{"id":510783,"date":"2026-04-03T12:58:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T12:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/510783\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T12:58:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T12:58:12","slug":"kekht-arakh-morning-star-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/510783\/","title":{"rendered":"K\u00ebkht Ar\u00e4kh – Morning Star Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Somehow, K\u00ebkht Ar\u00e4kh is one of the most popular black metal artists in the game right now. Since the release of sophomore album Pale Swordsman in 2021, the solo project of one Crying Orc (Dimitry Marchenko) has garnered serious momentum outside of the typical metal fandom with its melody-forward, \u201cromantic\u201d black metal sound. That record showcased a solid and surprisingly listenable, DSBM-informed, almost folksy take on classic \u201990s blackened tropes, but more importantly, it felt emotionally honest without being cheesy. With album art like that<\/a>, heartfelt, sadboy lyrics about love and isolation, and a raw, tape-inspired sonic landscape, it was an impressive achievement that the earnest pathos of Pale Swordsman managed to eclipse the potential corpse-paint cringe. Five years later, with a memetic cover referencing an infamous, dorky Varg photo<\/a> and a string of singles that seem equally indebted to modern cloud rap and black metal, one can\u2019t help but wonder whether Morning Star has tipped the delicate balance between sincerity and self-parody. As a cloud rap enjoyer and black metal nerd, I might be the only staff member not to laugh this latest K\u00ebkht Ar\u00e4kh out of the schoolyard. Is this long-anticipated follow-up actually worth the wait?<\/p>\n

On Morning Star, Crying Orc hasn\u2019t lost his ear for blackened melody that made earlier K\u00ebkht Ar\u00e4kh material engaging; he\u2019s just found new ways to package it. Tracks like opener \u201cW\u00e4nderer\u201d take the familiar black metal elements, but re-purpose them to mimic the patterns of hazy SoundCloud beats. The central bedroom guitar motif operates on a two-bar loop, with layers of distorted tremolos added and stripped back across verses and hooks like a hip-hop producer might use synths. A warm, syncopated bass supplies rhythmic variation as the drums blastbeat away. Crying Orc shifts between shrieks and whispers, both delivered in a clipped, almost percussive flow, peppered with ad-libs. This formula is surprisingly effective and allows the layers of haunting melodies to shine alongside more straightforward 2nd-wave riffing (\u201cCastle,\u201d \u201cLand av evig natt II\u201d) or with a greater emphasis on sung vocal lines (\u201cM\u00f6rker \u00f6ver m\u00f6rker,\u201d \u201cGates\u201d). Bladee himself even appears on \u201cEternal Martyr\u201d to lend his signature autotuned anti-charisma to an earworm hook, resulting in a genuine blackened banger. The cloud rap influence pans out better than I could\u2019ve expected and leads to several highlights across the tracklist.<\/p>\n

Of course, this is only one side of the K\u00ebkht Ar\u00e4kh coin, as many of the songs on Morning Star forgo black metal altogether in favor of indie-tinged folk ballads. \u201cGenom sorgen,\u201d \u201cDr\u00f6ms\u00e5ng\u201d and \u201cTrolls\u00e5ng\u201d are composed of minimalistic clean guitars, subtle synth layers, and softly sung vocals. These tracks are serviceable and understandable in the context of a longer album, but they lack the sense of progression and movement that makes the black metal material enjoyable. Crying Orc\u2019s singing has an amateur charm that conveys a sorrowful gravitas when deployed, and it\u2019s often pleasant in short bursts, but many of the softer moments fail to capitalize on it for maximum effect\u2014and they make up a significant portion of the album. Even outside of the dedicated slower tracks, songs like \u201cLament,\u201d \u201cRaven King\u201d and \u201cVigil\u201d bookend their runtimes with extended minimalism that does little to further the greater piece. The title track \u201cMorning Star\u201d is an exception to this rule: led by a mournful string melody, it expands and contrasts brilliantly, whereas the others remain static.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One area where K\u00ebkht Ar\u00e4kh should have diverged from his rap peers is in Morning Star\u2019s bloated tracklist of 17 songs. With each track firmly in the 2-3 minute range, many feel like half-finished ideas that end abruptly before anything interesting happens. As a result, the more engaging black metal tracks lose some of their power when they\u2019re buried next to underwhelming ballads. This ends up emphasizing an ephemeral \u201cvibe\u201d as the record\u2019s strongest trait rather than any individual track. A combination of the lo-fi, tape-inspired soundscape and the persistent melancholic melodies makes Morning Star a very easy album to throw on and just bathe in its atmosphere. The whole thing exudes a pervasive sense of emotional honesty that\u2019s enticing. It\u2019s a record that sounds amazing on a car ride or in the background, when conjuring a certain mood, but falls a bit short upon closer inspection.<\/p>\n

Morning Star is a difficult record to evaluate. There\u2019s a lot here to like, from the shockingly adept integration of cloud rap elements to the enticing layered melodies and lo-fi production, but these strengths are ultimately undercut by an overstuffed tracklist and songs that fail to develop. In a certain light, this could be a strength for listeners who prioritize musical \u201cvibes\u201d over substance, but to this metalhead, it comes across as underbaked.<\/p>\n

\ufeff<\/p>\n

Rating: 2.5\/5.0
DR: N\/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Sacred Bones<\/a>
Websites: kekhtarakh.bandcamp.com<\/a> | Instagram.com\/kekht_arakh<\/a>
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026<\/p>\n

\n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n