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VARVAR – THE BESTIAL ABYSS WILL KILL YOU
CULT RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN HEAVY METAL!
2023 STORMSPELL RECORDS CD — LIMITED TO 300 COPIES — IN STOCK!
💿 Release Details
Artist: Varvar (Варваръ)
Album: The Bestial Abyss Will Kill You
Label: Stormspell Records
Catalog Number: SSR-DY313
Format: CD, Album, Remastered Reissue
Packaging: Jewel Case with 8-Page Booklet
Pressing: Limited to 300 Copies Worldwide
Country of CD Release: USA
CD Release Year: 2023
Original Album Release: 1994
Country of Origin: Russia
Genre: Orthodox Christian Heavy Metal / Epic Power Metal / Traditional Heavy Metal
Language: Russian (English-translated lyrics included)
Tracks: 9
Audio Restoration & Remastering: Brandon Seyboth at Headroom Labs
UPC: 762765776247
Availability: IN STOCK
🔥 Key Features & Collector Details
- LIMITED EDITION — ONLY 300 CDs WORLDWIDE!
- Obscure Russian Orthodox Christian epic heavy/power metal
- Originally released in 1994 and long sought after by underground metal collectors
- Band founded in 1986 in Velikie Luki, Russia
- Musical style combines traditional heavy metal, epic power metal, and speed metal influences
- Raw guitar riffs, dramatic melodies, and the unmistakably gravelly vocals of Anatoly Stepanov
- Dark Christian themes exploring sin, judgment, repentance, and spiritual struggle
- 8-page booklet featuring lyrics, information, and photographs, all translated into English
- Two cover-art variations: the band's originally intended artwork and the alternate artwork used on the Melodia Records LP
- Audio restored and remastered by Brandon Seyboth at Headroom Labs
- Features the original lineup of Anatoly Stepanov, Alexander Efimov, Alexander Ksenofontov, and Igor Andreev
- Sung in Russian with a distinctive underground Eastern European metal atmosphere
- Official 2023 Stormspell Records CD edition in a jewel case
- For Fans Of: Manilla Road, The Lord Weird Slough Feg, early Adramelch, Liege Lord, Grave Digger, and Motörhead
🎸 About the Album
Varvar – The Bestial Abyss Will Kill You (1994 / 2023)
Some of the most fascinating recordings in heavy metal history come from bands that developed far from the established scenes of Britain, Germany, and America. VARVAR (Варваръ) is one of those extraordinary discoveries—a Russian heavy metal band whose music combines the raw intensity of traditional metal with epic arrangements, unmistakable vocals, and a deeply unusual Orthodox Christian lyrical perspective.
The band originated in 1986 in Velikie Luki, Russia, emerging from the earlier hard rock group Pyramida. Initially known as Varvariy (The Barbarians), the group went through numerous personnel changes, with vocalist Anatoly "Zvonar" Stepanov and guitarist Alexander Efimov forming its creative core.
Following the band's early years and a period of inactivity, Varvar reunited and recorded what became its 1994 album, The Bestial Abyss Will Kill You. The original recording has since developed a cult reputation among collectors of obscure Russian and Eastern European heavy metal.
Musically, this is a world away from polished commercial metal. Varvar delivers rough-edged guitars, driving rhythms, adventurous melodies, and powerful traditional heavy metal songwriting. The music draws from the epic spirit of bands like Manilla Road, the progressive eccentricity of The Lord Weird Slough Feg, and the muscular heaviness of classic 1980s metal.
Then there is the voice of Anatoly Stepanov. His deep, gravelly, frequently aggressive delivery gives Varvar a sound unlike almost anything else. Imagine the raw vocal character of Lemmy meeting Russian epic heavy metal, and you're approaching the distinctive personality of this album.
Perhaps the most unexpected element is the band's Orthodox Christian identity. The music is dark, fierce, and often unsettling, while the lyrics draw from Christian ideas of sin, repentance, judgment, and the consequences of spiritual corruption. These are not conventional praise songs. Varvar presents its religious themes through the imagery and intensity of underground heavy metal.
