From the moment you start contemplating the medieval icon on the cover of „Litourgiya“, listening to the introducing chants of "Ектения I: Очищение“, BATUSHKA take you on a torch-lit procession to a hidden, long forgotten place. All of a sudden, you find yourself in some ancient monastery, surrounded by cloaked figures performing strange invocation rites with utter graveness without even taking notice of your presence. You don’t dare to move, barely allow yourself to breathe in the solemn atmosphere encompassing you. You just watch and hope no-one takes note of you. There’s an unmistakably sacral aura around the whole album percolating everything from the incredibly tasteful artwork to the absolutely unique sounding music. Blending sublime plainchant vocals into their otherwise pretty traditional sound, these name- and faceless Polish gentlemen (?) have certainly crafted one of the standout pieces of Black Metal art in recent months. Absolutely exceptional in every regard.

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