музыкант имеет возможность перемещаться личным автомобилем, а не в «шансонных» маршрутках.

9. А может есть смысл отказаться в таких условиях от туров? Выступать только на отдельных концертах и фестивалях? Эдакие “туры выходного дня “?

- На самом деле мы так и делаем. Это удобно и организатору и музыкантам группы, чей основной источник дохода совершенно не концертная деятельность.

10. Продолжим о концертной деятельности. Не кажется ли вам, что ваш технический райдер, скажем так – не очень соответствует на данный момент существующим реалиям? Я прекрасно понимаю, что музыкант хочет чувствовать себя на сцене максимально комфортно, но ведь далеко не везде ваши требования выполнимы, особенно в провинции. Лично меня, например, очень смутил пункт вашего концертного райдера. Цитирую: “Гитарные усилители. Класс не ниже Marshall JCM-серии – желательно 2 одинаковых гитарных стека, по крайней мере, в обоих стеках должны стоять одинаковые кабинеты”. Вот именно это “по крайней мере”… В чем причина такой принципиальности? А если один кабинет будет 4x12 Marshall, а второй допустим 4x12 Randall, оба с динамиками Celestion – в чем разница-то?

- Никогда не думал что этот момент будет интересно освящать в интервью. Дело в том что ты воспринимаешь ситуацию слишком близко к сердцу. Мы всегда уточняем что наш технический райдер отражает желаемые требования, но не есть догма и все моменты оговариваются, что подчеркнуто волшебным словом «желательно». И кроме того, ты уже принимал KHORS в Виннице и у нас не было никаких претензий по аппарату. У нас один технический райдер без разделения на отдельный для мегаполиса, отдельный для областного центра и отдельный для райцентра, в котором пункты по гитарным усилителям упразднены ? Иногда промоутер высылает нам свой технический райдер и мы лишь согласовываем небольшие ньюансы, но принципиальные.

11. Да, этот момент мне интересен, именно потому что я с организацией концертов знаком не понаслышке, и думаю этот момент интересен и другим промоутерам – которые может быть хотели организовать концерт KHORS в своем городе, да некоторые пункты могут их отпугнуть. Как ты вообще относишься к райдерам, особенно бытовым? Ты знаешь, недавно я имел сомнительное удовольствие ознакомится с таким документом от одной “модной” группы. Кроме всего прочего, оправданного и не очень (вроде носков, жвачек и т.п. – что выглядело очень по-жлобски с учетом запрашиваемого этой группой довольно немелкого гонорара), меня позабавило такое предупреждение: “В случае несоблюдения хотя бы какого-то пункта, сумма гонорара увеличивается на 50%”. То есть весь этот бытовой райдер – это скрытое требование гонорара, и можно вообще не париться при его выполнении – а сразу дать хлопцам денег на 50% больше. Откуда и как взялась эта хитрожопость у некоторых молодых музыкантов-дельцов? Ведь у западных групп такого уровня все гораздо проще…

- Сам по себе райдер никого не отпугнул, просто случалось что промоутер рассчитывал видеть нас что называется «за будку и миску» и удивлялся нашему отказу. В таких моментах, а их большинство, не райдер камень преткновения. А бытовые райдеры я очень люблю читать и я примерно понимаю чей именно опус ты привел в качестве примера. Всему виной комплекс Московско-Питерской значимости, где все эти так называемые мазафакеры собирают полные залы. Ситуация не выглядит также привлекательно для промоутера в большинстве Украинских (да я уверен и Российских городов), но подобные команды в этом случае, как правило, сетуют на недостаточно компетентных организаторов, не уделивших должное внимание рекламе. Вобще это отдельная и очень долгая тема противостояния музыкант-организатор и поскольку я выступал в роли одного и другого, то некоторые моменты я могу понять. Вот, к примеру, очень не понятным мне остается поведение многих наших промоутеров, которые, прижавши хвост, несутся за этими носками с жвачками, тем самым поддерживая эту тенденцию. На самом деле я еще не встречал ситуации, когда группа пыталась отменить свое выступление по причине поданных чипсов не с теми приправами, может просто недостаточно осведомлен, но в таком случае, мне кажется, идеальным решением было бы провести команду через толпу пришедших на нее фанов с указанием причины, по которой данная группа отменяет выступление и ситуация бы в корне изменилась наверняка. Иной раз читая бытовой райдер каких-нибудь новоиспеченных звезд с простреленными ушами, порой задаешься вопросом: «люди едут играть концерт или на пикник»?!

12. Лето этого года обещает быть очень насыщенным с фестивальной точки зрения. Планирует ли KHORS участие в каких-то фестах – как в Украине так и за рубежом?

- Мы планируем выступление на фестивале «Про-Рок» в июле, а зарубежные выступления пока на стадии переговоров.

13. В прошлом году вы играли на МХМ, который до последнего времени считался самым крупным украинским фестом. В этом же году как плотину сорвало – кроме того же МХМ, еще и “Про Рок”, “Global”, “Чайка”, интересные мероприятия в Ужгороде и Меджибоже, и это не считая чуть ли не сотен других… Такая концертная насыщенность на твой взгляд – говорит ли о том, что украинская сцена движется в правильном направлении? И какие место на этой сцене ты отводишь KHORS (небольшая провокация?)?

- Такая концертная насыщенность — причина удивления многих, в т.ч. Европейских организаторов, которые удивляются феномену мирового финансового кризиса в Украине. Сцена движется в правильном направлении, это определенно, но не могу не отметить момент, который мне кажется странным: некоторые организаторы этих самых фестивалей не заинтересованы в выступлениях Украинских групп. Я не знаю ни одного фестиваля за пределами Украины, где допускается такое положение вещей. Не знаю c чем это связано, но в связи с этим опять же хочу особенно ометить фестиваль «Про Рок», который действительно болеет за Украинский андеграунд и прилагает все усилия для его развития. Честь и хвала этим людям!
Мы будем продолжать всячески стараться стать одной из самых весомых единиц Украинской сцены!

На вопросы отвечал Константин “Khaoth” Змиевский

Apollyon "Mysticism"

Khors — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS "Mysticism"
Paragon Records

Довольно неоднозначный и неожиданный релиз известных харьковских Pagan Black-металлистов должен, тем не менее, прийтись по вкусу всем поклонникам этой группы, а также, думаю, что у него есть все шансы завоевать еще большую аудиторию слушателей. Группа не только сменила издающий лейбл, но и значительно расширила рамки своего музыкального стиля. Должен сказать, что это самый спокойный альбом в их дискографии. Основным отличием "Mysticism" от первых двух является отход от классического Black Metal в сторону… — тут сложно сказать чего именно, но условно – Doom Metal, Progressive и даже Heavy Metal. Альбом настолько разнообразен и одновременно ни на что не похож, что я лишь даю условные названия тем элементам, которые KHORS привнесли в свою новую музыку. Он богат на акустические гитары, обилие очень красивых и неповторимых по звучанию синтезаторных партий (я считаю – лучшая работа Saturious как клавишника), виртуозные и интересные партии ударных, а также широкую палитру вокалов и шепотов (финальная песня "Red Mirrors"). От "классического" KHORS осталась лишь песня "Mysticism", выполненная в духе ранних работ. Как видите, в отличии от титульной песни, альбом "Mysticism" в целом вышел немного другим. Для любителей стилистических параллелей имеет смысл сравнение с OPETH, KATATONIA, VINTERSORG, SOLEFALD… Диск записывался аж в трех студиях: в Харькове, Москве и в Киеве. Основная часть работ легла на киевскую студию Blacklight (барабаны, ритм-гитары, сведение и мастеринг) с их бессменным звукоинженером Shaddar'ом (SEMARGL).

