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"

Post Mortem - "Infandum Renovare Dolorem" [2008]

Artist: Пост Мортем

Title: Infandum Renovare Dolorem

Genre: Horrorcore, "Macabre Rap"

Country: Kazakhstan
Year: 2008

Track List:

1. Corpus Vile
2. Danse Macabre
3. Mansio De Mortis
4. Infanticidium
5. Lucio Fulci
6. Nidus Penes Morbus
7. Hora Somni
8. Angelus De Letum
9. Opus Dei
10. Requiescat In Pace
11. Habeas Corpus
12. Absque Turpe
13. Dolor Modus

Пост Мортем (or Post Mortem, if you wish) are a russophone rap trio from Kazakhstan, consisting of Alibek "Dr. Fulci" Jusip, Maxat "AzRaiL" Bekes and Evgeniy "j0nny" Postebailo. Their lyrical themes have been described as: "infanticide, dismemberment, slavery, hate, genocide, drug abuse, paranoia, rape, war, torture, terminal illness, child abuse, domestic violence and religion (or lack thereof)" [and Lucio Fulci's movies, I must add]. To put it in short, it's rap with death metal lyrics & imagery. The subgenre of rap music which typically employs such lyrical themes is known as "horrorcore", but the members of Post Mortem don't like this term, preferring their music to be called "macabre rap" instead.

Another, much more well-known horror rapper who dislikes the term "horrorcore" (and prefers to use "death rap" instead) is Necro, of whom I was a fan for a long time, but I always thought it takes a native (or close-to-native) English speaker to fully enjoy Necro's lyrics. And how we have a hip-hop act which is nearly as good as Necro, and raps in my language. Isn't is great? While I normally prefer metal to rap by a wide margin, it's much easier for me to relate to this kind of rap than to the majority of generic death metal. Of course this album isn't a masterpice, but it's infinitely better than almost all the cRAP produced by the post-USSR hip-hop scene. "Infanticidium" is easily the best track on the whole album, and as someone has rightfully said, "that track should be aired on TV as it's a way superior alternative for all these shitty reality shows".

 

"Infandum Renovare Dolorem" is Пост Мортем's second and the last (and, in my opinion, the best) album. Their debut album "Macabre" isn't bad too, but it's more straightforward Necro worship, with some experiments with death metal which I personally didn't like that much. Their 2012 EP isn't bad either, but this more experimental than their early works, and the lyrics are less explicit. Sadly they haven't released anything in the last couple of years, although the debut solo album of Dr. Fulci is expected to be out on 31st of March.

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Ulytau - "Jumyr Kylysh" [2006]

Artist: Ұлытау

Title: Жұмыр қылыш

Genre: Folk-Rock/Metal

Country: Kazakhstan
Year: 2006

Track List:

1. Адай
2. Зима (Времена года)
3. Күрішшілер биі
4. Жұмыр-Қылыш
5. Токката и фуга
6. Ата Толғауы
7. Түрік маршы
8. Терісқақпай
9. Көкіл

One more Asian band which plays instrumental cover versions of folk songs as well as European classical compositions. While it has some metal riffs, in general it's hardly metal. Overall it's a pretty interesting work, even if it has some pop and electronic elements which doesn't really suit this kind of music.

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