The band's name also carries an intriguing religious association. It has been connected to the Orthodox account of the Holy Martyr Barbarus, a figure remembered for turning away from a violent past and seeking repentance. That unusual combination of spiritual imagery and unrestrained heavy metal helps explain why Varvar occupies such a distinctive place in the Christian metal underground.
The nine songs range from the crushing opener "This World / Ashes of Lunacy" and "The Lee of Sodomy on the Neck of Russia" to "In the Beast's Claws / Hell," "Hellish Slumber – The Call of Death," and "War for Jerusalem." The original Russian-language performances reinforce the album's powerful and unmistakably Eastern European character.
For years, the original album remained an extremely obscure discovery outside Russia, with physical copies difficult to obtain. Stormspell Records brought the album back in 2023 as a carefully prepared CD reissue, limited to only 300 copies worldwide.
This edition features audio restoration and remastering by Brandon Seyboth at Headroom Labs, preserving the raw energy of the recordings while improving their presentation for modern listeners. The 8-page booklet includes lyrics, band information, and photographs translated into English—an especially valuable feature for listeners encountering Varvar's Russian-language material for the first time.
Collectors will also appreciate the inclusion of two historical cover-art variations, representing the artwork originally intended by the band and the alternate design used for the Melodia Records LP release.
The Bestial Abyss Will Kill You is a genuinely unusual chapter in Christian heavy metal history: raw, uncompromising, deeply atmospheric, and filled with the kind of character that underground collectors treasure. Those who enjoy discovering obscure international metal will find plenty to explore here.
For Fans Of: Manilla Road, The Lord Weird Slough Feg, early Adramelch, Liege Lord, Grave Digger, Motörhead, and obscure traditional heavy metal.
🎤 Band Personnel & Production
Anatoly Stepanov — Vocals
Alexander Efimov — Guitar
Alexander Ksenofontov — Bass
Igor Andreev — Drums
Original Recording Engineer: Alexey Barashkin
Original Artwork: Andrey Krupnov
CD Audio Restoration & Remastering: Brandon Seyboth, Headroom Labs
CD Reissue Label: Stormspell Records
📀 Recording & Release History
1986 — The Beginning
Varvar formed in Velikie Luki, Russia, with roots in the earlier hard rock band Pyramida. The group's original name was Varvariy, meaning "The Barbarians."
1994 — Original Album
The band recorded and released its distinctive mixture of Orthodox Christian themes and raw traditional heavy metal, creating an album that would eventually attract international underground metal collectors.
2023 — Stormspell Records Reissue
The album received a limited American CD edition, with remastered audio and an English-translated booklet documenting the recordings.
Collector Edition
Limited to 300 copies worldwide, with 8-page booklet, two artwork variations, and jewel case packaging.
🎵 Complete Tracklist
- This World / ASHES OF LUNACY / — 4:58
- The Lee of Sodomy on the Neck of Russia — 3:46
- Betrayed by Their Father and Betrayers of Their Children — 3:44
- In the Beast's Claws / HELL / — 3:49
- Hellish Slumber The Call of Death / UNDYING LOVE / — 5:08
- Demented Babylon Elders / NO MERCY / — 4:39
- Rostyslav Dikiy / OBITUARY / — 1:50
- War for Jerusalem / STALKERS OF BLACK HEARTS / — 4:12
- Prisoner / THROUGH FROST AND DARKNESS / — 3:21
Track Titles: This World / ASHES OF LUNACY / The Lee of Sodomy on the Neck of Russia / Betrayed by Their Father and Betrayers of Their Children / In the Beast's Claws / HELL / Hellish Slumber The Call of Death / UNDYING LOVE / Demented Babylon Elders / NO MERCY / Rostyslav Dikiy / OBITUARY / War for Jerusalem / STALKERS OF BLACK HEARTS / Prisoner / THROUGH FROST AND DARKNESS
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