This open-minded approach resulted in a stunning artistic achievement, from the fierce and epic opening track ‘Timpul întâilor’ to the catchy ‘Descânt’ to percussive interludes like ‘Calea magilor’ and cinematic blockbusters such as ‘Vraci de nord’. “Har” stubbornly resists any attempt of an easy stylistic categorisation. Each song has its own distinct personality, but all are tied together by DORDEDUH walking an artistic left-hand path. A lurking sense of occult mystery and underlying darkness permeate even the most joyful moments on “Har”.

It is not the first time that Hupogrammos and Sol Faur have been involved in creating an iconic album. Both had leading roles in composing of NEGURĂ BUNGET’s masterpiece “Om”, which essentially put Romania onto the map of heavy music. After an acrimonious split, the duo from the city of Timișoara founded DORDEDUH and delighted critics and fans alike with the EP “Valea omului” (2010) and debut full-length “Dar de duh” (2012).

Beyond the obvious point of lyrics in the musical Romanian language, the native element also hides in DORDEDUH’s melodies and rhythms as well as in subtle touches of traditional instrumentation. The effect easily compares to the often unnoticed way SYSTEM OF A DOWN have organically incorporated traditional Armenian music into their sound. Despite a strong presence, those regional components will only reveal themselves to connoisseurs of Caucasian – or in the case of DORDEDUH, Carpathian – folk. Yet at no time such knowledge of traditional ingredients is needed to fully enjoy or become immersed in their work.