Thechopstickdrummer
INSURRECTUM is a one-man project manned by the Ukrainian multi-instrumentalist Anatoliy Bliashuk, delivering an eclectic hodgepodge of progressive, symphonic, and Blackened Death Metal in its debut record, The Last Battle. Now I don’t want to be overly judgmental, but the abundance of AI-generated artwork–graciously excluding the official LP’s cover–doesn’t make for a suitable first impression. It’s a sign of laziness, a lack of creative drive. On the contrary, Anatoliy’s fifty-two-minute epic is brimming with ideas. In fact, The Last Battle is two different albums: there’s one in English (the edition provided for universal coverage), and another in Ukrainian. They’re musically distinct, with only the lyrical translations and core themes remaining mutual. This choice illustrates the tenacity behind INSURRECTUM’s ideas, but whether they’re as good as their covers is to be determined.
The Last Battle is one of the most histrionically dramatic releases of 2026. To abridge the styles of INSURRECTUM, the record is essentially melodic death metal with a bombastic orchestrational edge and a technical tinge. Anatoliy Bliashuk embodies that one theater kid in the school’s musical that didn’t get the lead, and is now absolutely livid and hell-bent on self-producing a metal album to channel his flamboyance. The classical segments–ranging from string and brass arrangements to full choruses, ranging from adults (“The War”) to children (“Piercing the Abyss”)–are formatted assiduously and keep in theme with the project’s concept: the drama of war. They, like the other instruments, are occasionally overpowering in the mix, but the production is its own beast to melodramatically tackle. The Last Battle is a cinematic one for sure, but also a bit drawn out.
The record is incredibly bulky: eleven songs, all reaching around five-something minutes in length. Even though the material is entertaining, the listening experience appears samey, song after song, piece after piece. One instance comes literally, as the concluding track is an alternative version of the previously played “The Betrayer.” After the self-titled piece, track nine, the album should’ve wrapped up. There are no interludes, only a fifty-second introduction, and a skit or interlude would further the album’s dire atmosphere: they appear within tracks, in an Iced Earth-like spoken word fashion. Speaking of speaking, the gutturals are supplied with complete word annunciation, and their tone (this is me growing increasingly superstitious) is reminiscent of AI vocal tracking. I’m not jumping to heated conclusions just yet, but like the orchestration, the production job is flimsy and standard for a debut single-person project. With a better-than-average sound, The Last Battle wouldn’t truly feel fifty-minutes long.
It isn’t a false regality issue, because I like the vision behind INSURRECTUM and The Last Battle. I actually hope this isn’t the project’s last battle, as improvements can be made, and with enough fine-tuning, Anatoliy can preserve his expansive imagination while simultaneously unleashing a quality recording. I’m a theater kid, and I indulge in staginess myself, but I always rehearse and rework before opening night.
Label: Independent
Release date: July 4th, 2026
Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063474280069
Country: Ukraine
Score: A hard 2.5/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 