Tag Archives: vladimir “smerdulak” chebakov

Album Review – 1914 / Viribus Unitis (2025)

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Trench warfare meets blackened death and doom in 1914’s fourth onslaught of war-torn fury, tracing a timeline from 1914 to 1919 while painting a grim journey through the war’s rise, climax, and hollow aftermath.

Continuing their warpath forged with the albums Eschatology of War (2015), The Blind Leading the Blind (2018), and Where Fear and Weapons Meet (2021), Ukrainian Blackened Death/Doom Metal formation 1914 returns with unrelenting force on their fourth studio album, Viribus Unitis, which is Latin for “With United Forces,” a phrase chosen as a personal motto by the Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Joseph (1830-1916), reflecting the band’s resilience through war, loss, and upheaval, a powerful symbol of survival and solidarity. Recorded at Jenny Records, produced, mixed and mastered by Alexander Backlund and Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios, and displaying another obscure artwork by Vladimir ‘Smerdulak’ Chebakov, the new opus by k.u.k. Galizisches IR Nr.15, Gefreiter, Ditmar Kumarberg on vocals, K.K. LIR Czernowitz Nr.22 Oberleutnant, Witaly Wyhovsky and K.K. LIR Stanislau Nr.20 Zugsführer, Oleksa Fisiuk on the guitars, k.u.k. Galizisch-Bukowina’sches IR Nr.24, Feldwebel, Armen Howhannisjan on bass, and K.K. LIR. Lemberg Nr.19 Fähnrich, Rostislaw Potoplacht on drums builds on the band’s acclaimed conceptual approach, pushing even deeper into emotional and musical intensity. Continuing their chronicle of World War I, 1914 shift their focus slightly, from the raw portrayal of death and destruction to themes of camaraderie, endurance, and the emotional landscapes of those who endured the horrors. Told through real events and personal accounts of a Ukrainian soldier in the K.u.K. army, the album traces a timeline from 1914 to 1919, painting a grim journey through the war’s rise, climax, and hollow aftermath.

War In (The Beginning of the Fall) is one of the band’s trademark intros we love so much, taking us to the horrors of war in 1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl), a lecture in Death and Doom Metal led by the demented drums by Potoplacht while Kumarberg roars and screams like a demonic war god. In other words, the album couldn’t have started on a more visceral, demolishing vibe, which is also the case in 1915 (Easter Battle for the Zwinin Ridge), where once again it’s fantastic how the excerpts, samples and songs from World War I added to their music always sound creepy, while the guitars by Wyhovsky and Fisiuk bring the heavy artillery to their already ruthless sonority. The bombs are coming strong in 1916 (The Südtirol Offensive), an explosive, scathing tune by 1914 where their incendiary riffs and blast beats bring sheer doom to our blackened hearts; and they keep hammering our cranial skulls with their Blackened Doom magic in 1917 (The Isonzo Front), led by the pounding drums by Potoplacht.

Then investing in a pure Doom Metal sound we face 1918 Pt 1: WIA (Wounded in Action), and the result is beyond haunting, heavy and grim, with Kumarberg’s deep vociferations sending shivers down our spines, followed by 1918 Pt 2: POW (Prisoner of War), with guest vocals by Christopher Scott of Precious Death, making an infernal duet with Kumarberg while the rumbling bass by Howhannisjan and the drums by Potoplacht sound like a true bombing squad. The third part of such an imposing aria, 1918 Pt 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape), features guest vocals by Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride and High Parasite, and when you have a guest like that you know you’re in for a treat of absolute Doom Metal madness, with the striking riffage by Wyhovsky and Fisiuk penetrating deep inside our skin; flowing into the very emotional and dark 1919 (The Home Where I Died), overflowing melancholy with the deep clean vocals by guest Jerome Reuter of Rome walking hand in hand with the song’s somber piano, before all comes to an end (or not) in War Out (The End?), as cryptic and obscure as usual, putting a stunning conclusion to the album.

While their previous releases centered on the futility and finality of war, Viribus Unitis explores the human bonds forged under fire and the strength of those who returned, broken, changed, yet still alive, deepening their commitment to historical authenticity, both lyrically and conceptually. You can join 1914’s ranks on Facebook and on Instagram, staying up to date with their unparalleled live performances, subscribe to their YouTube channel, stream their warlike music on Spotify, and above all that, put your blood-soaked hands on Viribus Unitis by clicking HERE. In other words, trench warfare meets blackened death and doom in 1914’s fourth onslaught of war-torn fury, and you better get ready as those unstoppable Ukrainians want you to join them in the battlefield, for victory or death.

