Batushka

The Polish band Batushka emerged somewhat mysteriously in late 2015 (the members' names weren't initially made public, though via some detective work the names were eventually deduced) with a debut album in Litourgiya. Their style is a potent cross of doom and black metal, interspersing black metal blastbeats with a more predominant doomdeath base, with the occasional post-metal ambient interlude thrown in for good measure. Vocally, there are some black shrieks but the predominant style (and unquestionably the band's selling point) is Gregorian-sounding choired chants, a vocal style that is not unheard of in metal but is rarely as front and center as it is here. These vocals lend a majestic, sombre air to the proceedings, making for quite the impact on the listener. They were picked up by Metal Blade Records in 2017, which would have certainly raised their visibility ...

... until it all fell apart in late 2018, with the two core members Bartlomiej and Kris both claiming to kick the other one out, and so both members are proceeding with separate bands named Batushka. As is usually the case with naming issues like this, the courts will eventually decide which (if either) will be considered the "real" Batushka moving forward. For now, the two new bands will be considered separate entities and will be known here as Batushka (Krysiuk) and Batushka (Drabikowski).

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Discography

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