→ http://www.apollyon.kiev.ua/reviews.php?language=ru&letter=K-O

Invisible Oranges "Mysticism"

Khors — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism

Ah, Ukrainian black metallers. We probably wouldn't get along, but I love their music. So romantic, passionate...and sometimes racist. The press for Khors' Mysticism (Paragon, 2008) denies any political attachments. But though their lyrics are about ice, forests, lakes, and so on, the band members have NSBM associations — Hate Forest, Nokturnal Mortum, Runes of Dianceht. (I don't get how Ukrainians can be pro-Nazi, given WWII, but that's another matter.) This is one of those "separate the creator from the creation" deals.
Khors are like melodic doom (e.g., Katatonia, Swallow the Sun) gone black metal. Their debut, The Flame of Eternity's Decline, had righteous riffing. Cold tipped the balance towards keyboards, and Mysticism continues likewise. My hate for keyboards in metal is vast. But it isn't boundless. Sure, these evoke documentaries about outer space, and the keyboard leads are indefensible. But the tinkly tones are cute and complement tasty nylon-string leads. Khors' songwriting has come a long way. Guitars and keyboards interweave through ornate arrangements. Placid half-speed interludes add variety. The recording is glaringly clean, but the sound is unique. Speaking of reflections, I have an irrational love for the album cover. It's a violent Photoshop job, not something I would like. But sometimes the sublime comes in the cheap — see Burzum's Casio symphonies.

- Cosmo Lee

→ http://invisibleoranges.com/2009/04/khors-mysticism.html

Rockbox "Mysticism"

Khors — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — 2008 — Mysticism

When it comes to Black Metal, the Ukraine is more often than not a safe bet, and incidentally Khors do not disappoint. The band mixes the styles of countrymates Nokturnal Mortum and Drudkh to create some good quality atmospheric Black Metal. While the album has its share of "rocking" moments, complete with a tasteful use of blast beats, it is overall a rather melodic, slow to mid-paced proposition with a poignant, omnipresent melancholic atmosphere that will either send the listener into a lightly depressive state or, best case scenario, invoke images of vast and peaceful landscapes.

→ http://rockbox.psychocydd.co.uk/details.php?id=ffc97dadc483d3c6b5b3645b13ff8a5b2e7454e2

Sputnik Music "Mysticism"

Khors — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

8 of 8 thought this review was well written

There are two specific things that I love about Ukraine although I have never actually visited the promised land. Ukraine has a knack for producing some of the hottest babes on the planet as well as creating some of the most interesting black metal to date. It’s these two things alone that make it worth considering leaving this obese, corporate hellhole for a more cultural affair. First off is Milla Jovovich, an old favorite of mine starring in the superb Bruce Willis sci-fi epic The Fifth Element, the engaging tale based on Joan Of Arc, and all of the Resident Evil films not to mention boasting some musical talent of her own. Then there’s Mila Kunis, another fan favorite playing a large role in my favorite show of all time, That 70’s Show. To round out the trifecta is new Ukrainian super model turned actor in Olga Kurylenko who in my opinion is the hottest woman alive. Enough horsing around though, Ukraine has a darker secret that I would like to point out to you folks. The extreme metal scene, quite miniscule to Norway’s long and illustrious career nonetheless has proven to be one of the strongest breeding grounds to date producing such luminaries as Drudkh, Nokturnal Mortum, and Hate Forest as well as offering a glimpse of the present and the future in Kroda, Walknut, Astrofaes, and the star attraction Khors.

I recently discovered the band Khors off of lastfm which consists of members of Astrofaes and Hate Forest. A far cry from the droning and grimly produced black metal of the two previous bands, Khors follows a similar route to Kroda, Nokturnal Mortum and Drudkh’s pagan folk route yet to a slightly diminished degree. Mysticism, the bands fourth album since their official 2004 inception binds together several prominent sub genres creating one bold and eclectic album. Picture the sluggish trudge of doom metal holding hands with the gloomy atmosphere of gothic rock while embracing the trippy and at times flamboyant nature of keyboard driven Slavic pagan metal with the slicked back aggression of melodic black/ death metal coming in for a snuggle and you might have an idea what this sounds like. Throw in a pinch of progressive rock, slick production, and varied songwriting and you have one solid metal album. Starting with the intro song “Through the Rays Of Fading Moon’ this brief sampling is an accurate display of what’s to come, a highly melodic affair alternating between clean melodic chords and spacey synthesizer runs before increasing the tempo’s speed and power.

The albums guitar work is split up between the two guitar players Helg and Nort. What they lack in heaviness is quickly made up in structured yet extremely catchy riffing, superbly crafted melodies, and impressive soloing. The duo shine considerably during their many instrumental passages that flesh the album out into more atmospheric than heavy metal. Ranging from the dark melodies and commonly used tremolo picking to the more Spanish acoustic guitar sounds of “Pagan Scars” I am very impressed with the bands guitar playing. With the keyboards and sawing bass tones complementing the many creative riffs and melodies, Khors also excel at creating neck snapping rhythms, at times even bringing in a modern rock element to the mix as perfectly executed in Winterfall. The keyboards used switch off between textural underpinning to promote atmosphere and the more upfront chiming that Nokturnal Mortum is known for. At times graceful and majestic and at other times bordering levels of cheese, they never stray too far in self indulgence which greatly strengthens the bonds of Khors music. The bass playing and drumming combination of Kahaoth and Khorus serve as a perfect mold for partners in crime. The bass pulsates a rich and heavy tone that is bolstered by an efficient drumming machine. The tempos of the drumming match the overall feel of the album where the gear always remains stuck between 3rd and 4th. Double bass is quick, not too excessive like a Clint Eastwood obsessed gun toting lunatic robbing a Wal-Mart but rather slower paced to add more feeling. The vocals are probably the least interesting aspect of the record but they are far from being bad, they’re just outdone by the guitar players. Helg’s harsh vocals fall somewhat between the prototype dark metal vocal patterns of Sear Bliss and Moonspell. Full of bite and heavy distortion, they nonetheless get the job done without weakening the listening experience. Helg does demonstrate his singing ability on one song, the closing keyboard laden track ’Red Mirrors” . His singing comes off as slightly deep and accented providing a purely mellow, rocking experience to close out the album.

