Besna formed in 2017 hails from Bratislava, Slovakia. A relevant fact as themes of both folklore and history serve as inspiration for their latest release. In addition to harkening to the past, they seek to balance such stories with more pressing modern issues such as societal stagnation and ecological collapse. Krásno, the band’s sophomore album, manages to showcase these ideals without delving into the typical cynicism that compatriots might be tempted to succumb to. Instead, it is a call to action, something triumphant and compelling.
Their exploration into these topics is showcased beautifully against a backdrop of contrasting brutal riffs, emotional vocals, and the well placed peaceful lulls in the instrumentals.
While post-black may be a touchy subject amongst the more elitist of fans, the genre regularly shows innovation and Besna is no exception. Krásno (meaning beauty in Slovakian) the album’s title track embodies the definition fully. There is an obvious comparison to genre forerunner Alcest to be seen here but, never so much as to lose their own identity.
On the other end of the spectrum, Bezhviezdna obhola returns to a more purist form of black metal. The vocals are punctuated well by tremolo picks a-many and a chaotic nature that leaves one wanting more. Something about this track in particular hints at familiarity without sameness.
The closing track Mesto spi, featuring Solipsism, is a perfect ending to an overall outstanding effort. It opens with a very slow atmospheric buildup before it crescendos into soaring guitars. The layers of craftsmanship are really what sells this song for me, every one seems to add a very necessary component for this sonic journey. While guest vocals can occasionally get lost in the mix of other elements here they add a depth of range.
In conclusion, this album took me on an adventure through emotion and emptiness. It connected in a way that transcended the language barrier and left me hungry for more. I will be waiting with bated breath for Besna’s next venture. Until then, please check out their album via their Bandcamp page and experience this roller coaster for yourselves.
