Russian blackgaze/post-metal band Varhara premiere new single and music video »Prazdnik«; »The First Breath After« LP out June 20th via These Hands Melt!
Saint Petersburg, Russia based blackgaze/post-metal band Varhara premiere the second single and music video »Prazdnik« taken from their upcoming album, »Первый вздох после« (The First Breath After), set to release on June 20th, 2025 via These Hands Melt.
Filmed and edited by Olga Kann.
Tracklist:
01. The Pitch / Smola / Смола
02. Hurricane / Uragan/ Ураган
03. Spark / Iskra/ Искра
04. The First Breath After / Pervyj vzdoh posle / Первый вздох после
05. The Celebration / Prazdnik / Праздник
06. Burial / Burial/ Буриал
Courtesy of Insomniac PR:
Varhara was founded as VOSK in 2015 in Russia, St. Petersburg by bassist, vocalist and songwriter
Igor (previously active as a one-man band called Drowse) with his future wife, guitarist Ekaterina, taking inspiration from the work of various post-rock and black metal bands.
Since 2017, the band grew into a power-trio with a drummer joining the line up.
In 2020, after the tragic death of friend and collaborator Ilya, with whom the band members played in another project, a second guitarist, Alexander, joined permanently the band.
In 2020, VOSK changed name to Varhara and started to perform regularly live in the local, vibrant post-metal scene of St. Petersburg. The current line-up consolidated in 2021, during a show with fellow band Gigrøma. After that concert Gigrøma drummer Vladimir joined Varhara.
Photo by Andrey Novozhilov
Already at the first rehearsal, it was obvious to everyone that the musicians, all sharing similar creative preferences and outlook on life, understood each other without words and perfectly interact in writing and playing music together. In the summer of 2021, the group drifted into the direction of a more emo-oriented mixture of atmospheric post-black and blackgaze. This is how the current line-up is formed and the current sound of the Varhara group appears.
The band has played live with the bands GENA, Pechora, Gigrøma, Gnot, TRNA and VSPOLOKH, all sharing the same scene and live stages in St. Petersburg.
At the end of 2022, the band completed the recording of material for their breakthrough album »Pustotsvet« (Voidflower), a significant shift in sound from their roots, opening a great development of the band’s musicians which bring them a contract with Italian label These Hands Melt.
With expectations set high after their breakthrough album »Pustotsvet« and rodated with an ever-intense live activity, Varhara return with »Первый вздох после« (The First Breath After). The new album that sees the band turning their music to its very core while at the same time further expanding their sonic palette with elements of shoegaze and post-hardcore.
Wasting no time, the new album has a sense of urgency and intensity that functions as a reflection on the years passing-by, growing in age while wondering one’s own purpose. What do we learn, what do we question, what is worth for real and the answers we find along the way.
Both singles, »Burial« (out April 25th) and »Prazdnik« (out May 23rd), are accompanied by videoclips shot by artist Olga Kann.
Pre-order / stream HERE.
Line-up:
Alexander Kalinin – Guitar, Synths
Ekaterina Belyantseva – Guitar
Vladimir Zankevich – Drums
Igor Belyi – Bass, Vocals, Lyrics
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well