Overall, Mysticism is quite an accomplishment for a modern metal record. Full of creativity, versatile songwriting, and the thundering punch of metal makes this record bound to gather some attention. The productions values of this album are quite expansive for a random obscure metal band from Eastern Europe so I hardly doubt anyone will be complaining about the inaccessibility Mysticism. And to think that I just discovered this band not too long ago, yeah, sue me. I don’t listen to bands for a few weeks before writing. Anyways, if you consider yourself a pretty big fan of Moonspell, Kroda, Moonsorrow, Nokturnal Mortum, and even Graveworm, than I assure you to check it out immediately. If not, it’s your loss BRO!!!!!!!!!!

→ http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?reviewid=29883

Kvltsite "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors was formed in 2004 by Khorus (ex-Astrofaes) and Mysticism is the band’s third full length. The band is rounded out by a bunch of underground black metal musicians including Saturious (Nokturnal Mortum) on keyboards and Khaoth from hate Forest on drums.

Mysticism goes under the atmospheric black metal banner but it’s a bit more than that. The band has its foundation in black metal but takes influences from classic heavy metal, thrash and even elements of progressive rock and wraps it all up in a gloomy doom friendly atmosphere and mid paced songwriting. As a result Mysticism has turned out to be quite a polished and classy extreme metal album. Lead guitarist Wortherax also used to be in Nokturnal Mortum and contributes some very tasteful classic heavy metal inspired lead guitar to the album that fits in really well with the music. It’s all held together by a sterling performance from the drummer and his inventive beats and patterns add a new dimension to the band’s sound and lift the songs above the ordinary.

Stand out tracks include Raven’s Dance which has a very cool keyboard melody mixed in with some melodic mid paced grooves, Winterfall starts out like the most black metal song on this album with an aggressive vocal attack before the clean guitars and keyboards kick in and the song takes on a doomy melancholic vibe. Pagan Scars is an instrumental led by what sounds like a flute and the album ends with more mid paced black metal goodness in the form of Mysticism and Red Mirrors which uses clean vocals, acoustic guitars and another great lead guitar spot from Wortherax.

Mysticism is a pretty impressive album. The songs are catchy without being saccharine sweet, the musicians are all more than just competent and each musician is given an opportunity to shine while the song always takes centre stage. I’m not sure if this album will appeal to the typical black metal listener but it should appeal to fans of doom metal and extreme metal in general.

4\5
Label — Paragon Records
Year of Release — 2009

→ http://kvltsite.com/content/view/691/58/

Dark World "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors "Mysticism" (2008)
Меня всегда поражал тот факт, как Украина может настолько крепко держать в своей железной хватке black metal'ическую сцену. Исполнять настолько по-настоящему качественный black metal, причем в самых его разнообразных проявлениях – это, надо заметить, большая заслуга перед тяжелой музыкой в целом. Не совру, если скажу, что Украина является, пожалуй, практически единственной обладательницей самых ярких групп, работающих в этом нелегком жанре.

И вот на нашем горизонте появилось творение коллектива Khors, зародившегося на территории великой и могучей Украины, который сковал в своей кузнице небывалый по современным меркам материал, получивший название ни много, ни мало — «Mysticism».

Хотя удивляться тут на самом деле нечему, так как настолько звездный состав Khors (участники в свое время засветились в таких проектах, как: Astrofaes, Hate Forest, Runes Of Dianceht, Scorbut, Nokturnal Mortum, Finist, Nagual, Tessaract + при участии приглашенного музыканта Михаила "Maiden" Смирнова на вокале из Mental Home) по идее ничего другого от себя и не должен был ожидать на этом альбоме.

Очень спокойный, размеренный, мелодичный, и вместе с тем с агрессивным и одновременно успокаивающим и вкрадчивым, порой говорящим шепотом вокалом, материал выдан через призму настоящего мистицизма, который своими параллельно выплескивающимися из колонок музыкальными идеями уводит слушателя в лабиринты различных тайн и загадок самых разнообразных эпох нашей многовековой мировой истории.
В минусах лично для себя укажу англоязычную лирику, но, с другой стороны, если бы не она, то в жизни не догадаться, что группа украинская.

Альбом слушается на одном дыхании, между песнями не возникает непонятных пауз, все связано воедино, создается восприятие монументальности, целостности и законченности «Мистицизма». Но, как обычно, альбом не тянет продолжительностью больше, чем на 40 минут, а ведь так хотелось бы продлить это приятное чувство, но, как говорится: «Хорошего — понемножку».

Релиз, пропитанный от корки до корки, своим мистицизмом помогает расширить границы самосознания, благодаря своей глубокой атмосфере, проникающей в самые отдаленные уголки разума. «Мистицизм» хочется слушать все больше и больше, словно своей аурой он притягивает и гипнотизирует слушателя.
Отдельных слов заслуживает оформление обложки. Кратко, лаконично, без лишних накладок – расположены названия группы и альбома. А в широко открытом зрачке глаза поймано отражение разваливавшегося здания, что, судя по всему, символизирует обратную сторону реальности, сравниваемую с разрушенными мечтами и желаниями, которым не суждено было исполниться.
Pantera
Рейтинг: 6 ( максимум 6)

→ http://dark-world.ru/reviews/496

Noise "Mysticism"

Khors — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism (Albumi)

Tama on Giljotiini-arvio, joka on mitaltaan tavallista lyhyempi tuomio

Kolmanteen levyynsa edennyt Khors suoltaa tunnelmallista ja paaosin melankolista black metalia, joka luottaa enemman toistoon kuin innovoimiseen. Vaikka yhtye ei tavoittelekaan aivan burzummaista askeettisuutta, monin paikoin edetaan silti muutaman soinnun ja yksinkertaisten melodioiden voimalla. Kenties mielenkiintoisinta Khorsin sinansa riisutussa ilmaisussa on sen monikerroksisuus: tietyn savelkulun paalle saatetaan hoylata harmonioita usealla eri soittimella. Lopputulos pysyy hyvin kasassa, mutta pehmeissa aanimaisemissa leijaileminen tahtoo pitkan paalle kayda unettavaksi.

→ http://www.noise.fi/levyarvostelut/?id=10089

Metalreview "Mysticism"

Khors — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Michael Wuensch
View Profile

*queue voice of a dusty ol' cowboy*

"Legend has it, Carpathian Mountain maniacs used to celebrate with get-togethers called "black metal regales." Their metal? Khors. They called it "true black metal," and it was brewed only one way: with Carpathian Mountain grit and high-country atmosphere, giving Khors that raw, full-flavored taste that still holds true today. Other black metal bands have folded their tents and quietly moved along. But Khors black metal has held as strong as the Carpathians themselves. So the next time you're having a black metal get-together, make the same choice Ukrainian elitists have been making for years: Khors -- provided by the Khors Black Metal Brewing Company of Kharklv, Ukraine."

*back to the show*

There's just something about those Carpathian Mountains that seems very conducive to the creation of epic, atmospheric black metal. Yes, a decent portion of it is unfortunately sullied by rather intolerant, questionable aesthetics, but the Khors-specific ideology is focused on pre-Christian European pagan practices, a theme carried over from its founding member's previous band, Astrofaes.

