Metalcatto
It’s been a while since I last gave a chance to a little band. Tsar Stangra is basically that – I don’t mean it in a disrespectful way. The whole point of this blog is helping bands reach new people. Hymns of the Broken Worlds pretty enigmatic. Is it folk, or death metal? Or both? Also, I could be wrong, but this might be the first or second band with Bulgarian heritage we’ve reviewed. Hence, I know nothing about Bulgarian metal. Still, there should be fair judgement today. Don’t despair!
Ok, this is fun! I was expecting something that sounded like a black metal demo, but this is actually a professional album. It has ups and downs and lots of emotion, but most importantly, it transports us to ancient times. It has that sense of epicness that’s hard to pull off without becoming terribly corny. The album isn’t that – instead, it’s a display of engaging ideas that balance melodeath and folk pretty well. You could even call it fresh. Hymns‘ strength is its variety. The tracks support each other and offer moments as heavy as they are peaceful. Folk, melodeath, and even passages that could fit in a power metal album are brought together cohesively. I’d even dare to say the band takes risks specifically in the vocals department, where styles cross over in practically every track. That was without a doubt interesting and kept me engaged until the end. Now, I proceed to be a party pooper – you know the drill.
There are a few things to improve here, let’s put it that way, like in a performance review. The album’s first half is strong but perhaps a bit scattered; the second half is more focused, but the writing is less bombastic. I know, I’m asking for almost an impossible task. The guys need to stay as eclectic but also make things tighter. Yes, this is more ridiculous than your dog going to heaven in a few years, but those are my two cents. Given the state of the world economy, I’d suggest you take them.
SoHymns of the Broken Worlds is worth your time. It has a nice sense of adventure. It’s heavy enough but also keeps things fun. It might not be the most orderly album ever, but for those of you who want something a bit different in your melodeath/folk metal, I think Tsar Stangra is offering a decent surprise. It’s definitely the most Bulgarian-Canadian band ever. Unless you hate surprises, you control freak!
Label: Independent
Release date: 1 July, 2026
Website: https://tsarstangra.bandcamp.com/album/–6
Country: Canada (Bulgarian at heart)
Score: 3.5/5.0
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