Bulgarian history comes to life with Tsar Stangra.
Based in Canada, the project is led by Stanislav Stefanovski (vocals/tambura, The Lightbringer, formerly Phosphorus and Ültra Raptör), accompanied by Wayne Barr (bass, ex-Dépérir), Simon Vaillancourt-Girard (drums, Tales of Destiny, The Lightbringer), Olivier Vaillancourt-Girard (guitar, Tales of Destiny, The Lightbringer), Cindy Tecca (keyboards), and Samuel Paré (guitar, Ültra Raptör, ex-Tales of Destiny), released in 2026 its second album, Hymns of the Broken Worlds.
Fanny Grenier (The Lightbringer) also contributes vocals.
Thracians — Black Hymns for the Lost Ones opens the door to a universe rooted in both Black Metal and traditional Bulgarian music, thanks to intoxicating folk instruments that create a naturally ethereal flow which effortlessly captures our attention and sweeps us away with its melodies. The growls accompany our journey toward Khan Asparuh and its gentle introduction before the arrival of an abrasive yet extremely catchy storm of darkness that will quickly have us headbanging, even during the strangely chaotic solo. The tortured vocals take the reins again to lead us into Black Song and its jerky yet relatively upbeat riffs thanks to the keyboards, which add an original touch even during the most intense passages before we return to calm with the haunting intro to The Final March, a composition with more pronounced Prog roots. Female vocals also take center stage, effortlessly leading the way while allowing her male counterpart to join in, but the track is fairly fast-paced, and it hands the baton off to Longing for the South, which is also very festive, and you almost get the impression that the band has definitively turned toward Pagan/Folk, while still maintaining a dark, distorted undertone. It’s easy to get swept up in the moment before the atmosphere grows heavier with roars, and even though the contrast is surprising, it’s handled perfectly before fading into Guardians of the Earth’s blood-soaked melancholy, the next track, which returns to the band’s aggressive roots while featuring a lighter piano melody. You’ll find yourself carried away by this breath of fresh air while still appreciating the intensity, though you’ll encounter a few strange vocal passages along the way, leading into the furious The Return of the Native God – which is also rooted in Folk – and taking advantage of the vocal duet to deliver an original and frenzied blend. The groovy final, driven by the rhythm section, finally leads us to Bulgarian Language, the last track, which begins with a long instrumental section before letting the macabre vocals once again cast a shadow over the riffs – which, though fairly calm, are nonetheless dissonant – but Fanny ultimately has the honor of accompanying us through the last moments.
While Bulgarian culture is relatively underrepresented in the Metal scene, Tsar Stangra serves as its standard-bearer, despite being geographically distant. Hymns of the Broken Worlds takes us on a journey without losing us, thanks to its raw foundation, making the adventure all the more enjoyable.
85/100
