Deviator are a project from Ukraine around Dmitry ‘Lord Hastner’ Kundelski. As from 2007, there were quite some releases (demos, some contributions to splits, some singles / EPs, and two full lengths; compilations and this specific album not included). A couple of months ago, I wrote a review for the compilation To Forgotten Path – Triumph Of The Will, published on October 11th 2014, released via Pesttanz Klangschmiede. But the last ‘real’ full length release dates from 2012, actually. That album, Fehu Fohat Fire, saw the light on August 22nd via Depressive Illusions Records and Kundalini Productions, re-released somewhat later via Cold Northern Blood and Vacula Productions. In July 2014 this material was released digitally too, once again via Depressive Illusions Records, as well as on cassette (at the end of September 2014) via Werewolf Promotion.
This six-tracker, which lasts for half an hour, was recorded at the Emperor Records Studio, whose owner, Valentin, did all bass parts on this album, as well as some solos and the final mastering. Three of those six tracks made it to the To Forgotten Path – Triumph Of The Will-compilation, by the way, and I guess it were (some of) the best pieces on that compilation.
Actually, I was not that enormously enthusiastic about the compiled material, but that is completely different when talking (writing) about Fehu Fohat Fire. Actually, my sole concern is the length of this album, which is way too short with its thirty minutes of duration. There is a concept behind, comparing the human entity / identity with its place in the eternity of the Universe. Which force are we in that endless evolution? With this six-tracker, we will search for answers… ‘this album has a mission to elucidate the supreme human nature of the inner self as glorification of the Eternal Universal Fire which is the driving force of the life and evolution in the whole world. The Universe is Eternal…’; check out the artwork and you’ll get it… Note: the lyrics are in Ukrainian…
Fehu Fohat Fire starts with the introspective Neo-Classical (instrumental) introduction Long Road To Salvation, based on piano specifically. Then starts the ‘real’ expression of Deviator’s raison d’être, bringing a sick, ugly, little distorted form of Black / Death Metal. It’s quite a rough execution (the production too is very raw and distorted, maybe little under-produced and somewhat badly mixed, but I cannot care that much; you shouldn’t bother either…), which gives this heavy, pounding, guitar-driven material quite an obscure atmosphere, a symbiosis of heather pride, misanthropy and occult ritualism. There is quite some variety in speed, with both slower and faster pieces, yet the focus lies on slow- to mid-tempo melodies with a firm rhythm structure. Besides, the variation in general is pretty nice, without lacking cohesion. The acoustic intermezzo in Way Of Warriors – Hymn To Immortals, for example, gives this specific track that little ‘more’ (and so are, of course, those haunting-spoken words too). The very same goes for the short yet very cold introduction to Eternity Of Blood, which comes with an almost bathorian epic pride. But the last song, Burning Bridges Become Ashes, for sure is the highlight of the album, while being the heaviest and most brutal piece on Fehu Fohat Fire, yet without losing its glorious heathen basic structures.
Nice too is the cover song My Thoughts… They Have No Rest, originally from Winter Depression’s debut album (I heard Winter Depression have put to rest???), when this Ukrainian act was still performing instrumental stuff only.