Best moments of the album: 1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl), 1916 (The Südtirol Offensive), 1918 Pt 1: WIA (Wounded in Action) and 1918 Pt 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape).

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. War In (The Beginning of the Fall) 1:30
2. 1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl) 4:48
3. 1915 (Easter Battle for the Zwinin Ridge) 9:14
4. 1916 (The Südtirol Offensive) 6:11
5. 1917 (The Isonzo Front) 6:34
6. 1918 Pt 1: WIA (Wounded in Action) 6:20
7. 1918 Pt 2: POW (Prisoner of War) 6:12
8. 1918 Pt 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape) 5:50
9. 1919 (The Home Where I Died) 7:07
10. War Out (The End?) 3:10

3-LP Gatefold Vinyl Marbled Cristallo/Gold/Deluxe Wooden Box Bonus Vinyl/Welcome to the Trench Club EP
1. War In 1:07
2. Die Karpathenschlacht (Rework 2025) 6:02
3. Die Karpathenschlacht (Ship Her Son RMX) 4:30
4. 8 × 50 mm R. Infanterie Repetiergewehr M.95 (Rework 2025) 7:29
5. 8 × 50 mm R. Infanterie Repetiergewehr M.95 (Kadaitcha RMX) 6:55
6. War Out 1:33

Band members
k.u.k. Galizisches IR Nr.15, Gefreiter, Ditmar Kumarberg – vocals
K.K. LIR Czernowitz Nr.22 Oberleutnant, Witaly Wyhovsky – guitar
K.K. LIR Stanislau Nr.20 Zugsführer, Oleksa Fisiuk – guitar
k.u.k. Galizisch-Bukowina’sches IR Nr.24, Feldwebel, Armen Howhannisjan – bass
K.K. LIR. Lemberg Nr.19 Fähnrich, Rostislaw Potoplacht – drums

Guest musicians
Christopher Scott – vocals on “1918 Pt 2: POW (Prisoner of War)”
Aaron Stainthorpe – vocals on “1918 Pt 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape)”
Jerome Reuter – vocals on “1919 (The Home Where I Died)”

Album Review – A Pretext To Human Suffering / Endless Cycle Of Suffering (2023)

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Tearing away the pitifully thin, obscuring skin of our reality, this multinational horde will crush your soul to the sound of their new album of first-class Technical and Brutal Death Metal.

Tearing away the pitifully thin, obscuring skin of our reality, revealing the rancid meat sculpture that is our dystopian present, United States/Canada/Mexico-based Technical/Brutal Death Metal act A Pretext To Human Suffering will crush your damned soul with their debut full-length album, entitled Endless Cycle Of Suffering, highly recommended for fans of Cryptopsy, Origin, Beneath The Massacre and Ingested, among others. Produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Floor van Kuijk at GLDCHN Studios, and displaying a sick artwork by Vladimir “Smerdulak” Chebakov and a sinister logo by Steve Crow of Malevolent Icons Logos, Endless Cycle Of Suffering compels us to confront the unending nightmare of our own existence, and the horror which we have labored to construct, all masterfully brought into being by Chris Mathis on vocals, guitar and drum programming, Beto Vipe and Wesley Van Hook also on the guitars, and Spencer Atkinson on bass.

The short and sweet intro Indoctrinated reminds us all we’re not free, exploding into sheer brutality and rage to the massive riffs by Chris, Beto and Wesley in Endless Cycle of Suffering, a psychological and absolutely somber metal attack by such demonic band. Chris keeps roaring manically in Architect of Reality, another infernal yet very technical Death Metal feast where it’s impressive how organic their programmed drums sound; followed by Hollow Sanctuary, heavy and groovy from the very first second with the bass lines by Spencer making our heads tremble. In Formless Collective we’re treated to wicked lyrics (“Pray to old gods / Altars of antiquity / Watch them die slow / Unleash their final form / Of existence / Cleanse of this virus / Wasting away / It is time to reap what weve sewn”) embraced by a demonic instrumental led by the demented riffage by Chris, Beto and Wesley; and taking their heaviness and insanity to a whole new level, Void sounds and feels almost pure Brutal Death Metal.

