Review of the reissue of the album “Vetvi” from the Musika magazine

Photo by Lia Stavridi

A new review of the reissue of Theodor Bastard’s album “Vetvi”, written by the Belgian journalist Luc Ghyselen from the “Musika” magazine:“Neo-folk these days: just think of Heilung, Wardruna, Myrkur and the like, who are very much appreciated in the music world, even by metal fans. At the same time the Russian collective Theodor Bastard has been operating in a similar musical path for almost 20 years. Fedor Svoloch, Yana Veva and Aleksey “Kusas” Kurasov – the founders of the group carried their art through the years. For many music lovers, this project became a discovery last year, when the album “Volch’ya Yagoda” was released, which was well received by the audience. Album “Vetvi” were originally released in 2015, but now have a second chance thanks to Season Of Mist, which will be able to provide the band with a well-deserved European breakthrough. Theodor Bastard’s sound fits perfectly into the definition of neo-folk. The musicians use sacred authentic folk instruments that create an exciting and piercing sound. They take the listener on a long journey to long-forgotten times or to places that we have heard only in legends. Of course, it is not always possible to guess about the theme of Russian lyrics, but this does not interfere at all, because the sound is ideally combined with the heavenly voice of Yana Veva and deeply touches the soul. It doesn’t matter if the arrangements go psychedelic or go for an almost shamanic, feeling-oriented tempo and rhythm, the beauty of her voice strikes again and again. Therefore, those who have neo-folk and ethnic music in their music collection cannot do without this reissue of “Vetvi”. Here is the original review: https://www.musika.be/2021/12/26/theodor-bastard-vetvi