The Stone enriches its edifice.
Created in 1996 under the name Stone to Flesh in Serbia by Marko “Kozeljnik” Jerkovic (guitar/vocals/bass, Kozeljnik, Oculus, May Result…), the band changed its name in 2001 to adopt its current one. Accompanied by Marko “Glad” Glamoslija (vocals, May Result), Milos “Vrag” Zivic (bass, ex-In from the Cold) and Honza Kapák (drums, Master’s Hammer, Bohemyst, Oculus, ex-Gride…), and the Immortal Frost Productions label, the band released their tenth album, Kletva, in 2025.
The band gets straight to the point with the icy sound of Sve sravnjeno, sve spaljeno, whose melodies captivate us and set the stage for the more raucous roars that bring raw power to the rhythm section. There are a few noticeable changes, but the track remains fairly consistent, especially on drums which are still aggressive. Kletve lovor then naturally takes over, offering epic flights of fancy in the choruses that contrast with the Old School-oriented passages. The mix remains consistent and even slows down to announce a solo before picking up again to lead us to Trag u vecnosti and its heavy atmosphere, which reinforces the haunting quality of the few harmonics. We also feel the aggressive, even slightly wild side in the jerky passages, but it returns to its occult touch during moments of uncertainty before returning to a more airy touch with Slutnja, which then takes the reins. The track leads us at will between waves of rage and coldness, but passes a little too quickly for my taste, abandoning its riffs so that Denying the Axiom can hammer our minds with a slightly livelier approach that nevertheless retains the mystery of the soaring leads, not hesitating to swap the blast for a little lightness. Besi‘s keyboards allow us a real moment of respite before the rest of the band comes back in to tinge the track with its characteristic darkness, still allowing moments of levity in the hurricane that carries us towards Sveca je dogorela, the last composition, with a much more pessimistic tone than the previous ones, which closes the album with a rage that could sometimes be mistaken for Pagan/Black Metal given the guitars, but which ultimately leaves us abandoned in the fog.
Anchored in Black Metal and its Old School roots, The Stone has always offered a very melodious approach to its darkness. If you know the band, you’ll find that Kletva has nothing to be ashamed of compared to its predecessors, and if you’re discovering them through this album, you’ll be blown away.
90/100