Then an atmospheric, sinister intro evolves into a very melodic sound in Toxic Dreams, showcasing inhumane, deep growls, strident riffs and fulminating blast beats, leaning towards the more technical and progressive side of Death Metal, whereas Shadow of Time follows a similar pattern as the previous song, with the band’s guitar triumvirate shredding their axes mercilessly. In Paradox the band once again pierces our minds with their caustic words (“Peripheral shadows move rapidly / The familiar feelings of lunacy / They keep calling-give into lunacy / Entranced and lost-I feel”) amidst a hurricane of demonic sounds, sounding amazing from start to finish; followed by their second to last blast of insanity, titled Clandestine, bringing forward more of Chris’ deep guttural and devilish screeches supported by the song’s Cannibal Corpse-like riffs. And lastly, it’s time to slam into the pit one final time like a maniac to the sound of Cult(ure), where once again the rumbling bass by Spencer sounds insanely heavy and metallic.

The demented sounds found in Endless Cycle Of Suffering can be appreciated in full on YouTube and on Spotify, and you can obviously purchase a copy of the album from the Realityfade Records’ BandCamp page or by clicking HERE. In addition, you can also show all your support to this multinational entity by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, and by subscribing to their YouTube channel. Be ready for when you hit play in Endless Cycle Of Suffering, because A Pretext To Human Suffering are not just coming to present you with a scenario of futility and despair; they are coming to ask you a question. What can be done, and what will you do?

Best moments of the album: Endless Cycle of Suffering, Formless Collective and Paradox.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Realityfade Records

Track listing
1. Indoctrinated 0:05
2. Endless Cycle of Suffering 3:50
3. Architect of Reality 2:32
4. Hollow Sanctuary 5:26
5. Formless Collective 2:56
6. Void 3:40
7. Toxic Dreams 1:24
8. Shadow of Time 2:55
9. Paradox 2:44
10. Clandestine 2:48
11. Cult(ure) 4:40

Band members
Chris Mathis – vocals, guitars, drum programming
Beto Vipe – guitars
Wesley Van Hook – guitars
Spencer Atkinson – bass

Album Review – 1914 / The Blind Leading the Blind (2018)

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It’s time to head into the battlefields of the Great War together with these talented and obstinate Blackened Death and Doom Metal infantrymen from Ukraine.

It’s time to head into the battlefields of World War I together with Ukranian Blackened Death/Doom Metal infantrymen 1914 and their brand new opus, the breathtaking The Blind Leading the Blind. World World I might not get explored as it should very often, as World War II typically overshadows it, but this Liviv-based squad, formed in 2014 at the 100th anniversary of World War I, makes a damn solid case for its historical significance (click HERE for an in-depth interview regarding the band’s ideology), with their unique and incendiary fusion of  Black, Death, Doom and even Sludge Metal being stomping, heavy-as-hell, therefore inspiring the strength and bravery within to march towards death.

Comprised of 2.Division, Infanterie-Regiment Nr.147, Oberleutnant – Ditmar Kumar on vocals, 37.Division, Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.73, Wachtmiester – Liam Fessen and 5.Division, Ulanen-Regiment Nr.3, Sergeanten – Vitalis Winkelhock on the guitars, 9.Division, Grenadier-Regiment Nr.7, Unteroffiziere – Armin von Heinessen on bass and 33.Division, 7.Thueringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr.96, Gefreite – Rusty Potoplacht on drums, 1914 pay homage to all that fell fighting the Great War, with their themes covering topics such as the Battle of Gallipoli (and the involvement of Ataturk), the Brusilovsky breakthrough, the Battle of Verdun and the gas attack at Ypres, not being political nor warmongers, but just telling the tales of war, injustice, fear, hopelessness and endless death as they happened. Featuring a deadly, lugubrious artwork by Czech artist Vladimir “Smerdulak” Chebakov, The Blind Leading the Blind is a precious gem of extreme music, positioning 1914 not only as one of the best underground metal bands of the current scene, but of the past decade without a shadow of a doubt.

War In is a beautiful, wicked and dark intro that takes us to the horrors of World War I, exploding into visceral Blackened Death Metal in Arrival. The Meuse-Argonne (inspired by the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the greatest American battle of the First World War, where in six weeks the AEF lost 26,277 killed and 95,786 wounded), led by the pulverizing drums by Rusty, while Ditmar roars the song’s lyrics manically (“Arrival / The Meuse-Argonne offensive started like clockwork / We planned to break through the Hindenburg line / I know what we are fighting for / Hopefully to end the war”), also bringing the most Stygian elements from classic Doom Metal. Then we have A7V Mephisto, a World War I German tank masterfully translated into a brutal and heavy tune where the entire band showcases their heavy artillery by blasting sheer obscurity inspired by old school Black Sabbath and Celtic Frost, in special Liam and Vitalis with their lethal riffs, but with a more demonic twist; followed by High Wood. 75 Acres of Hell, an infernal display of Black and Death Metal spearheaded by Ditmar’s growls while Armin and Rusty keep the ambience as dense and grim as possible with their respective instruments, displaying the battle for High Wood’s 75 acres, which started on July 14 and raged nearly continuously for 64 days, coming to be known as “The hell of High Wood” or “The rottenest place on the Western Front.”

