DESCRIPTION:
Holy Blood leader Fedor Buzilevich (Fedorholyblood) approved this video as well as Holy Blood's.

Band: Evroklidon
Home: Kiev, Ukraine
Style: Black Metal
Similar Bands: Holy Blood, Slechtvalk, Oskord (Christian), Burzum, Darkthrone (Secular)
Lyrical Themes: Christianity, Hell, Salvation
Years Active: 2003 to unknown - on hold

CD Discography:
"The Flame of Sodom" 2006

"The Flame of Sodom" track listing:

1. Intro 2:24
2. Devilish Beast in the Eternal Fire 4:45
3. Legends of Old Men -- Wisdom of Ancient 8:40
4. The Flames of Sodom 6:58
5. Funeral of a Dead Soul 10:26
6. Spiritual Battle 9:28

On "The Flame of Sodom", Evroklidon were:
Artyom Stupak ("Artaaroth") - vocals, guitar, bass
Vadim Fed'ko ("Rain") - drums
Additional instruments unknown. (Fedor?)

BAND INFO:

A completely different entity from the Ukraine's fellow warriors of Christ - Holy Blood, who Artyom Stupak was once a member of - Evroklidon takes pride in playing truly underground black metal, though still showing the traces of Holy Blood in folk segments, softly sung clean vocals and the occasional keyboards. They tend to adhere to typical standards of the genre - guitar-focused, often long compositions with little technicality whatsoever, shrieking vocals, freezing atmosphere and intensive underground image; Evroklidon thrive on several interesting elements that are mixed into this traditional black metal sound.

It is not the notes Artyom chooses, but the order he puts them together, that create the atmosphere in this album; this order, intricately woven into the black metal, reflects Evroklidon's Ukrainian origins. The other instruments are almost strictly in support of this: Vadim Fed'ko displays quite impressive speed, in that he makes his performances sound quicker than they actually are, but keeps his fills simple and driving. The bass fills in the bass end of the production which is usually missing in black metal; even when it follows the guitars, there is an audibly syncopated style that could be one of those subtle folk influences: notice the second clip.

This band is not afraid to slow the tempos down, sometimes for brief segments of clean guitar picking or folk elements such as flute, or for their most telling element -- a more threatening, doomy atmosphere throughout the whole album. Artyom's guitar tone is trebly but not overly so, maintaining both the icy and doomy moods black metal is known for; his style of chording subtly shifts between different chromatic and minor scales, but occasionally major as well. Feel the temperature drop during the slow, two-minute intro with a Revelation reading in Russian superimposed; it is a chilling piece, especially if you can translate the reading. (More on this later.) The man's vocal performance deserves a mention in itself: his high, cold shrieking soars over the guitar work, sounding like Lord Voldemort with a head cold stuck inside a 10 lb. bag of ice (lol), while his fairly rare clean vocals are ghostly, very low-pitched and still displaying Evroklidon's cultural influence. This is the vocal style I've been looking for in black metal for a long time, since authentic BM atmosphere is hard to come by in un-kvlt bands.

The lyrical themes are often very serious, dealing with heavy themes such as the damnation of Satan, the utter annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah, and an observation of souls on their way to God's just judgment. Part of the album's success at portraying these themes, from classic to rather unexplored, comes from its almost relentlessly solemn mood: even the clean guitar picking between the title track's unstoppable juggernauts of brutality paints the picture of looking at the destroyed twin cities. Continuity of mood and tone is a subtle element of traditional black metal that is often neglected, pointing towards Evroklidon's mastery of execution.

"The Flame of Sodom" did not resonate with me for a few listens because I could not adjust to the demands this style puts on a listener, even if I am experienced with moods in post-metal. Evroklidon figured out how to make such subtle, tiny alterations as to give themselves an identity, a distinct atmospheric style and a unique imprint without losing the plot of their chosen genre, successfully proving the vitality of Christian bands in the black metal scene. All lyrics are in Russian and are often indecipherable anyways, completing the picture: this is the definitive album for their defense.