Адаптация - "Так горит степь" [2005]

Artist: Адаптация
Title: Так горит степь
Genre: (Post-)Punk, Depressive Rock
Country: Kazakhstan
Release date: 2005

Track List: 

1. Пепел
2. Феодализм (Навсегда)
3. Голод
4. Так горит степь
5. Ноябрь в окно
6. Заметать следы
7. Иллюзия дней
8. Движется следом
9. Прошлого больше не будет
10. Про море
11. Золотой храм
12. Небо

Since I've mentioned Ermen Anti in my previous entry, it'd be timely to introduce my readers to the best work of his band that has left a big impression on me at the time (and I still consider it to be one of the best punk albums I've ever heard). Ermen "Anti" Erzhanov formed Adaptation in 1992 in aktobe, initially as a typical garage punk band, but their best releases from 2000s have less to do with classic punk and more with post-punk and ballad-oriented depressive rock (which would later be called "Russian doomer music"). Those albums made them the best known rock band from Kazakhstan and one of the best bands adjacent to the Siberian (post-)punk scene, which they weren't too far from geographically as well (although some critis compare them rather to the Moscow-based "Formation" post-punk scene instead). Later they've moved to St. Petersburg, and their sound became more polished but at the same time less interesting (same can be said about the lyrics that took the "literally 1984" direction when it comes to themes). While this album is heavily lyrics-oriented like most of Russian rock in general (with themes being more existential rather than social-critical like on their early albums), the music itself is also very enjoyable, especially if you're a fan of "Russian doomer"-like stuff (but there are enough of more energetic and angry punk songs as well):

Nazarbayev Terror Machine - "Б​​​а​​​қ​​​с​​​ы С​​​а​​​р​​​ы​​​н​​​ы" [2024]

Artist: Назарбаев Террор Машин (НТМ)
Title: Б​​​а​​​қ​​​с​​​ы С​​​а​​​р​​​ы​​​н​​​ы
Genre: Hardcore/Screamo(?)
Country: Kazakhstan
Release date: 2024

Track List: 

1. Бәдік
2. 40 (и один) чильтан
3. Терпение
4. Воля
5. Бақсы сарыны
6. Жуан сөз
7. Пикет
8. Толағай 

Continuing with the "weird punk" theme, here's a very unusual album from a country which I've visited around a month ago - Kazakhstan. Apart from Ermen Anti's projects, the Kazakh punk scene isn't big and/or well-known, so this band with a quite edgy name was an unexpected discovery to me. The album sounds quite different from pretty much anything tagged "hardcore/screamo" I've heard so far, and I think even the "folk rock" tag wouldn't be too unwarranted. The most distinguishing feature are the vocals ranging from spoken word/melodeclamation (in Kazakh with some bits of Russian) to screaming, and if you wonder what the lyrics are about, the release notes might give some explanation:

"Historically, in the face of catastrophe and danger, humans revert to their initial, primordial attitudes, sometimes not hesitating to find support in the realm of myth. Here, the cultural pattern that prevails at that moment becomes crucial. Will you reject humanity, surrender to instinct, and, tightly bound by the fight-or-flight mentality, forget about ethics, universal human values, and your own principles?
Glancing intently into the scorched steppe within, we call upon the goddess Umai, begging her to draw from the pitch darkness of primordial matter worthy reasons for continuing our journey.

The ancient Turkic peoples believed that strong gusts of wind were a manifestation of evil spirits and diseases. And then, somewhere in the distance, we can barely hear the faint chanting of a baksi (shaman). Repeating a spell (bәdіk), he mutters over the carcass of a gravely ill animal, which, in reality, turns out to be our society, reproducing indifference, short-sightedness, lack of empathy, and other components of the "banality of evil." 

Emerging from the depths of the sea, forty spirits (chiltany) hold a kurultai, wishing to assist the shaman and ease the plight of the unfortunate animal. Gathering his strength, the shaman greedily gulps in air and fills the steppe with his singing (baqsy saryny).

You find yourself on sweat-drenched sheets. The trembling has subsided, the fever has receded, the uncontrollable curses have ceased to flow from your lips. Apashka wipes your forehead with wet, cold gauze, gently rubbing in some remedy, and ingratiatingly whispers the legend of Tolagai, familiar to you from childhood, extolling duty and sacrifice. It seems like you've come full circle and are back to the very beginning, gradually forgetting the circumstances of that night, your visions, worries and nightmares"