What sets this record apart from much of the black metal produced in and around this particular region is how comparatively mellow it is. The pace never really breaks from a mid-gallop, and the staple buzzsaw guitar walls often characterized by bands from this general local are replaced by clear, distinct riffs and heavy doses of melodic noodling. Probably the closest proximity in terms of general sound and vibe would fall to Estrangement era Drudkh (particularly in the soloing and vocals), or Fimbulvinter era Kroda, but Mysticism definitely travels down a more moody, mellow, and at times rockin' path. Even when the songs are running at their most brisk pace -- the self titled track and the superb "Winterfall", for example -- mellow flourishes abound, and they're embellished through heavy use of acoustic plucking & strumming and moogish/weirdly keyboard tinklings.

Oh yes, there are some impish little keys tip-toeing about on this tapestry. Yet somehow this instrument I've traditionally scorned in black metal gets folded in very neatly by Khors (and most of their countrymen, for that matter). Every tune present uses them in one form or another: mostly as atmospheric bells and whistles, but also occasionally breaking out into the solo spotlight for short bursts that add a sparkling glint to a good share of the album.

Mysticism also boasts a production that's as bright and crisp as a windless Winter's day. And while I'd definitely affirm there'll always be a place in my heart for the trashcan end of the genre, this record's cleanliness really serves it well by further augmenting its ample melodic moments and allowing the mellow moods to flourish without the hinderance of hissing and murk.

I would've bumped the songwriting score up a tad had the band stretched a couple tunes out more to really amplify the epic feel painted on the edges. Even still, Mysticism is undoubtedly a record I'd comfortably recommend to fans of pagan black metal hailing from the Eastern European region, as well as those who normally steer clear of the genre because of its often grubby take on production. Khors has brewed up a tasty, refreshing record, so kick back, crack it open and drink it in.

→ http://www.metalreview.com/4942/Khors-Mysticism.aspx

Spirit of Metal "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Depuis longtemps je fais un reve recurent.
Je reve d'une musique ou l'emotion, le ressentit a l'ecoute de ses melodies arriverait a combler un manque evident dans mon existence. Une musique capable de me transporter, susceptible de m'amener a l'orgasme cerebral.
Une musique ou les claviers, toujours bien places, seraient envoutants, enivrants, atmospheriques.
Une musique ou les sons de guitares seraient tantot acoustiques, d'une purete absolue, ou echeveles, distordus.
Des parties folk nuancees.
Une voix chuchotee, paisible, mais qui par moment pourrait etre criee, dechiree.
Et enfin, une musique ou mes aspirations seraient melees a un metal race.
Serait ce une utopie?
Et bien non! Car a defaut d'avoir cree mon fantasme, vu mes pietres qualites musicales, j'ai deniche la perle rare avec ce "Mysticism".
Une decouverte etrange, car j'etais a mille lieues d'imaginer que j'allais trouver mon bonheur.
Khors officiait jusqu'alors dans un Black Pagan propre a la scene Ukrainienne.
La plupart des membres du groupe sont issus de pointures telles que Hate Forest, Astrofaes, ou encore Nokturnal Mortum.
Leur dernier album en date "Cold" (excellent par ailleurs) paru en 2006, se situait plus dans la mouvance Black Pagan, Atmo par moments, qu'autre chose .
Rien qui ne laissait presager un tel virage.
Car c'est un virage, pas un de ces tournants que l'on prend a 110 km/h, non non, un virage a 360° que cet album.
Un bijou inspire, magnifique, majestueux de.....Merde comment vais je appeler cette musique?
C'est marrant, mon reve prend fin toujours a ce moment la.
Toujours cette question a l'esprit.
J'ai bien une idee, mais je ne suis pas certain de l'objectivite de mes propos...
Tant pis, je m'y jette je nommerais naturellement donc cette beaute "MetalKhors" mais avec la mention "mentally manufactured by me"!
Je ne suis pas chien, il n'y a pas non plus de copyright (pour ma part!) et je veux bien la partager.
Allez y amoureux de Black Atmo, de Folk Metal, de Pagan, d'Ambiant, de Doom, de Douceurs Metalliques puisez et delectez vous de ce breuvage onirique.
Soyez sans crainte car il n'y a qu'un pas entre le reve et la realite, le pas s'appelle desormais Khors.

Cirith Ungol
note : 19/20

→ http://www.spirit-of-metal.com/album-groupe-Khors-nom_album-Mysticism-l-fr.html

Terroraiser #2(38)/2009 "Mysticism"

Khors — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:05:00 +0000

Khors Mysticism

Paragon Records

Новый альбом харьковчан KHORS убеждает в том,что украинской металсцене по-прежнему есть что продемонстрировать мировому металлическому сообществу. Основываясь на black metal, группа развивает этот стиль за счёт заимствования иных элементов, которые гармонично дополняют привычный группе жанровый арсенал. В результате мы имеем дело не с банальной копией "великих", а вполне полноценной, заслуживающей самого пристального внимания работой, которая наверняка будет пользоваться серьозным спросом во всех уголках земного шара. Остаётся только сожалеть, что украинские поклонники группы в который раз будут вынуждены довольствоваться импортными копиями дисков родной группы, ибо об издании этого альбома на родной для музыкантов территории никто не заявил...

Thrashmentor (9/10)

Gaspetc "Mysticism"

Khors — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

KHORS Mysticism Paragon

Mellow isn't a term I use much to describe black metal, but in the case of Khor's most recent release, Mysticism, I think it kinda fits. Combining black metal feeling with mellower parts and some folky flavor, Khor creates an atmosphere that exudes darkness.

After an intro track, "Raven's Dance" dims the lights with it's massively dark and heavy opening riff. Crushing would be a good way to describe it, I think. Aside from the nasty guitar riff here, the vocals are also deep and dark, kinda of a death-doom growl with a slight black metal quality to them. "Milk Of Heavens" changes things a bit, as it is a synth laden track with acoustic guitars and whispered vocals — this track pretty much personifies darkness if you ask me. Listen to this one in a dark room and you might be looking over your shoulder in fear at what is approaching. While I would pick "In the Cold Embrace of Mist" as my favorite track here, the title track gives it a run for those honors.

Also included on the disc is a live video of the band performing the intro track and "Raven's Dance" at a show in their native Ukraine. A nice little extra if you ask me.

Although it straddles many styles, this disc is likely to appeal to fans of black metal, doom, and pagan metal pretty much equally. It may not end up being a favorite for everyone, but it is a pretty dark and emcompassing collection of songs.

Goz

→ http://www.gaspetc.com/Trax_Winter09.html

Live 4 Metal "Mysticism"

Khors — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism (Paragon Records) By: Dave Schalek

Ukraine’s Khors release their third full-length, entitled “Mysticism”, on New York-based Paragon Records. In Khors, Paragon Records has added yet another quality Continental black metal act to their growing roster. Having connections to just about every black/ pagan metal band in the Ukraine from Hate Forest to Nokturnal Mortum, Khors play a mid-paced melodic brand of black metal with some influences of melodic doom present.
“Mysticism” pretty much has it all; that is, stellar musicianship, good songwriting, huge guitars, a very loud bass, and plenty of melody all backed up by a gigantic production and a mid-paced tempo. Add a typical rasp and a few melancholic, quiet moments with a
somber tone, and “Mysticism” very quickly becomes a seamless blend of mid-paced black metal and melodic doom.
I hate to say it, though, something is a bit lacking, even with all of the positive attributes. I’m not quite sure what it is, but, with the exception of the truly awesome title track (featuring some excellent slide guitar at the song’s conclusion), for some reason, “Mysticism” doesn’t really grab a hold of me in an emotional manner. I find myself generally liking the album, but I can’t help but think that I’ll probably end up putting the album largely aside once I’ve fulfilled my obligations in writing this review.
However, my own negative comments about “Mysticism” are probably more of a reflection of my own tastes, rather than a result of any truly low quality aspects to “Mysticism”, of which there are none. Certainly, if you’re into melodic doom and/ or some mid-paced, mild black metal, you’re going to find much to like on “Mysticism”. Recommended.

