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Reviews of "Heavenly Barrow":
English translation of the reviews from the Russian or German magazines and web-resources will be ready as soon as possible

"Neurozine" Music Magazine - 2003 (Sweden)

Twierdza Music Magazine - 2003 (Germany)

Metal Library - 2004 (Russia)

 

"Neurozine" Music Magazine - 2003 (Sweden)

Russian Nord 'n' Commander recently released their album Heavenly barrows, an album with an most different soundscape, it's not much of the pomposity that other bands might have. Instead they give us an very charming analogue soundscape. Built upon some beats, melodious vocals, some piano or strings and a guitar with hard treble overdrive, which gives us a little felleing of using a can for recordstudio. It's nice and it also offers some sing-a-long songs.

"Sonnenmensch" that initiates the album is very nice, and I feel my curiousity growing. It continues this way, it's charming and kind of sweet. In the end of "Listen to the evening" you can't help thinking if it is the simplicity of the songs that makes it quite good.

They are experimenting with different sounds, which makes the songs get a more individual brand, that i salways nice to hear. This Russian duo is something I'm getting more curious about, even though they're music isn't very dancefloor-friendly, but maybe with some more equipment and better recording possibilities, they can evolve alot.

Martin Wikstrom
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Twierdza Music Magazine - 2003 (Germany)
translated text (original text see below):

NORD'N'COMMANDER is not simply a band, no, it's a real phenomenon. This Russian duo could already make a positive impression on me with its preceding CD "Sacred Spear Aftersounds". And with this album "Heavenly Barrow" they've brought me into the state of real delight and inspiration. This masterpiece, released on the qualitative Swedish label "Irritum Records", breaks previous black metal influences and is concentrated, on the contrary, much more on quite recognizable Slavic folk element which is enriched by influences of typically Russian electro-pop music, also of Gothic and Electro. Then you begin to pay more attention to electro-guitars which sound very originally in the NORD'N'COMMANDER creations. An "expert" can feel directly that namely this band is playing.

NORD'N'COMMANDER possesses its absolutely original sound which can not be described adequately by words. Stylistically the participants of the project are sitting between several chairs, without limiting themselves anyhow and losing homogeneity of style. It's impossible to compare it to anything, even having a great wish.

Also the mood created by means of wonderful music can not be determined univocally. At a moment you seem to drift into sweet, nordically playing melancholy, at another moment you notice that music is getting positive, giving feeling of strength, even martial strength. And there is no contradiction in it for NORD'N'COMMANDER.

Correct symbiosis and tone painting are emphasized by excellent, mostly mystic texts written in qualitative English. The lyrics submit to the main idea of the band: "The Nordic Music Art In The Indoeuropean Modern City".

In reviewer's opinion, a kind of high points in "Heavenly Barrow" are the amazing hymn "Sonnenmensch" which is an initiative composition of the album, the beautiful song "Listen To The Evening" based on melodic repeats, also the title track.

"Heavenly Barrow" is a masterpiece of genius, more than peculiar and original. "Purchase, purchase, purchase!" - nothing else can be said in this situation.

Wolos
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original text:

NORD’N’COMMANDER sind nicht einfach nur eine Band, nein, sie sind schon eher ein richtiges Phaenomen. Hatten mich die zwei Russen schon mit ihrer letzten Scheibe "Sacred Spear Aftersounds" positiv beeindrucken koennen, so versetzt mich ihr aktuellstes Album, "Heavenly Barrow" regelrecht in hoechste Begeisterungsstuerme. Das ueber das schwedische Qualitaetslabel Irritum veroeffentlichte grandiose Meisterwerk bricht mit den auf dem Vorgaenger existenten Schwarzmetaleinfluessen und konzentriert sich stattdessen verstaerkt auf die auf Anhieb als typisch slawisch zu erkennende folkloristische Elemente, die noch mit Einfluessen aus (gehobenerer) typischer russischer Elektro-Pop-Musik sowie Gothic und Elektro bereichert werden. Selbstverstaendlich sind aber auch weiterhin E-Gitarren zu hoeren, die bei NORD’N’COMMANDER einen sehr eigenartigen und charakteristischen Klang aufweisen, und selbstverstaendlich hoert man als Kenner der Band auch auf "Heavenly Barrow" auf Anhieb heraus, um welche Gruppe es sich da nur handeln kann.

NORD’N’COMMANDER besitzen einen ganz eigenen Sound, den man in Worten einfach nicht adaequat beschreiben kann. Stilistisch sitzen sie zwischen vielen Stuehlen, ohne sich irgendwie darum zu scheren, und ohne dadurch an Homogenitaet einzubuessen (im Gegenteil!), und Vergleiche lassen sich beim besten Willen nicht heranziehen. Auch die Stimmung, die mittels der fabelhaften Musik erzeugt wird, ist nicht eindeutig festzulegen – im einen Moment meint man in suesser, stets sehr nordisch klingender Schwermut zu versinken, im anderen wuerde man die Musik wieder eher als sehr positiv und kraftstrotzend, ja, fast schon kaempferisch, bezeichnen, was bei NORD’N’COMMANDER eben ueberhaupt kein Widerspruch ist.

Eine passende Symbiose mit der hier offerierten Tonkunst bilden die schoenen und in recht ansprechendem Englisch geschriebenen, meist mystischen Texte, welche sich dem Konzept der Gruppe "The Nordic Music Art In The Indoeuropean Modern City" unterordnen.

Definitive Hoehepunkte auf "Heavenly Barrow" stellen fuer den Rezensenten die umwerfende und sehr eingaengige Hymne "Sonnenmensch", das schoene, auf einer sich stets wiederholenden Melodie basierende "Listen To The Evening" sowie der Titeltrack dar.

"Heavenly Barrow" ist ein geniales Meisterwerk – und ein mehr als eigenstaendiges und originelles noch dazu. Was anderes als kaufen, kaufen, kaufen kann hier einfach nicht gesagt werden…!

Wolos
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Metal Library - 2004 (Russia)

Having sounded with black heathen industrial, NORD'N'COMMANDER has already changed the style in its second album. Unlike the previous one, the release "Heavenly Barrow" is perceived not as a specially dirty underground experiment, and on the contrary - a flag of modern electro-gothic is transfered from one track to another, variegated beauty of faraway planets, blue stars and nude stockings with diagonal lines is chanted with synth tenderness. I must mark with gladness that for the couple of fellow-countrymen both directions (black-industrial and gothic) sound familiarly and unordinarily simultaneously. "Heavenly Barrow" is easy for listening - smooth, light music with obviously positive atmosphere, simple, but intense, absolutely synthesized keyboards, guitars in-line like on the debut CD, dance rhythms... Anywhere from last creations by Diary Of Dreams to Samael. A touch of industrial - of course how is it possible without it? This time vocals sing, moreover according to the best traditions of the dark-electronic scene. Shortly, the release is at the level of modern western gothic "seekings". Pleasantly!

Meneldor
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