Belarusian sludge/doom/death quartet Matraque, hailing from Minsk, has dropped their debut album Nature Morte today, May 1, 2025, via Lithuania’s Ashen Tree Records. Available on cassette and digital formats through Bandcamp, with a limited digipack CD arriving around May 25, the album delivers a raw, scarring sonic assault. Stream or purchase at ashentreerecords.bandcamp.com.
Drawing from Grief, and Primitive Man, Matraque’s sound blends low, sluggish masses with mid-tempo bursts, reflecting a shift from anger to despair. Sung entirely in Belarusian, the five tracks—“Kola,” “Pustazelle,” “Malimon,” “Volya,” and “Prypynak”—channel hopelessness and intensity, earning praise as “hostile and strange” (Metal Eclipse Reviews) and “drowned in sludge” (Smorg Magazine). Formed in spring 2023, the band features members from Rowan, Televoid, and krvvla, bringing seasoned grit to their style.
