For the third time in Romania, the band Ildaruni perform on stage at Psychosounds Festival 2024. This occasion was my first time to hear their material, as I allowed myself to be surprised and it was a very pleasant one.
Although I’m not a listener of the genre, Ildaruni left a very positive impression on me at Psychosounds Festival with their piercing black metal, blended with Armenian folk elements and diverse musical passages. Their performance was an enticing surprise, especially since I’m not a typical black metal fan, largely due to the vocal style.
However, this time was different. The vocals had a different tone compared to the typical shrieking vocals in black metal.
Moreover, compared to the black metal I’m familiar with, I was particularly struck by Ildaruni’s instrumental work. I was especially moved by the shifts between intense passages (occasionally laced with sharp dissonances) and the more spacious sections, which seem to offer a breath of fresh air that precedes the fierce storm ahead.
We delved deeper into their stylistic influences, creative vision, and other experiences in the interview they had with Thrash Metal Lyrics Read.
Naturally, we also discussed the meaning behind the band’s lyrics, which largely present the history of the ancient Urartian people (ancient inhabitants around today’s Armenian territories), mainly in the form of a legend.
Among the songs performed at Quantic, I chose ‘Treading the Path of Cryptic Wisdom’ as the one that best represents the struggles of the Urartian kingdom (the geographical predecessor of today’s Armenia), presented in the form of a legend.
When Ildaruni performed on stage at Psychosounds Festival, even I, as a non-listener of black metal was impressed!
This was Ildaruni on stage at Psychosounds Festival 2024, performing Arakha:
Their lyrics conveyed the following to me:
Devine descendants of thunderous highlands – ai munților furtunoși (e.n. urartian people)
Rising as unbreakable walls from shadows undone – (e.n. freed from darkness)
Carved upon it’s slopes
Their kings’ eternal legacy
Along the coast of Arces
Cradle of the mighty throne – (e.n. the scene is set near the Sea of Arces – currently known as Lake Van)
Haldine ushtabe masine
Shuri karune ashur
Ishtidi ulhudi
Ninven qaapqa rulini – (e.n. lyrics written in ancient languages, with no publicly available translation)
The hellish desert brought forth treacherous races of old – (e.n. the civilizations of the kingdom’s enemies)
For centuries remained the vow to eradicate (e.n. of the oppressors’ races)
Futile collisions left the Gods’ thirst unquenchеd – (e.n. the gods’ thirst of justice)
The highlanders’ judgment upon thе chosen castle
Haldi by thy will Thy sacred legacy – (e.n. the Urartians have authority over the castle by Haldi’s sacred will – Urartian warrior god)
Passed through ancient bloodlines to orontids (e.n. Orontid dynasty)
Theisheba by your holy will
United by blood, Brothers stood strong
All those who came to engrave their names
Called forth to ordain the decree of heliac
Legions of vengeance marched to the south
To carry out the ancient verdict – (n.r. by the will of Theisheba – the wheather god, warriors of multiple people form legions, marching under Heliac’s command, to be remembered)
Where scattered raged imposters were burnt by the sun
Pillars never fallen Ashur’s unyielding might
Raised on desecrated blood for ye revered Gods – (e.n. in Sud, the Assyrians were unable to defeat the Urartians, who stood like pillars in fromt of the Assyrian god Ashur itself, whose might was raised upon the sacrifices of desecrated Urartian blood)
Where boundless wisdom and scrolls remained untold
Instead vain shrines of concept stood boldly tall
612 brought forth Haldi’s relentless wrath –( e.n. 612 B.C. was the year when Haldi – the national god of Urartu – unleashed its wrath when lies overshadowed the boundless ancient wisdom with impertinence)
Glorious ninveh in embers
Engulfed in shivini’s flames – (e.n. the Urartian army, along the allied people have burnt the Assyrian capital down)
Immortal arrasins tread the path of cryptic wisdom
This review does not constitute an absolute truth and is written from the perspective of a drummer and lyricist with more than 8 years of experience, who mainly approaches and prefers modern subgenres of metal with various stylistic influences and complex lyrics.
Robert (Igor) Bencze
Thrash Editor la THRASH METAL LYRICS READ
Nota redacției: Articolul în limba română îl puteți accesa aici:
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