Bagpipes ignite a sinister and pulverizing cover version for The Exploited’s all-time hit Beat The Bastards, sounding as rebellious and fun as the original version, but of course with a more metallic and crushing vibe, with highlights to the beautiful job done by both Liam and Vitalis with their hellish guitars. In the interesting bridge Hanging On The Barbed Wire, the infantry sings while marching under a heavy storm (“If you want to find the General, / I know where he is, / If you want to find the General, / I know where he is / He’s pinning another medal on his chest / I saw him, I saw him / Pinning another medal on his chest.”), setting the tone for the superb Passchenhell, a wordplay with The Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, a campaign of World War I fought by the Allies against the German Empire. Musically speaking, it’s another flawless display of Blackened Death Metal infused with Doom Metal nuances, also featuring the beyond special guest vocalist David Ingram (Benediction, Bolt Thrower, Just Before Dawn). Furthermore, Rusty is once again bestial on drums, whereas Ditmar together with David will haunt your soul with their demonic growling.

“Hello there, soldier! Ready to kill more Germans?” Those warlike words ignite a fantastic sonic havoc by 1914 titled C’est Mon Dernier Pigeon, leaning towards pure old school Black Metal, feeling and sounding as thunderous and menacing as possible and ending in the most demolishing way you can think of; followed by Stoßtrupp, the German word used to describe shock troops or assault troops created to lead an attack, where another eerie, obscure narration suddenly explodes into a darkened feast of Black and Death Metal tailored for cracking your neck headbanging, with Armin sounding vicious with his rumbling bass punches. Lastly, we have The Hundred Days Offensive, an Allied offensive that lasted from August 8 to November 11, 1918, ending World War I, and 1914 turned that battle into 10 minutes of first-class Blackened Death and Doom Metal where you can feel the horrors of the battlefield in the music, remaining very introspective, melancholic, and flowing infernally until the music morphs into the sensational and creepy outro War Out, the perfect ending to such brilliant album.

In summary, The Blind Leading the Blind, which by the way had as its official release date the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month (Central European Time), marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, is a must-have not only for admirers of Extreme Metal, but also for anyone who wants to learn more about World War I in a very unorthodox and exciting way. Available for purchase from the band’s own BandCamp page, as well as from the Archaic Sounds’ BandCamp page, from the Redifining Darkness Records’ BandCamp page, from iTunes and from Discogs, The Blind Leading the Blind definitely redefines the career of 1914, propelling them into a more-than-promising future. Having said that, don’t forget to follow them on Facebook, subscribe to their YouTube channel, grab your weapons and be prepared to face death in the battlegrounds of the Great War.

Best moments of the album: Arrival. The Meuse-Argonne, Beat The Bastards, Passchenhell and C’est Mon Dernier Pigeon.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2018 Archaic Sound/Redefining Darkness Records

Track listing
1. War In 1:14
2. Arrival. The Meuse-Argonne 6:20
3. A7V Mephisto 8:13
4. High Wood. 75 Acres of Hell 5:27
5. Beat The Bastards (The Exploited cover) 5:02
6. Hanging On The Barbed Wire 2:28
7. Passchenhell (feat. David Ingram) 7:01
8. C’est Mon Dernier Pigeon 5:22
9. Stoßtrupp 6:13
10. The Hundred Days Offensive 10:01
11. War Out 1:55

Band members
2.Division, Infanterie-Regiment Nr.147, Oberleutnant – Ditmar Kumar – vocals
37.Division, Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.73, Wachtmiester – Liam Fessen – guitar
5.Division, Ulanen-Regiment Nr.3, Sergeanten – Vitalis Winkelhock – guitar
9.Division, Grenadier-Regiment Nr.7, Unteroffiziere – Armin von Heinessen – bass
33.Division, 7.Thueringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr.96, Gefreite – Rusty Potoplacht – drums

Guest musician
David Ingram – vocals on “Passchenhell”