25 Best Metal Albums Of The Decade
8. Batushka - Litourgiya (2015)
The past 12 months have brought much infamy to Batushka's name, with former bandmates Kryzszstof Drabikowski and Bartlomiej Krysiuk clashing in a bitter ownership struggle over the band's name, resulting in both sides releasing lesser albums under the same banner. Drabikowski's effort, Panihida, is a good record that at least feels like the old Batushka, though even its greatest highs can't come close to the modern masterpiece he and Krysiuk dropped in 2015.
Melding black metal's fury with Russian liturgical chants, it's an ominous, spiritual powerhouse elevated way beyond gimmickry by absolutely nailing its atmosphere. There's a sense of majesty to every minute of this album, even when it's crushing down upon the listener, and with its echoing choirs, deep-throated chants, and heavy religious themes, it sounds like it belongs in the darkest church at the end of the world. Aesthetically, it is Ghost for grown-ups.
The whopping production packs series heft and the melodies are bright and bold, particularly on album highlight "(Ектения III: Премудрость (Litany III: Wisdom)," on which Batushka's true power is fully realised through deceptively simple composition. Yes, there are lots of different sonic elements in play here, but Litourgiya avoids pretension by refusing to marry them to over-complicated structures.