Hailing from the medieval city of Zagreb in northernmost Croatia, Trivan has so far experienced a staccato career in the Black Metal underground, albeit not through any fault of their own. Formed in 2018 by guitarist and lyricist Vanja Šantak and bassist Ivan Bertović, they originally planned to create aggressive, riff-heavy Black Metal in the true Croatian tradition. Big on atmosphere, highly melodic, and steeped in the nation’s folklore, they became part of the small yet culturally dense Croatian scene, only to be swiftly thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic a year later.  

Now, several years on from the claustrophobia and paranoia of the pandemic years, Trivan have found their stride and are carving out a reputation as one of the most dynamic forces in the Croatian Black Metal world. A string of singles, most recently Abyss of Crawling Shadows, reviewed by BMC’s own Siren of Dark Beauty Felin Frost, have made an impact and begun to establish the band as powerful, original and creative. Indeed, the single’s cover sparks interest before one hears a note, with its malign figures and Balkan-nightmare feel. 

Now, the latest release, Crowned with Dread and Power, is a logical progression from its predecessors, carrying the flame of the band’s occult-driven, icy-cold, and aggressive sonic assault to the next level. Opening up with a trash-like blistering riff, the track loses no time in building into a fury, guiding the listener deeper into the abyss of a Ritual vision. The delivery is relentless and coolly melodic, the guitars tight, intensely aggressive and bound as tightly as a hunting wolf pack ravaging through the darkest forest by the light of the Balkan moon. And the vocal delivery, undramatic, focused, hateful, swirls across the powerful pounding rhythm like an ancient primordial serpent, seeking its prey within a pathetic, degenerate human excuse for an existence. 

Trivan are a band who know how to think, how to conceive and know how to deal seismic blows to the head of the current human herd, trapped in its deadly cell phone existence that renders them exploitable and expendable. This is the polar opposite to the vision of Trivan steeped in profound introspection, deep mistrust of all authority and a total rejection of blind obedience. With such a driving sense of urgency, Crowned with Dread and Power is another stellar release from artists of great vision and purpose who will no doubt go on to fully cement themselves within the annals of Black Metal. 

A new Marduk from darkest, deepest Croatia? Quite possibly. 


Bandcamp : https://trivan.bandcamp.com/ 

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/trivan.band   

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/trivan.band