→ http://www.live4metal.com/reviews-717.htm

Unbound "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors-Mysticism
(Paragon Records, 2009)

I was expecting this to be rather raw but the opening instrumental really took me by surprise. Through the Rays of Fading Moon is essentially a beautifully crafted song that is both melodic and hypnotic. Acoustic guitars, clean guitars and synths are layered creating an epic yet somber opening for the album.

Raven's Dance follows and the blackened side of the band shines through much stronger. The somber feel is still present although the guitars take a much heavier feel on. The songs are epic in nature but not incredibly lengthy. The longest song is 7 minutes while most are between 3 and 5 minutes long. That said the songs always feel fleshed out and this is a band that never seems to rush. They let the music really breathe and never seem in a hurry to leave a part behind before it has had the chance to really soak in. This is also a band that never relies on speed to make an impact. This is actually one of the few black metal albums I've ever heard that doesn't rely heavily on the blast beat. In fact I don't think they used it once throughout the entire album. That said, speed just wouldn't fit the somber and majestic nature of the music. Even the harsher moments of the album aren't all that harsh and to say this album is a breath of fresh air would be a definite understatement.

Black metal might just be the most multifaceted subgenre of metal there is. A band like Khors has absolutely nothing in common with say Mayhem, yet they both fit perfectly into the black metal genre. If you are looking for a somber and epic approach to black metal that leaves the harshness normally associated with the genre absent, this Ukrainian band is worth checking out.

→ http://www.unboundzine.com/nr210.html

Metal Review

Khors — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

1.I have long sought this interview as my interest in Khors has been developing on two fronts. First, I have really enjoyed Mysticism, the album which has been a revelation come 2008 Christmas time. Also, as someone who was born in Kiev and lived there for the first 16 years of his life, I am proud Ukraine has contributed mightily to the worldwide black metal scene. So, let me begin by asking you what you think about the aforementioned Ukrainian black metal community and how Khors fits in it?

First I'd like to note that it's very pleasant to me to answer the questions of the compatriot which though has left from our country but still is interested in its businesses and a musical life. My greetings!
Thanks for your warm words about a new album and very positive review!
As for Ukrainian BM scene mainly Kharkov scene I can tell that KHORS is logical progress of this stage in more atmospheric and dynamical side more likely. Me and Khaoth concern origin and development of Kharkov stage. I was engaged for a long time in ASTROFAES band, he played in HATE FOREST and in ASTROFAES too. Helg played in RUNES OF DIANCEHT the one of the oldest Ukrainian BM bands.
Kharkov given to the World Black Metal such bands as NOKTURNAL MORTUM, ASTROFAES, HATE FOREST, DRUDKH and many others that less known. So I consider it's no sense to speak about the importance of Kharkov stage cause all reasonably apparently.

2.It is no secret that many Ukrainian black metal bands have an outwardly nationalistic stance. While I can see a lot of it as a counter-reaction to authentic Ukrainian culture being suppressed for so long, dominated by various neighboring states who occupied Ukraine openly or under the guise of the elected union, some of these bands go completely overboard professing racial purity and complete national intolerance. It was nice to read in the promo sheet that Khors is not affiliated with any of the nationalistic political movements. However, some of the band members participated in rather notorious Nokturnal Mortum and Temnozor. Did Khors ever feel any backlash, from either side, from some more radically inclined Kharkiv folks for your band breaking away from the mold, or from your new label partners at Paragon Records checking out the band’s background?

There are no problems for us in past and present and I think there will not be. We dear enough band even among "radically inclined Kharkiv folks" as you speak. And our personal outlooks never changed in ASTROFAES days and now. I was not interested in politics and always be this way thus it's extremely erroneous to note my previous band ASTROFAES as NSBM but I don't know it's present status. We have always been patriotically adjusted and we propagandized love to the Native Land, respect for ancestors and so on but one must not confuse it with inadequate political trends and organizations.
Paragon Records had a problem with one German magazine which was frightened to publish advertising on "Mysticism" album as well as interview with us cause they consider KHORS as NSBM band. Well, we'll not be upset and prove something to people who have no such function as "understanding". There are many bands now noted as politically active ones just not finding a difference between Pagan, Patriotic and NSBM. It's difficulty to struggle with it but we have no desire to. The main is own assessment of actions cause you can't deceive yourself.
I wish to express huge gratitude to our label Paragon Records and personally to their chief Jim Mroz for understanding and support!

3.How is signing with Paragon Records going to benefit Khors to be more widely heard than, say, staying with well-respected underground Ukrainian Oriana Music?

Transition to larger and solid label always big plus for a band. Oriana considering their not boundless opportunities had problems with distro and realization and that's logical in cause of some nuances of laws in our state.
Paragon Records has wide distribution so our choice is quite proved.

4.I understand how metal bands have to “pay their dues” before labels can throw their unconditional support behind them. Do you feel Paragon Records distribution abilities can offer Khors broader touring possibilities, especially if the next album also receives significant critical acclaim? Any plans or interest to travel the world?

Sure we hope that label will help greater promotion of KHORS brand in the world. If it will cause interest of various concert agencies and organizers that we only shall be glad.
We're concert band and we ready to go to any tour considering that we've visited practically everywhere within the limits of the ex-USSR.

5.I have not had a chance to hear Khors prior works on The Flame of Eternity’s Decline and Cold. For those who, like me, deeply enjoyed Mysticism, how do you think the band’s earlier efforts compare?

I think that for those who liked "Mysticism" album it will be interesting to listen to "Cold" as it is melodious and beautiful too but heavier. First album "The Flame..." for the fans of rectilinear and mid-tempo BM. It's differs a lot from a new album.

6.It is very interesting, and I have tried to point it out in my review (http://www.metalreviews.com/reviews/detail.php3?id=5050), that pagan feel on Mysticism is not achieved via gimmicks, by openly employing Ukrainian folk instruments. What so you think gives Khors its particular authenticity and do you feel my review reflected what you wanted to express with the music? In a way, if asked to describe your music verbally, what would you say?

Yes, we don't use any folk instruments, only keyboards, guitars and drums. It's enough for us to transfer the conceived atmosphere. It's our style from which we don't depart here already the third album. There are enough of bands here on Ukrainian stage using national instruments and it's their choice.
If trying to describe with words our musical style so it's melodious dark/black metal with mysterious and romantic, with a little bit grief atmosphere.

