Split albums – content shared by two or more bands, as opposed to an album by one band that’s logistically divided into obvious sections – are effective ways to show off the firepower a label wields. But they can also act as a double-edged sword if one band categorically steals the show.

In this case, Church Road Records’ release featuring Wowod and Somn results in the latter blowing the former out of the water, in some regards. The Russian post-black metallers – Mikhail Kurochkin (bass, vocals), Tim Yusupov (drums), Oleg Salnikov (guitars) and Artem Selyugin (guitars, vocals) – grabbed their opportunity by the horns and use their three tracks to forcefully convince everyone to put Somn on their radars. 

Selyugin’s screams embolden the instruments. But that’s not a unique trope. It’s quite common, however that’s precisely why this instance is so notable: the apocalyptic wails set atop epic rhythm arrangements is nothing short of enthralling. It’s the crown jewel that gives post-black metal its eerie sheen. 

The pacing ebbs and flows from biting to fleeting, and the band doesn’t shy away from introducing spectral ambience (‘Dissolve’) to their arsenal. ‘Reform’ is a slow burning, cinematic masterstroke and presents a beautiful vibe in its subtle flair. It yearns for replays. It all comes back to inseparable chemistry shared between the vocals and the instruments. It might not seem so attention-grabbing initially, but repeated plays reveal Selyugin achieves a titillating ether and the accompanying guitars and drums are acting as one titanic entity.

Conversely, Wowod’s syllabus includes an emphasize on eerie, foreboding scenes. The blackened hardcore/post-metal five-piece (and fellow Russians) pen the soundtrack for leaving a bomb shelter months or even years following a nuclear holocaust (‘Обречение: Прелюдия’). The group dabbles in a pounding bass drum that devolves ‘Обречение: Часть 1’ into a funeral doom metal episode thanks to rising-from-the-dead growls. ‘Часть 2’ is cleaner, smoother, more delicate. A strong post-rock song bolstered by grainy guitars. 

It’s awfully problematic when Somn’s trifecta of fierceness sets the bar so toweringly high. Granted, it’s not a competition, and instead a display of the gargantuan projects Church Road has on hand. But Somn is undeniably near-perfect in their coordinated cacophony of cataclysmic atmosphere.

Bu the album here: https://bfan.link/WOSOSPLIT

8 / 10

MATT COOK