Tvangeste

Just the second full-length release from Russian’s Tvangeste, Firestorm is a roaring synthesis of black metal and classical music. Rather than relying on keyboards and a solitary opera singer, Tvangeste enlists the Baltic Symphony Orchestra and the Prussian Chamber Choir to expand beyond the vocals, flute and violin already onboard, with tumultuous results. Relating a tale of past warfare, Firestorm deals with warriors and battles, heroes and bravery, as well as sorrow and death; a preface in the liner notes sets the struggle in "Great Prussia” in 1255. Tvangeste’s symphonic arrangements and searing black metal capture both the story’s violence and its emotional turmoil, dramatic titles like "Fire in Our Hearts” or "Tears Will Wash Off the Blood” justified by the grandiose sounds they describe.