ĽAHKA MUZA – „V Zablesku Vecnosti“ / In a Flash of Eternity (Dangus)

This is Ľahka Muza`s (who come from Slovakia) fifth album and is a powerful and stirring release. Liking singer Gudrun`s voice to that of Diamanda Galas might be a cliched comparison but in its use, range and power there is a striking similarity (there is also visual similarity between two singers as well...). The only other singer I would draw a comparison with is Ataraxia`s Francesca Nicoli. The music is equally compelling with again certain parallels to Ataraxia`s harsher material, although Ľahka Muza have more contemporary , more metal edge to them. Both bands however revel in the freedom and creative directions that expressive music can take them. The lyrics are all in Slovakian (I assume – certainly not English anyway) though the song titles are translated into English on the cover. Apparently they are largely inspired by a paganist approach to the natural powers and delights of the elements, and presented in a Taoist poetry style – i.e. without rhyming couples or traditional song structures. If you want an image with which to imagine what this music sounds like, and it is as much a visual and aural experience, then picture an Ancient European dark goddess standing on a mountain top summoning the power of the mountains and thunder to materialize around her in homage to the bleak beauty of a post-apocalypse morning!