Nytt Land reunites once again.
In 2025, Siberian duo Natasha “Baba Yaga” and Anatoly Pakhalenko join Prophecy Productions, with whom they release their fifth album, Songs of the Shaman.
They are accompanied live by drummer Aleksandr Rosliakov.
Through these ten new compositions, the two musicians remain faithful to their Siberian roots, making use of a number of percussion instruments, traditional instruments, and their famous mysterious guttural singing. From the very first track, they plunge us back into their shamanic universe, which we have known for some time now but which remains as intriguing, mystical, and intoxicating as ever, as if we were joining their ritual. Their ability to maintain their rhythms with such regularity remains impressive, and we note the appearance of their son Yuri Pakhalenko on flute on the very gentle Eikuli Yekuli, as well as a very oppressive darkness on Ara Koro, a rather disturbing track. The band offers us a short break with Demon Slayer, but ultimately Hobage Yebage closes the album with a final, equally spellbinding dance that explores a wide variety of sounds to accompany the two voices.
If you are sensitive to tribal and folk sounds, you already know and love Nytt Land. If you are new to them, take half an hour and let Songs of the Shaman show you the full range of its exotic sounds, and you will come away won over.
80/100