‘Synaxis of the Frostbitten’ by Troparion
I often joke that my favorite genre of music is “knuckle-dragger” music. Black metal is not a genre that usually fits this description around caveman riffs and attitudes. Though it remains brutal, the genre tends to bring more atmosphere and ambiance to its tracks. Troparion brings this attitude to his music while incorporating many interesting characteristics and styles across black metal and other metal subgenres.
Primarily created by one man, Stalkarth, Troparion is an American unblack metal band. The artist’s latest album, Synaxis of the Frostbitten, showcases many of the unique elements found within black metal while keeping things heavier and more gritty than other artists might explore. The first song, “Distant Gleam”, already provides Troparion’s excellent mixture of elements into an intense yet atmospheric track. The song leads in with a medieval lute-inspired riff over steady drums and distorted guitar. It evokes a sense of marching paired with themes of hopeful prophecy amid a dark and destructive work. Between its steadier, lute-inspired segment and more intense blast beats, the song shows that Troparion knows excellent pacing.
The knuckle-dragger territory kicks in with the second song titled “Suffer”. Though it retains the overall conventions of black metal, thrash metal is a large inspiration. Troparion almost crafts Pantera-like riffs under lyrics about finding strength and supernatural unity through God during suffering. Other songs pull from other subgenres like more traditional black metal, with “Premonitions of Total Demonacaust” having winding, atmospheric, and cold guitar riffs, or others even employ melodic death metal, such as “Crash of Thunder, Roar of Wave”.
One thing that repeats on the album is how this song literally gets too heavy at one point, highly distorting the track with vibrations, but Troparion appears to lean into this more rather than see it as a sign of poor mixing. It leads to an arguably more fun breakdown. “To Worship The Hated” provides similar characteristics while leaning more into traditional black metal territory.
Another callout is that Troparion uses programmed drums, but you might not even notice. Synaxis of the Frostbitten utilizes some of the best-programmed drums I’ve heard. Similar to how “Suffer” and “Piercing the Veil” appear not to care that the music gets too heavy at times, later trucks like “Eagle’s Talons” and “Crash of Thunder, Roar of Wave” appear not to care that they reveal how programmed the drums are, pushing them to inhuman speeds bordering on machine gun fire, as long as it matches the tone and intensity of the track.
The standout track of the album is “Piercing the Veil”. Despite being nine minutes long, it doesn’t feel like it. Troparion sharpens the techniques used for “Beholding the Cataclysm” on his EP
titled Peresvet. “Piercing the Veil” seamlessly mixes melodic and ferocious segments. It even features catchy, sing-song choruses, but it maintains the atmosphere and attitude of black metal. The result is an epic landscape that taps into language around mountains and cosmic spiritual warfare. Troparion places all his strengths as a songwriter and artist into this track, and it shows by being one of the album's most dynamic, interesting, and exhilarating songs.
Synaxis of the Frostbitten isn’t shy, and that’s one of the best things about it. It’s unashamed at what it is: knuckle-dragger black metal inspired by Eastern Orthodox Christianity and, really, Jesus Christ in general. Lyrics repeatedly explore the sense of hope and strength God provides in a dark world. The album is also unashamed to pull from other metal genres outside the typical black metal sound.
I don’t think Stalkarth would mind me sharing that this album makes you want to pick up some weights or run through a wall. Synaxis of the Frostbitten is a welcomed attitude and tone in the unblack metal scene. Given Troparion’s talent for blending genres and characteristics, it’s exciting to see where the artist will go next.