7.Out of rich pantheon of ancient Slavic gods, why the choice of Khors, not Yarilo or Perun? As Khors represents sunlight, do you feel Khors music is more light or shade?

Our music is difference of emotions, in some moment it's light and then a shadow. Except for that it depends on an emotional condition of a listener and his personal perception.
As for the bandname then Khors is the God of the Sun and we have chosen this name realized. The Sun since the ancient times till present time means great importance for a man and it's reverence both for our ancestors and for us is stem-forming.

8.In the current economic climate in Ukraine, it must be difficult to come up with the funds necessary for quality musical recordings. How does the band cope with the situation? Are there sufficiently equipped recording studios in Ukraine or Khors is forced to seek these facilities abroad?

From the moment of the band formation we have set to ourselves a task to have qualitative record as much as possible having not looking on hard situation in sphere of a sound recording and absence of normal means of existence. On first two albums it was possible to us but only for a Ukrainian stage level level of that times. On the European level of record we send only with "Mysticism". And that's pleasant that the most part of works has been made in Ukraine in Blacklight Studio. Day by day there're more and more good studios here in Ukraine with good equipment and qualified staff and bands have an opportunity to record their albums up to the mark.

9.While no one has the crystal ball to predict the future, is Khors going to be a temporary entity giving refuge to a group of Kharkiv musicians or the fans can expect a number of albums to tease our senses in the future?

I hope that 3 albums is enough to prove gravity of our intentions. Yes, we have far-reaching plans, we'll record new albums and we hope that KHORS brand will be more known year by year. However only time will tell...

10.With the e-mail interview format it is quite difficult to completely get a sense of asking the band all of the right questions to unveil people behind the music. What do you wish I asked you that I did not, and what it is you want people to know about Khors?

It's definitely hard to think up a question to itself, ha-ha. We give many interviews recently and it seems we have told practically all. Perhaps it's the very complicated question in this interview, so excuse, I have no idea what to think up, ha-ha...

11.Thanks for your time and good luck in all of your future endeavors.

Many thanks for the interest to our band! All the best to you and to the readers of your magazine! Listen to our music and just any music. I hope it will help to distract from daily problems and will add positive emotions!

Alex Mejiritski

Khorus

Stormbringer "Mysticism"

Khors — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism (CD)

Die Ukrainer KHORS starteten als reine Black-Metal-Band. Gegrundet wurde die Formation von ASTROFAES-Bassist Khorus in 2004, spater stie?en Helg (Gesang, Gitarre) und Khaoth (Schlagzeug) zur Band und in dieser Besetzung wurde unter zuhilfenahme von Gastmusikern an Keys und 2. Gitarre das Debut "The Flame Of Eternity?s Decline" eingespielt. Mit dem festen zweiten Gitarristen Nort, der seit Ende 2005 das Line-Up bereichert, erschien 2006 dann "Cold", welches bereits gute Kritiken erntete. Der dritte Streich in Longplayer-Form hei?t "Mysticism" und wurde Dezember 2008 uber Paragon Records veroffentlicht. Das Keyboard ubernimmt auch diesmal wieder ein namentlich nicht benannter Gastmusiker. Khors ist in der slavischen Mythologie ubrigens der Gott uber Licht und die Sonne.

Stilistisch hat sich die Band inzwischen stark vom Black Metal entfernt, ohne die Einflusse ganz zu leugnen. Durch die Hinzunahme stark atmospharischer Sounds, geht die Tendenz hin zu Ambient Black Metal oder Ambient Dark Metal. Druckvolle Passagen mit sehr straightem instrumentalem Vormarsch gibt es aber weiterhin und auch die Growls halten das Black-Metal-Erbe noch hoch. Das Wechselspiel zwischen Atmospharik und Dynamik gelingt den Ukrainern aber sehr gut. Dabei wird nicht auf die eher im Pagan typischen Wechsel von Power und episch-getragenen Abschnitten zuruckgegriffen. KHORS bringen eher mystische, besinnliche, melancholische, spacige oder auch mal fast psychedelische Eindrucke und Emotionen ins Spiel.

Die Melodien verleiten dazu, sich zuruckzulehnen und der Musik voll hinzugeben. Das rate ich dem Horer auch, denn nur so kann man die kompositorische Starke der Band entdecken. "Mysticism" ist kein Album zum nebenbei-horen. Zu viele Feinheiten und musikalische Darstellungen der Emotionen rauschen sonst zu eindruckslos am Ohr vorbei. Doch wenn man der Musik wirklich die vollkommene Aufmerksamkeit schenkt, dringen die vermittelten Gefuhle auch bis ins tiefste Bewusstsein vor.

Ein kleines Manko gibt es allerdings, denn einige Stucke ahneln sich sehr – nicht nur in Machart, sondern auch von der Stimmung. KHORS waren gut beraten, noch etwas mehr Abwechslung in die Songs einzubringen. Dennoch gelingt den Ukrainern ein schon recht verhei?ungsvoller Spagat zwischen Black-Metal-Anleihen und atmospharisch dichten Kompositionen. Wer sich in dunklen Ambient-Bereichen wohl fuhlt, sollte "Mysticism" antesten.

Wertung: 3.0 von 5.0

→ http://www.stormbringer.at/reviews.php?id=3545

Zero Tolerance

Khors — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:05:00 +0000

Zero Tolerance: Talk a bit about the beginning of the band, and what the situation was like for a band such as yours in 2004 Ukraine. Did you find it easier to create a diverse and original sound due to being based in an area that doesn't see a lot of entertainment media when it comes to metal at all, much less black metal?

Khorus: Creating a new band is always a little bit problematic wherever it occurs. Sure in our country it's much more difficult due to the absence of support from the state and complexities with financing of such projects as we were. The situation become crearer now in sound recording section only but in other ones the things are not well still. Thus the people out there who trying to create a band frequently surrender and the only obstinate ones survive.

The year 2004 stood out heavy for me. Except of various vital disorders I had to leave ASTROFAES, the band I given almost 9 years of my life for which. I told about the reasons in early interviews not at once. One from them was the absence of progress of records. Therefore the main thing I wished to achieve with KHORS is more quialitable production of debut album. It was possible to us to a certain extent. I can't say that there was European level record but it was definitely a step further for us living here in Ukraine in 2004 having considering all the problems that's surrounding us.

Zero Tolerance: Though there is a distinct vibe to Khors, there are definite points of reference, such as the frigidity of Khold, the clean production and mysticism of Tiamat's Wildhoney, and the lush acoustic work of Borknagar. What bands and artists inspired you to move in this direction after the demise of Astrofaes?

Khorus: It's hard to say what exactly has affected us more. Perhaps it's KHOLD, TIAMAT, BORKNAGAR. We really like their music. Probably it's still such bands as KATATONIA, GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT, ARCTURUS and a lot of other music. We don't try to be similar to someone but just we're trying to play the music we like during the certain moment. Thus the albums of ours are different enough though between them are no big time.

Zero Tolerance: How do you see the band as having grown lyrically and musically since The Flame Of Eternity's Decline?

