PEREPLUT (Переплут) – At the Ancient Times (В стародавние года...) Review

PEREPLUT (Переплут) – At the Ancient Times (В стародавние года...)

Stygian Crypt Productions

Bandcamp

PEREPLUT were founded in November 2011 and they come from Tomsk, Russia. From their first steps the band wanted to move on folk metal paths and since their early days they wanted to play folk metal music in a much heavier way, although they had difficulty in finding musicians to play folk instruments. Patience is a virtue and step by step the group managed to find the proper musicians. However from February 2012 until the release of their first EP many lineup changes had occurred which have affected the band both in a negative and positive way. So as I mentioned the band in 2015 managed to release an EP and in 2016 a single. Also in 2015 and 2016 managed to play some concerts in their country and all these attracted the attention of Stygian Crypt Productions who offered them a contract to release their debut album which I am about to present to you.

In our days when we speak about folk metal bands we usually have in mind folkish pop metal groups like KORPIKLAANI which is fine for parties and beer drinking but we usually forget them after a while. This is why I consider them pop because they create catchy songs that you will easily forget until their next release. PEREPLUT, though, have little elements of these kinds of bands and differ a lot from them. You see they try to mix folk tunes with metal melodies and riffs that are closer to speed/thrash metal. Actually PEREPLUT are closer to bands like SKYCLAD, ELUVEITIE and when they enter the fields of traditional heavy metal then MAGO DE OZ pop up in my mind.

Lyrically now, I can’t say much because the lyrics are written in the Russian language which fits the whole atmosphere the band builds with its music, but makes it difficult for us to understand what they sing about. I think, however, that the lyrics have to do with the traditions, history and mythology of their country.

The cover artwork also looks cool and somehow reminded me of the satyrs of ancient Greek mythology or even our kalikantzarous (Greek trolls that walk on earth each year from 25^th of December until 6^th of January and are very naughty).

All in all, PEREPLUT offer us a well balanced album between heavy metal and folk music that is dominated by catchy melodies and aggressive riffing which makes them stand out from many other bands of the same genre and I think that you have to check them out. I am sure you will enjoy them as much as I did (or even more)….

Nick “Verkaim” Parastatidis