Brodnik – Along The Healing Path

This month saw the long-anticipated debut release of Bulgarian post-metal band Brodnik. Formed from the ashes of beloved local acts Upyr and Trysth, having undergone difficult line-up changes from their very start, which led to them starting their repertoire almost from scratch, the band’s path until now certainly hasn’t been easy. Named after the late Boris ‘Brodnik’ Nikolov, the original Upyr (and Melekh) singer, the quartet has been on a difficult journey to put all this personal turmoil into music, that’s heavier than heaven. And, boy did they manage!

Along The Healing Path was released digitally on May 21, and will be available in CD and cassette tape format on its record release shows on May 26 (Sofia) and June 8 (Varna). It features four tracks that will take approximately 50 minutes of your life.

While I conveniently label the band post-metal or doom, there’s much more going on in their music. Their music is sparse, the tracks are lengthy and yet they don’t stay in the same place for too long. Brodnik indulge in massive and loud passages that take turns with deeper and more atmospheric parts. Bassist and singer Yavor Dimov shows an enviable arsenal of vocal techniques. Asen Santev’s guitars are minimal and concrete but hit the right spots. They are massive when they have to and quickly morph into crystal clean and brooding lines. A signature treat of both Upyr and Brodnik has been Emiliyan Shterev’s drumming. His slow and meticulous approach is the backbone of the slow and heavy journey that this music is.

This is a good time to mention that Along The Healing Path was recorded live at Audioslot Studio by Vasko Raykov. That means no click tracks, no tricks, just a few overdubs, and just four people vibing to the hellscape of music they create. Speaking of scapes, one of the most intriguing aspects of Brodnik’s music is the noise and synth layers provided by Plamen Kolev. His contribution is varied and fluid. It adds another layer of controlled chaos to the band’s music. In the future, I’d like to hear him experiment with more concretely constructed sounds or field recordings, and maybe a little less filter sweeps. I think this particular element can add even more depth to the Brodnik sound and the way they develop their ideas.

Along The Healing Path is not only a promising debut but a record that showcases everything we know its creators hold dear, namely heavy music, captivating atmosphere, noise in its most beautiful form, and all of this fueled by true personal experience and emotion, as evident in the lengthy and visual lyrics of the band. To say that’s a recommended listen is an understatement. I wish more debut albums, especially on the Balkans, sounded like that.