People learn something new every day. Today I learned that "haiduk" means freedom fighter, highwayman or outlaw in the Balkans, Central- and Eastern Europe. Luka Milojica is Haiduk, and 'Plagueswept' is his debut demo.

In its duration of 30 minutes, 'Plagueswept' offers a lot of variety. I would call it dark metal. Instrumental opener 'Grom' is black metallish attack with some death metal riffage. It shows Mr. Milojica's guitar playing talents nicely. 'Entering the Lair' presents mystic melodiousness that Haiduk possesses. 'Subterranean' includes some punky riffage. Non-distorted guitars add a lot of veiled atmospherics to music. In all, Haiduk's metal is raw, aggressive yet melodic, and above all, it does not sound too familiar.

The production is raw, too. A drum machine was utilized here. It sounds a bit powerless, but at least the samples sound pretty close to acoustic drums, and it is well programmed. The vocals are harsh stertor, suitable for the music. Something I miss are the lyrics. The covering letter lists themes "primeval nature, solitude, folklore and myth."

'Plagueswept' is an interesting and individualistic demonstration of dark metal. Go to Haiduk's website and grab it for a small price, it's worth it.

Reviewed by Lane
07/18/2010 16:16