Khorus: No lyrics seriously changed from the first album times cause private world outlooks of mine and Helg haven't strongly changed. As for the music in the first album we'd like to have the most furious and powerful component. The music became more softer on "Cold" album and "Mysticism" continues a direction of the second album having turned it in more mysreious and atmosperic side.

Zero Tolerance: Though your lyricism was always and remains cloaked in pagan pride and the primordial beauty of nature, you've as a band shied away from affiliating yourselves with any sort of political agenda. I'm sure you've still had to deal with those who seek to put everything into a nice little box so it can be easily labeled and then ignored. It's almost like you can't say the words "tree", "forest", or "battle" in the same song without having to answer your share of accusations. I find it strange and pathetic that in the US and UK, the term "right wing" means the exact opposite of what it does in much of Europe.

Khorus: In my opinion the problem proceeds from very small side passing between Pagan BM and NSBM. Journalists and listeners frequently put the bands in the frameworks which they want to see the bands in. As the result the labels sticked on that's difficult to break off from itself further. Sometimes we are under incorrect treatments that a little bit irritates me and it stirs. It's hard for me to see what the reason it's near us but it's the fact and it's definitely hard to struggle with it but senseless in more degree. Concepts of Pagan and Patriotism are deformed and politized now a lot and it's incorrectly and silly. We will always support various Pagan and Patriotic sentiments but we'll never become a part of any politic force, the false and dirty that the events in our country in 2004 confirmed once again when all the Ukrainian people was deceived by politicans.

As for Europe and their relation to the right forces then it's logically enough. After the II WW the relations to swastika and other similar symbols is obvious though it's just a sign of the sun harmless enough and having not bearing any political initially besides. The concern In US and UK much easier to this question but negative still.

Zero Tolerance: On the tour for Cold, you played with a few well-known bands who've been at this for seemingly ages. What did you learn from acts such as Samael and Behemoth when it comes to touring, and the balance of recording with delivering a quality show every night of a tour? Now that you've completed that conquest, do you see more tours in your future?

Khorus: Sure it was very pleasant for us to play together with such bands as SAMAEL, BEHEMOTH, CYNIC, MOONSPELL. They are great masters and adequate people. One can take a lot from them to increase of own level. It was hard to combine record session and shows but it reflected on recording which was tightening in time more and more. We've already played some shows in support of "Mysticism" here in Ukraine. In May we're going to play some shows in Russia and in July our performance is planned on Pro-Rock fest (Kiev, UA) where such headliners are expected as ARCH ENEMY, VADER, CARCASS, SODOM and many other great bands.

Zero Tolerance: How did you come into contact with Paragon Records?

Khorus: It was ordinary enough. We've written many emails with the offer to release our new album having preliminary uploaded some promo tracks on our myspase. Jim from Paragon Records replied that he's interested in the edition.

We've co-ordinated all the conditions further all the things gone by standard scheme of product's distribution.

It's not a secret that were also other offers for "Mysticism" release but I consider that out choise is right and all the things goe remarkably now!

Zero Tolerance: On to Mysticism, you move further into the crafting of soundscapes that you began with Cold. Was this simply a natural outgrowth of inspiration, or did you feel you hadn't said all you can say within the framework you'd begin building with your previous album?

Khorus: With “Mysticism” we've expended even more frameworks of the previous album. The new album sounds softer, more melodious and more various than “Cold”. Atmosphere became mysterious, much deeper and more romantic in some ways. It is really natural way for us at the given stage but don’t be surprised if we’ll sound a little bit harder and brutal further ha-ha!

Zero Tolerance: Michael "Maiden" Smirnoff of Russian stalwarts Mental Home contributed to TFOED as an engineer, but lends his clear vocals to Mysticism. What do you feel his work brought to the album that would've been missing otherwise?

Khorus: ‘Maiden’ is very talented musician and sound engineer. I knew about his vocal talent for a long time but clear voice was not in concept of previous albums so ‘Maiden’ carried out other functions. On “The Flame…” and “Cold” he’s been occupied completely by mixing and mastering but on “Mysticism” only by record of some instruments.

Zero Tolerance: There are 3 guitarists featured on the album, which assuredly gives Mysticism a full, rich sound, and one that's missing from far more albums than it should be these days. How does this dynamic influence the songwriting within the band? I'm sure it gives you options you wouldn't otherwise have when in the compositional phase of your music.

Khorus: Presence of 3 guitarists’ allowed us to make more sated arrangements of songs as studio guitarist Wortherax embodied our ideas in concrete result. But line-up was same and on “Cold” record so the primary stuff written by Helg and me has affected on the result as well as our desire to make “Mysticism” unusual and versatile enough.

Zero Tolerance: How important is artwork as far as conveying a visual representation of a Khors album?

Khorus: CD artworks and layout has huge value and we approach to it with special care. Visual component should transfer the very atmosphere and mood we pawn in our lyrics and music. I should note our designer Sir Gorgoroth thanks to whom the layout of our albums has so qualitative appearance.

Zero Tolerance: How much of a song do you demo at home before bringing it to the rest of the band to flesh out?

Khorus: There is no unique scheme of a song writing. Sometimes one of us bring whole song and we make arrangement only but sometimes the only one riff’s creating and we build other song parts based on it. Some riffs or/and song fragments are throwing away during the process of song’s creation.

Zero Tolerance: What does the coming year hold for Khors?

Khorus: We have some concert plans as well as releases of LP and MC versions of our albums.

Cerebral Metalhead "Mysticism"

Khors — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism (Paragon Records, 2008)

Doesn't that giant eye on the cover of Mysticism make you want to poke it? Youch! I sort of want to poke Khors's session keyboardist Saturious, too, and not in the "friendly" or "euphemism for sex" or "pointless Facebook utility" way. More in the "stop pretending you're in Duran Duran" way. Seriously, some of the horrid synth sounds deployed on the Ukrainian pagan metal band's third album could have soundtracked the love scene in Top Gun. Subtract the heavy guitar parts from "Red Mirrors" and the song could be marketed to goths as bathtub music.

Khors — "In the Cold Embrace of Mist"
Khors — "Red Mirrors"

Those overbearing atmospherics detract from what would otherwise be a palatable, if unremarkable, pagan progressive black metal album. Helg's chest-beating growls and the band's clear, sonorous chords remind of mid-period Katatonia or Daylight Dies if they dropped the depression and interesting chord progressions. Khors layer simple, clear chords with acoustic picking and electric leads -- a big textured sound, perhaps an evocation of the forests of myth that Helg sings about ("Ancient forest falls asleep / And the wolves, they gently weep/ Doleful songs to lonely moon/ And the winter’s coming soon"). The lack of dissonance or variation in Khors's downcast tone means that the album feels less compelling as it goes on. A search for danger, risk, even memorable songwriting comes up short, with just that sumptuous atmosphere carrying over after Mysticism rolls through the forest.

