A work that expands the very concept of a music album, as its creators are Belarusian dissidents resisting the central government—whose actions (and stances) we are well aware of (though perhaps not in great depth…).
The new album Vyraj
Vyraj is their fourth release, following 2023’s The Land Under the Black Wings: Blood, but conceptually it stands apart from that album (part of a trilogy inspired by the band members’ homeland, which began with their 2016 debut, The Land Under the Black Wings: Swamp), and stands alongside their sophomore album Wormwood, in which the central theme was once again identified as catastrophe and its terrible consequences, tragically marked by the name of the city of Chernobyl.
Founding Dymna Lotva
Jauhien Charkasau (multi-instrumentalist and principal composer of DL) and singer Katsiaryna “Nokt Aeon” Mankevich founded the band in November 2015, when they learned of the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature to their compatriot Svetlana Alexandrovna Alexievich; that very same day, their first song, A Solitary Human Voice, was born—a track that quotes the words of Lyudmila Ignatenko, widow of Chernobyl Hero Vasily Ivanovich Ignatenko, whose deeds and death inspired the characterization of the protagonist in the famous HBO series titled Chernobyl.
“Dymna Lotva is not just a band”…
Dymna Lotva is not just a band, but a true resistance collective that, through its work, embodies the will of the Belarusian people (or at least a significant portion of them) to refuse to bow to dictatorship. Vyraj is divided into eight tracks that consolidate and refine the musical style the band has embraced since its debut. A form of black metal that expands into post-black metal by incorporating diverse elements aimed at creating a tragic and solemn narrative.
The guests on Vyraj
The cultural and social context in which Dymna Lotva (“Swamp in Smoke”) is set is therefore essential to understanding the quartet’s work. On Vyraj, the band features a large roster of guest artists, among whom we cannot fail to note High Parasite‘s Aaron Stainthorpe, on vocals for The Boat of Despair, a track that conveys immense pain. The fretless bass of Déhà from the Belgian band Wolvennest on Return to My Coffin Home to which Schreigarm’s Ingvarr contributes vocals. They weave themselves into the complex sonic tapestry crafted by the four core members, complementing their moods.
“The desire to return to their homes and families”
This post-black metal album attests to DL’s maturity, crafted by incorporating classical and symphonic elements, as well as those from the Belarusian tradition. The sense of looming anguish that characterizes these songs does not stem from an artificial pose, but rather from a genuine feeling they experience. The desire to return to their homes and families, and concern for what their friends and loved ones are going through. The origin of the cover artwork is particularly telling. It is a photograph taken by a group of friends depicting a detail of the cemetery in the hometown of singer Nokt Aeon’s ancestors, with the Perseid meteor shower streaking across the dark night sky in the background.
Tracklist
- Zory
- Veha
- Dymna Lotva feat. Aaron Stainthorpe – The Boat Of Despair
- Viedźmieragina
- Niama Darohi
- Bu Samoje
- Ustań Za Mianie
- Dymna Lotva feat. Ingvarr – Return My Coffin Home
Line Up
- Jaŭhien – Guitars, Bass
- Nokt – Vocals, Flute, Lyrics
- Mikita – Guitars (rhythm)
- Bocian – Drums