LITVINTROLL
Czornaja Panna
Minsk, Belarus 2013
www.litvintroll.com


Minsk folk metal band Litvintroll brings to general attention the second album "Czornaja Panna" (“The Black Lady”)  which has marked the ending of the way which lasted for 3 years since the moment of the debut disk release in long-ago 2009.

During this time not only the ensemble’s structure have undergone changes – the new keyboardist, the guitarist and the drummer have come – but also sounding has become more saturated, dense, with noticeable influence of doom.

The album “Czornaja Panna” consists of 8 tracks different from each other. But, despite of its stylistic variety, the record sounds monolithically. There is a merit of not only musicians, but also of the sound engineer Alexey Bolotov working over the sound.

Da Siabra (To a Friend) – a song-congratulation for the band’s friend - the host of the program HelloFolks at Lublin radio Centrum. It was impossible to limit with stock phrases, so the song was created and written down at first in the acoustic version, and later in its metal arrangement.

Kryżak - Piesnia Pra Trolau II (Crusader - The Song About Trolls II) is a sequel of the song with the similar title from the previous album. Written in the anniversary of The Battle of Grunwald, the song, however, describes history of the great battle from a bit different party, rather than it is accepted.

Kamarowa Śmierć (The Mosquito's Death) is a folk song set on a chipper disco rhythm with a gloomy ending in Type O Negative style.

Lipka (The Linden) is one more folk song but this time a Polish one. The song - shout, the song - crying, a story about a girl who is forced to marry the unloved. In Poland where Litvintroll are the frequent guests, Lipka is known by everyone therefore the idea to play it arose long ago. The main task was to make it unbanal.

Karaleuskaja (A King’s Song) – from time to time it happens so that a grotesque character as if descends from the pages of a terrifying and malicious story. Look back and around, listen for it. Probably, right now you can hear his voice which is singing the praises of himself. It is interesting, what his destiny will be like in our world.

Czornaja Panna (The Black Lady) – everybody knows a sorrowful story of Barbara Radziwiłł. But Black Lady is not only a ghost of Niasvizh Castle. Having returned from the bottom plans of existence, she pushes the beloved in the embraces of madness, dooming to death him and all his descendants. The song presented the name to the album and set its whole outline. Death which is lurking behind a lovely face of Black Lady eventually overtakes everybody.

Ad Astra – all of us aspire to stars. But what for? Someone thirsts for knowledge of unknown, someone runs away, leaving behind burning world.

Lasun (The Wild Man) – man destroys everything around him. The earth lavishly shares its riches with him, but man always doesn’t have enough. He’s forgotten ancestors’ behests, he doesn't think about the descendants. And he won't escape the punishment. Ancient goddess Mara, who is one more hypostasis of Death, will say his name and pull a trembling heart out of the foe’s breast.


On September 2, 2012, just some days before the ending of work on the album, tragedy struck. During the concert in Homel  the band’s bass player Aleh Klimchanka died right on the stage.

The album "Czornaja Panna" is devoted to his memory.
Your music will sound eternally, Aleh.

Litvintroll - Ad Astra

Litvintroll was founded in 2005 in Minsk, Belarus as a folk band performing traditional Belarusian music with modern arrangements and employing traditional instruments. Since the foundation, the band took part in a large number of folk music festivals across Belarus. In 2007, Litvintroll evolved into a metal band, while still following the folk traditions of the previous years, where ancient instruments played a leading part in their music.

In 2009, Litvintroll released the album entitled Rock’n’Troll. The release met with some success at home and received positive feedback from fans abroad. Rock’n’Troll covered a broad range of styles: from rock’n’roll to death metal, wrapped in the sound of traditional instruments. On that album, Litvintroll added a fresh, modern sound to ancient folk songs and a folk sound, to their own compositions.

During Rock’n’Troll tour the band performed at many festivals in Belarus and abroad. Among these were Menuo Judaragis and Kilkim Zaibu in Lithuania, The Days of Belarusian Culture in Poland, Viru Folk in Estonia, Northern Lights Festival in Austria, Black Troll Festival in Germany, Be Free in Ukraine, and more.

After a prolonged tour the band began recording a new album, called Czornaja Panna. It is a name of ghost of Nyasvizh castle, the spirit of the late Barbara Radziwill, who became the wife of King Sigismund II Augustus, was poisoned by her mother in law. The King did not put up with the death of the beloved and summoned her spirit, but the ritual was not performed correctly, that brought down a curse on him and all his family, and the spirit of Barbara remained forever locked in an old castle

New album sounds heavier than the previous one, with the influence of doom. The release was scheduled for the autumn of 2012, but this was not to happen.

On September 2, 2012, just days before the album was finished, tragedy struck. During a show in Homel, Belarus, bass player Aleh Klimchanka died from electric shock on stage.

Depressed by the incident, the musicians were about to discontinue the band, but six months later, they decided to resume activities. The album Czornaja Panna was released by the label Sound Age Productions April 15, 2013. It is dedicated to Aleh Klimchanka.