→ http://www.cerebralmetalhead.com/2009/03/khors-mysticism-paragon-records-2008.html

Heavy Music "Mysticism"

Khors — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:13:00 +0000

Khors «Mysticism»

Год издания: 2008
Стиль: Atmospheric Black Metal
Лейбл: Paragon Records

Под самый Новый Год киевская команда Khors, состоящая из бывших музыкантов Nokturnal Mortum выпустила свой уже третий альбом. Да, музыка поменялась очень сильно и неожиданно. Вместо немного сыроватого холодного блэка первых релизов теперь мы слышим очень спокойный, размеренный блэк-метал, практически полуакустический, немного придумованный и безумно красивый и мягкий. Нет никакой агрессии, только созерцание и действительно некая мистика, которой пропитан каждый звук, каждый перебор и рифф гитары, каждая нотка пиано. Много шёпота, красивый чистый вокал, приятный низкий скрим, превосходный звук и очень спокойная даже в скоростных моментах музыка – настоящий мистический блэк. Шикарная работа, и, пожалуй, у нас такого ещё никто не делал! Оригинально, душевно, очень качественно! Так что ничего удивительного, что такие группы стали выходить на заграничных лейблах, в данном случае – американском…

→ http://www.heavymusic.ru/review/1219/khors-mysticism/

Lords Of Metal "Mysticism"

Khors — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:13:00 +0000

Roel de Haan: The Ukrainian’s Khors third album: ‘Mysticism’ is a rather positive surprise. Don’t expect sharp edges or high speeds, this is very atmospheric black metal with a laid-back attitude. Aggression isn’t really present but that doesn’t devaluate this album since it wasn’t meant to be, presumably.

With ‘Mysticism’ you have a record to dream away with. Usually slow to mid tempo music with the distortion quite often turned off, making room for prog-like solos and moody passages. Very relaxing. This is black metal for the times you don’t feel like being the misanthrope for a while.

Rating: 81/100

→ http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=13481&lang=en

Black Terror Metal "Mysticism"

Khors — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 11:13:00 +0000

Khors — Mysticism

Terzo album per questa sempre valida band ucraina, la quale inizialmente sembrava destinata ad essere uno dei tanti side project che vedeva coinvolti membri di Astrofaes e Nokturnal Mortum.
Con il tempo pero la band ha acquistato sempre piu personalita, continuando a crescere come entita distinta e affiatata. Del resto i musicisti coinvolti in questo progetto sono di quanto meglio oggi la scena ucraina puo offrire, visto che provengono dalle band principali del loro paese.
“Mysticism” non tradisce le attese dei loro fan, di quelli che avevano apprezzato i primi due lavoro, anche se in questo disco la band evidenzia in modo piu marcato la propria doppia personalita, fra la melodia ed il patos epico di certi passaggi e la ruvidezza delle chitarre che emerge in altri frangenti.
La tastiera e un elemento importante, minimale ma avvolgente, quasi a creare quelle atmosfere sognanti che hanno un po’ caratterizzato alcuni lavori dei Nokturnal Mortum, L’utilizzo di lunghi fraseggi chitarristici, di raffinati assoli di chitarra, ci riporta inevitabilmente alla mente i Lord Belial. Ma i Khors vanno oltre, con passaggi che poco hanno a che vedere con il black metal e piu con il metal pagano piu impegnato (Primordial ad esempio).
Insomma si tratta di un disco che viaggia sapientemente su due binari per mezzo di un alternarsi di momenti piu aggressivi ed altri solamente riflessivi, in cui le chitarre black metal scompaiono, per lasciare spazio ad un pianoforte e delle voci sussurrate.
“Mysticism” non e un disco per oltranzisti, bensi un’opera che va gustata con una certa apertura mentale, possibilmente soli, in cuffie, per lasciarsi trasportare nel malinconico e misterioso viaggio in cui ci conducono i Khors.

→ http://www.blackterrormetal.com/site/modules.php?name=MReviews&op=show&rid=2475

Blazing "The Flame Of Eternity's Decline"

Khors — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:13:00 +0000

https://www.blazing.ws/shop/khors-the-flame-of-eternitys-decline-cd-pri-788.html?reviews_id=35&osCsid=760df1d93dd0d786c84b6e1d5122fd84

by Brian Suhr Date Added: Thursday 19 March, 2009

First full length of Ukrainian Heathen BM. This has folkish parts and some synth atmosphere at times but mostly just raw, hateful black metal. If you don't have this already, you are missing out some killer heathen BM.

Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!]

Hateful Metal "Mysticism"

Khors — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:13:00 +0000

KHORS — MYSTICISM 2008 PARAGON RECORDS

Khors ist eine ukrainische Band, die sich aus Musikern rekrutiert, die unter anderem in recht bekannten Gruppen wie Astrofaes, Hate Forest, Nokturnal Mortum oder Runes of Dianceht spielen oder gespielt haben. Mysticism ist bereits das dritte Album und enthalt atmospharischen Black Metal, der bisweilen regelrecht romantische und idyllische Zuge aufweist. Interessanterweise erinnert der Gesang von Khors stark an den von Drudkh. Die einzige echte Gemeinsamkeit allerdings ist das Herkunftsland. Khors’ Gesang ist also nur minimal verzerrt, dafur rau bis heiser und kehlig. Mir gefallt es, zumal der Gesang gut zur atmospharischen und ruhigen Instrumentalisierung passt. Dabei zieht Khors alle Register und so sind akustische Gitarren, klare melodische Soli, dezente Keyboardarrangements als auch klare Gesange zu horen. Hier und da wird der Metal komplett weggelassen, so dass sehr ruhige und beschauliche Musik zu horen ist, die dann eben idyllisch und romantisch klingt. Es ist nicht schlecht, zumal Khors diese Parts kitschfrei gestaltet hat und sich das Ganze glucklicherweise nicht nach nervendem Pagan Gedons anhort. Vielmehr sind diese klaren Parts schone und ruhige Zwischenstucke, die dem ohnehin schon atmospharischen Black Metal zusatzlich einen sanften Charakter verleihen.

Obwohl alles Hand und Fu? hat und Khors trotz aller Melodik und Atmosphare auf zu melodische oder aufheiternde Elemente verzichtet, ist mir Mysticism auf die Dauer dennoch zu gediegen und lieblich. Ich vermisse etwas Machtiges und Druckvolles in der Musik. Ein wenig davon lasst sich im Titelstuck erahnen. Es ist zwar langsam und melodisch, doch besitzt das Lied zuweilen kraftvolle Riffs und einen gleichfalls auffordernden, kraftigen Gesang.

Mysticism ist ein gutes Album, da es trotz aller Melodik und Atmosphare zu keinem Zeitpunkt zu verspielt oder aufgesetzt wirkt und „frohliche“ Pagan-Elemente fehlen. Zudem konnen die klaren als auch die metallischen Parts fur sich genommen uberzeugen. Wer atmospharischen Black Metal mag, der sollte Mysticism in jedem Fall probieren. Mir personlich ist es allerdings einfach zu ruhig auf die Dauer, obgleich ich die musikalischen Qualitaten von Khors anerkenne. Ein wenig wirkt Khors auf mich wie eine lieblichere Drudkh-Variante. Und das kann schon mal gar nicht verkehrt sein.

7/10
Aceust

→ http://www.hateful-metal.de/magazin/khors_mysticism.html