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It's certainly obvious that Russia is a vast country but they have an underground Metal scene to match. There are countless Metal bands in the Russian federation and it's impossible to keep up with everything they have going on in their part of the world, no matter how hard you try.

I offer many thanks to Russia's More Hate Productions, an underground label that highlights bands from that country with the most potential. Unfortunately I don't feel like they really have hit bull's eye with Kaliningrad-based, 2-man act Holdaar. Holdaar's 8th studio album, Времена Уходящие В Небо (Times Stretching in the Sky in English) is Folk-inspired, symphonic and Russian-language Black Metal that obviously takes its influences from early Arcturus (especially the Aspera Hiems Symfonia era), but it doesn't raise my interest due to a lack of creativity. There has been a notable effort to make things work but, somehow, nothing really sticks out no matter how hard you try to like the album. The song "Времена Уходящие В Небо" is more of what Holdaar needs as the chords go through your eardrums causing moments of sheer enjoyment. But that's about it and there's no need for further comment about this release, I am afraid.