{"id":601313,"date":"2026-02-19T15:29:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T15:29:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/601313\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T15:29:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T15:29:17","slug":"nytt-land-aba-khan-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/601313\/","title":{"rendered":"Nytt Land – Aba Khan Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"I\u2019d like to share my favorite fact about Nytt Land<\/strong>, the Siberian dark folk project from husband and wife, Anatoly and Natalia Pakhalenko. During my research for this review, I came across an old interview<\/a> with Anatoly. He was discussing instrumental diversity on their then-upcoming release, ODAL. Of all the instruments Anatoly plays, the talharpa, an ancient Nordic bowed lyre, is his favorite. Do you know why it\u2019s his favorite? BECAUSE HIS WIFE MADE IT FOR HIM. MADE IT. WITH HER OWN TWO HANDS. I can\u2019t even imagine the incalculable value of such a gift. And I\u2019m only half kidding when I say that fact alone makes Aba Khan\u2014and anything else they release\u2014worth a spin.<\/p>\n

Nytt Land<\/strong> often releases albums strictly preserving the ancient traditions of their homeland, like 2025\u2019s Songs of the Shaman, but Aba Khan follows a different path. Picking up the threads first woven on 2021\u2019s Ritual and continued on 2023\u2019s Torem, Aba Khan captures the energy of the shamanic rites of Nytt Land<\/strong>\u2019s native Siberia. Nytt Land<\/strong> doesn\u2019t perform any one specific rite on Aba Khan, but rather, Nytt Land<\/strong> channels their significance, their substance. As such, this isn\u2019t a direct transcription or translation, but a respectful, contemporary interpretation that places listeners in the midst of ancestral proceedings. Produced with immersion in mind, the soundstage is dynamic and beautifully utilized. You can almost smell the clean air and feel the warmth of the bonfire as practitioners\u2019 shifting vocals and well-placed instruments surround you, each given plenty of room to breathe and shine. To get the full effect, headphones are highly recommended here.<\/p>\n

\ufeffAba Khan by Nytt Land<\/a><\/p>\n

Production and mixing would mean little here, were it not for Nytt Land<\/strong>\u2019s excellent performances. Natalia is the centerpiece, providing striking lead vocals and bringing to life the chanting, throat singing chorus of this ceremony (\u201cAba Khan,\u201d \u201cTaiga\u201d). She and fellow drummer Aleksandr Rosliakov provide the raw, thunderous backbone for the album, stoking ritual fervor and reverence alike (\u201cThe Oath,\u201d \u201cTygir Tayii (Heavenly Sacrifice)\u201d). All other instruments are handled by Anatoly. Flutes, both bone and wood, alternate between heraldic (\u201cTotem,\u201d \u201cMansi\u201d) and musical (\u201cTaiga,\u201d \u201cMansi\u201d) duties, while strings\u2014like the talharpa\u2014guide Aba Khan through its eight movements. A high base quality means standout moments are few here, but the instrumental bridge of \u201cTaiga,\u201d which features mouth harp, flute, and talharpa all playing different melodies on top of a deep stringed foundation, is noteworthy, as is the absolutely massive, constant thrum of \u201cPrayer.\u201d It\u2019s like listening to a god breathe.<\/p>\n

\"\"According to the promo sheet, Aba Khan comprises a collection of shamanic vignettes, but it nevertheless possesses a loose narrative flow from one track to the next. This is largely driven by Natalia\u2019s singing. Aba Khan is written entirely in indigenous Serbian languages and Old Norse, but Natalia defies the language barrier through measured swaying (\u201cTaiga,\u201d \u201cTotem\u201d), raw vulnerability (\u201cThe Oath,\u201d \u201cPrayer\u201d) and ritualistic staccatos (\u201cTygir Tayii (Heavenly Sacrifice)\u201d) to sketch the shape and purpose of each movement. I\u2019m normally pretty unforgiving on intros, but \u201cAba Khan\u201d serves more as an invocation or invitation before the ceremony begins in earnest with \u201cTaiga.\u201d Aside from mid-album snag \u201cUitag,\u201d which dwells overlong in ambient repetition, Nytt<\/strong> Land<\/strong> moves with purpose through each movement. Aba Khan closes in a whirlwind, shifting from the tension of ceremonial action (\u201cThe Oath\u201d) to that of anticipation (\u201cPrayer\u201d), before releasing it in spiraling celebration and catharsis (\u201cTygir Tayii\u201d).<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think anyone would argue the value of preservation efforts, but I might argue that Aba Khan does something even more important. Whether at a museum or on recordings like Songs of the Shaman, a clinical detachment separates us from feeling the gravity of these traditions as an insider would. Aba Khan annihilates that barrier. Using every tool at their disposal, Nytt Land<\/strong> communicates the emotions, atmosphere, and spirit of Siberia\u2019s shamanic traditions through music, a universal language. This isn\u2019t meant to be known in the mind. It\u2019s meant to be felt in the heart. On Aba Khan, Nytt Land<\/strong> invites you to walk in their millennia-old shoes to a time and place where spirits rule, shamans protect the people, and old gods whisper.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> 3.5\/5.0
DR:<\/strong> 8 | Format Reviewed:<\/strong> 320 kbps mp3
Label:<\/strong> Prophecy Productions<\/a>
Websites:<\/strong> Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a>
Releases Worldwide:<\/strong> February 20th, 2026<\/p>\n

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