Review: Gene Banyard
Tonight, Brisbane got to experience Batushka live — Krzysztof “Derph” Drabikowski’s Batushka. Woah! Where do I begin? The tour is slated as the band’s debut Australian tour, but I did hear a few whispers tonight (Jan 15th) at Brisbane’s Crowbar contradicting this statement. My feeling (not knowledge) is that Krzysztof Drabikowski (Batushka’s multi-instrumentalist founder) wanted the tour to represent a new beginning for Batushka — a reformation, a showing of solidarity now that the legal battles are over. The masterful musical concept that is Batushka has now been returned to its creator, and it is time to go to church.
Before things got too orthodox though, Crowbar was treated to the spreading of a little disease by way of Tim Yatras’ Germ. Yatras is known for his multi-faceted approach to instrumentation and genre. This versatility was certainly evident tonight as Germ created a wall of sound that fused electronica with metal, and yes, even traces of pop. This is how talented Yatras proves to be. He is also a vocalist and composer, and his piercing, blackened vocals cut through the pulsing, sonic miasma Germ had successfully created.
Germ utilised the acoustics and the physical dimensions of Crowbar itself to create a wall of sound that set the stage suitably for the orthodox spectacle that is the true Batushka. Hailing from Białystok, Poland, Batushka’s lyrics are written in Church Slavonic, inspired by the Eastern Orthodox Church. This language is sung in two distinct styles — a low, solemn, near-Gregorian chant and a catastrophically infectious, blackened banshee screech.
Their approach to the instrumentation of this highly theatrical show is guided by their utilisation of ritual — both stemming from, or perhaps directly transposed from, Eastern Orthodox sources. To begin with, they take their time taking the stage. A stage that is already resplendent with relics of a foreign land and time, all treated with the utmost care and reverence. A skull is placed on the altar, centre stage, flanked by Krzysztof’s very own paintings of the two albums that were cherry-picked from throughout the evening — Panihida (2019) and, of course, the legendary labour of personal love that is Litourgiya (2015).
Then they appeared from the wings, donned in their signature robes. The robes are taken straight from the monastery but decorated with insignia that stamps this congregation of 8-string guitar-toting dudes as Metal. The robes are pitch black and once again of Eastern Orthodox origin. Pitch black also is the sackcloth wrapped over their faces, completely obscuring their identities from view. The design on the robes certainly connotes religiosity, but the iconography is pure Metal — classic skulls, inverted crosses, etc. This performative blasphemy is further enhanced with the classical approach to the vocalisation of Church Slavonic (the chanting) and the modern Metal approach (the Black Metal screech).
Once the classic stage formation was formed, the bells began to ring. My excitement was palpable. And then the spectacle began. Again, what can I say? It was theatre. It was ritual. And I almost cried. Their approach to artistry — the commitment to the performance of this highly referential and inverted, blackened ritual — is precise, passionate, and entrancing. The sound was absolute perfection, both from the desk and in its immersion within the space.
The crowd may have seemed reserved at first from an outside glance, but this is theatre — we were taking it in. This was the beginning of Act I, and it needed time to build, and build it did. For a solid hour and a half, Krzysztof & Co. took the crowd through a dark, immersive, even murky service. An experiential performance based on history and perhaps politics rooted in religious oppression. This was a perfect musical experience for myself, with the highlight being a glorious showing of Litourgiya’s Yekteniya I: Ochishcheniye.
“Aliluia” indeed.
15.01 – The Underground Sydney NSW
16.01 – The Corner Melbourne VIC
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