In the days when BATHORY set the foundations of what Black Metal would be in the future, Quorthon improved the genre's features a lot during "Under the Sign of the Black Mark" and "Blood Fire Death", Brazilian SARCÓFAGO created a somber and aggressive musicality that would contribute with many elements as well, and Black/Thrash names as DESTRUCTION, SODOM and KREATOR gave some elements as well (due their early albums). The diversity that everyone hears was born from them, as well from the mix of elements from other genres. So this is the main core of the genre, and can be heard in any band of any subgenre that can be heard today, including on the French duet SVIATIBOR's music, as it's clear on "Secrets of the Land", their latest release.

Their musicality is a form of Ambient/Pagan Black Metal that was used during the 90's, when things were beautiful, but shaped with the natural roughness of the genre. But these words don't mean that their music is not personal or seems as a copy. No, they have a particular approach that is dense and melancholic into Black Metal, and it sounds with very good musical ambiences and tempo changes, many arrangements with flute and keyboards, parts with clean voices, and all those good clichés of the genre. It's melodic and crude, and really charming.

Thomas Hornstein did the recording, mixing and mastering of "Secrets of the Land", and the choice done was to create something crude and with an Old School appeal, with instrumental tunes that are traditional from the past. This is the main reason for the album bears a 90's feeling, but in a way that anyone can understand what's being played. And the veteran artist Kris Verwimp created a charming art for the cover.

"Armies of a Luminous Eye" has a beautiful contrast between melodic (and melancholic) parts with the fierce Black Metal approach, with atmospheric keyboards parts and raw guitars. "Primitive Time Remembrances" shows an even more melancholic/Pagan feeling on its melodies (maybe due the flute parts), and great contrasts on the vocals tunes, and "Yore Resonating" shows similar elements (although the focus on a slow rhythmic approach shows very good parts on bass guitar and drums), and the long and dramatic "The Descendant's Revival" is filled with many blends between harsh aggressive parts with dense and melodic moments. These are their best moments for a first time in their music.

Today, the French Black Metal scene is living a great moment, and "Secrets of the Land" shows that SVIATIBOR is a name to be followed carefully by any Black Metal fan.