Artist: Silent Stream Of Godless Elegy
Title: Návaz
Type: Album
Label: Season of Mist

This is a band you could have easily forgotten all about as they have not released an album since 2004 and only an EP since then and they do not exactly come from the cosmopolitan metal capital of the world, hailing as they do from Moravia in the Czech Republic. Although I have heard them before and went looking for previous promos I drew a frustrating blank which makes comparing and contrasting what they have done prior to this a bit tricky, what I can say though is that I instantly fell for Návaz the second I gave it a spin. Describing SSOGE is not that simple, folk is one word that can be used but not in any of that hey-nonny-nonny sense or waving swords or battle axes, this is more to do with the use of traditional instruments and this album has a wealth of rich and intriguing sounds in it mainly due to violin, violoncello and the gorgeous dulcimer. The folk idea is also heavily apparent from the feel and vibe of the music, it is rich and very natural, inspired by the sounds of the forest and those who live and travel within its environment as far as my imagination is concerned listening to this.

As we start (and I am using the English titles to tracks here) at ‘Join’ we are instantly spellbound by the elfin voice of Hanka Nogolova. Although singing in natural tongue she reminds a bit of several vocalists as we go further into the album; a bit of Siouxsie, a hefty splash of Liz Frazer and a touch of Bjork and her voice is pretty fabulous with it. Adding to this we have the more austere and guttural Pavel "Hrnec" Hrncir and around these vocals the instrumentation, somewhat calmly on the first number, twists and turns. I am reminded a little of the recent Atrocity album here and there is a very ethnic feel to this, speaking of which next up is a song translated as ‘Earth Mother.’ The drums thump in and then the violin clamours away and although it’s a bit of a cop out mentioning Dornenreich every time a band uses this instrument it really does sound similar here and as the vocals babble away it is like them getting it on with The Cocteau Twins. Use of dulcimer really gives next track ‘Golden Head’ a distinct flavour, it reminds of horses racing over a Siberian landscape and has a very Christmassy feel to it, combined with the vocals this really does have you thinking of a renegade gypsy commune having a sing along fuelled by shots of home distilled vodka around the campfire. There is something about Stava (no English title) which has me thinking it is a traditional song beefed up by the band. If it is, this is a rousing rendition and one of the most infectious parts of the album. Occasionally the band do get fired up to give a thumping passage for you to pound along too, the traditional instruments just charge these along and give them greater vigour and it sounds like Pavel enjoys being let off the reins to unleash some growling vocals.

Návaz is a gorgeous and passionate album and not the sort of work one would expect from a band with two members in their ranks who also play in a group called Diarrhoea! It’s a perfect winter album too and as the snow outside continues to fall this provides a lush chilling soundtrack to the icebound weather.

http://www.myspace.com/ssoge