Barkasth is a black metal project from Kharkiv, Ukraine, formed in 2015. Its new album, «Silent Torment», continues the project’s original, uncompromising themes, while musically it unites old school black metal with more modern elements.
Country: Ukraine (Kharkiv)
Genre: Black Metal
For fans of: Old School Black Metal
The path of Barkasth
From its beginning, Barkasth has expressed a rejection of organized religion, with particular reference to Orthodox Christianity. Its lyrics speak of religious institutions that manipulate faith, exploit the poor and the vulnerable, and build power on deception.
This theme formed the basis of the first full-length, «Decaying» (2018), which dealt with the collapse of faith, the corruption of religious authority and the moral decay behind sacred symbols. On the second album, «Hear My Void» (2019), the band turned more toward human psychology, fear, isolation and existential emptiness.
After «Hear My Void» came a six-year period of silence. Behind the scenes, though, the project kept evolving and returned with a renewed lineup, keeping the same core philosophy but opening its sound and lyrics to a darker and more personal direction.
«Silent Torment»
Arkhonth is the only constant member across all of Barkasth’s periods. He has taken on composition, lyrics and all instruments. For the band’s new chapter he collaborated with Vlad of Drudkh, who plays drums and did the mixing and mastering, while he also contributed to the creation of the album.
From «When Dawn Refuses to Break» the project’s old school side becomes noticeable, mainly through the drumming. At the same time, the guitars and the atmosphere bring in more modern elements. «Black as a Nightmare» clearly shows this coexistence, while on the title track «Silent Torment» the blast beats give the rhythm a more modern direction.
The record has no guitar solos, a choice that makes Barkasth’s approach stand out even more. The album is out on September 9, 2026 via Mara Production and includes eight tracks: «When Dawn Refuses to Break», «Beneath Ashen Skies», «Embers Gone Cold», «Before the First Shot», «No Place to Hide», «Black as a Nightmare», «Silent Torment» and «Stay Away».
