Thy Worshiper - Ozimina

THY WORSHIPER - Ozimina (ARACHNOPHOBIA - CD 2015)

So, Thy Worshiper is back for good, after a long break and last year’s comeback album “Czarna dzika czerwień”. Now they’re unleashing a new EP “Ozimina”. Well, I remember them ever since I was in school and Morbid Noizzz released “Popiół (Introibo ad Altare Dei)”, which is a classic album these day. But to be honest, I just did not like “Czarna dzika czerwień” so much. Sorry to say, but this album had nothing to offer me. I dislike folky metal in most of its different incarnations, the more folky and umpa-umpa, the more I don’t like it. I can tolerate some folk elements glued into black metal structures, but when folk rules over metal then it’s usually a lost effort for me. And this is what happened with the last Thy Worshiper album. “Ozimina” continues this style, so I cannot say I’m crazy about the music, but it isn’t bad also.

I’m glad that there are still some elements of old Thy Worshiper, which I remember from “Popiół” album. You know, this band used to have quite characteristic riffs and way of arranging the songs, and let’s not forget about the unique shrieky vocal sound of Marcin Gąsiorowski. Some of these old characteristics are still present in few fragments of “Ozimina”, like in “Brzask”, which actually is a nice mixture of old and new Thy Worshiper (fantastic opening theme!) and turned into very enjoyable song. Also “Wśród cieni i mgieł” is great. This song is obviously taken from “Popiół” album, but this new, rearranged version is completely different, what doesn’t disturb it to be the best song on the whole EP, mainly because it has perfectly balanced metal and folk elements. “Halny” also sounds good, it’s quite disturbing and rough song I think, with weird, dangerous aura like some threat was coming closer and closer to you. Good.

But the new style of Thy Worshiper focus a lot on tribal folk, with almost shamanic aura and with only some small doses of metal music thrown somewhere in between. It’s important to state that the music has the Eastern European feeling, rather than commonly used Scandinavian or Celtic one. The skeleton of every song is completely different that your usual metal stuff, unless we speak of something more progressive. I feel like metal music is more like an addition to the folk and soon in the future it may even completely disappear from Thy Worshiper sound. They use a lot of different instruments, which I am not even gonna list here, there are some sounds of nature (birds, etc), plus the main vocals are performed by Anna – and sorry again, but her vocals are something I have the most troubles with. She has a nice voice, but I just can’t stand her constant wailing. Generally this folky stuff not always works for me, like for example in the title song, which I honestly don’t like at all. On the other hand such “Ożyny” creates very nice, monumental atmosphere. In other tracks it’s half/half I suppose; there can be some really good parts, but also some, which I am not so happy about. They do have some good ideas and surely those of you, who’re into that pagan folk metal stuff will like it.

Generally the whole music is so easily listenable that you can even play it to someone, who doesn’t like metal. Personally I can say that I like “Ozimina” more than the previous album, maybe it’s because it’s a smaller dose of music, so my tolerance is bigger? Except the last song I have no major problems with this EP.

Standout tracks: “Brzask”, “Wśród cieni i mgieł”

Final rate: 65/100