Këkht Aräkh

 Review of Pale Swordsman (2021)

Behind Pale Swordsman stands Dmitry “Crying Orc” Marchenko – a one-man artist from Mykolaiv, Ukraine. He previously released the demo Through The Branches To Eternity (2018) and the debut album Night & Love (2019). With Pale Swordsman, he refined a contrasting lo-fi aesthetic – where raw black metal meets vulnerable piano balladry. His name combines mythological healing and poisoning, and his pseudonym emphasizes the balance between strength and sensitivity. 

Pale Swordsman

Released : April 10 , 2021

Label      : Livor Mortis (original release)

Reissued by Sacred Bones Record in December 2022 , on CD , casette and vinyl.

I stumbled upon this Ukrainian dynamite by coincidence — whether it was a recommendation or a random clip, I honestly don’t remember. But if someone sent it my way, I owe you a serious thank you.

On first listen, Pale Swordsman didn’t quite land. It felt distant, almost out of reach. But there was something in that lo-fi aesthetic that lingered — raw and cold, like it needed darkness and silence to truly reveal itself. So I shut myself in. No lights, no distractions. Just me and the album.

And then it opened up.
A world of grief, romance, poetry, and desperation.
A voice not trying to impress — but to survive.
The piano in “Thorns” feels like a knife to the chest — tender, yet brutal.
“Amor” and “In the Garden” are beautiful works, written in blood and mist.

Pale Swordsman isn’t just music. It’s a state of being.
And the next record? I’m already looking forward to it.

Rating : 9/10