Trha Ranked
Revised version since I went through the splits. I'm pretty sure I happened across Trha when looking for acclaimed black metal albums of the 2020s on RYM. This dude showed up quite a bit. Damian appears to have the same kind of mental illness Buckethead has where there's a compulsion to record every musical idea that enters their head. But this was a rewarding dive with a lot of really good fruity atmoblack stuff. I bet Damian is quietly seething that the name Cold Fairyland was already taken by a Chinese art rock group, because that perfectly describes Trha's sound. For the splits, the rating on this list will specifically refer to Trha's side only, even if I'll mention the other side in the writeups. List will probably be outdated in a few months anyway when Damian drops another six albums. |
| 30 |  | Acheulean Forests and Trha
Die Macht Der Feenflamme
Rare Trha L. In addition to the Acheulean Forests being trash amateur hour dungeon synth, the Trha side is too fuckin fairy. If fairy Christmas punk is your thing, this is for you, but I only like it sprinkled around longer songs. Feels like Trha is parodying himself. |
| 29 |  | Starcave Nebula / Trha
Starcave Nebula // Trhä
Wow this Starcave Nebula band is pretty shit. Ass production with constant droning whirring whining, waaaaay too monotonous for thirteen goddamn minutes. Actually unlistenable. But anyway, Trha immediately clowns on them with two more aggressive riffy songs... and then can't help but add a happy out of place Christmastime song that wrecks the mood. |
| 28 |  | Trha / Mnima
Trhä // Μνήμα
Pretty straightforward basic black metal, just two songs a little over ten minutes in total. Mnima side is some okay cavernous black metal played across a large basement while some sick grandpa is trying to tell a story. So those vocals mean it kind of blows. |
| 27 |  | Celestial Sword / Trha
Edënohhdlha hálgra tu majtranlh'ha / Ga nëcëcta mo
This split is alright. Celestial Sword is also alright atmoblack. The Trha song is standard slower black metal with keys. Picks up near the end, but then it stops. It's just one good song, so it's down here above the actively bad stuff. |
| 26 |  | Trha / Careus
abcu
Similar to Talcunnana further up the list, I can see this one being quite divisive, and it's very happy sounding. Lots of sugary sweetness, but there's enough of a black metal edge to keep it from becoming self-parody... most of the time. Shout out to the Rihanna riff on the second track. Careus side is clear Trha worship, but with more atmosphere and less riffs than usual. It's okay. |
| 25 |  | Midoran / Trha
zäckar / novaj ilan
Midoran had me until some awful autotuned soundcloud rap section in track 2. It was decent Trha worship otherwise. Trha side has bad crackly production that detracts from some things because we know he can do better, even when sounding raw. Also a bit odd that there's an entire LP of content on this split. But it's standard Trha riffy atmoblack with some keys here and there. |
| 24 |  | Trha
mã Héshiva õn dahh Khata trhândlha vand...
One long, disjointed song that could easily have been split up. Some eclectic moments, but also ones that go on for too long. Some cool things nevertheless. |
| 23 |  | Eliante / Trha
Eliante // Trhä
Eliante's side is okay atmoblack. Trha's side is nice riffy atmoblack with some pleasant keys. Even though the two songs have different production, they're both nice and it's a proper ending that makes it feel complete. |
| 22 |  | Trha
nêbamducel cánsë ulan da gunej
Straight up black metal with a gritty punky edge. But he can't resist putting keys in the last track, lol. It's some good stuff, but it really could have benefitted from another track I feel. The dreaded EP blue balls. |
| 21 |  | Misotheismus / Trha
Misotheismus / Trhä
Misotheismus is some fine standard black metal. Trha also responds in kind with standard black metal, but with a punk-laden sound to it. Trha's second song goes pretty hard, reminds me of Saidan. |
| 20 |  | Trha
Endlhëtonëg
A lot of people really adore this album, but I'm not one of them (it's still pretty good). Filosofem is the biggest comparison here, and I'm not a fan; if you like Filosofem, you'll probably dig the hell out of this album. It's more wintry than that album, and there's actually stuff going on in the ambient sections. There's just a bit too much ambience here for my own tastes, but I can't deny the strong build ups the title track has. |
| 19 |  | Trha
lhum jolhduc
Nice riffy raw atmoblack... but the third track gets too doomy and atmospheric and falls flat for me. |
| 18 |  | Trha
Im Ëmat Gan Líeshtam Namvajno
A more punky sound laden with his uplifting keys and some odd vocal choices. Third track is a silly interlude that's a call holding music at a Christmas store, but I dig it. The last track ends like seven minutes earlier, that ambient outro ain't it. |
| 17 |  | Trha
nêbamΩejn
This is pretty chill and dreamy. There's nice atmosphere and progression, but I feel it ends too soon. Feels like the closer to a longer album we never got the opening to. |
| 16 |  | Trha // Sunset
Trha // Sunset
Pretty good. Feels like a lost track from Nvenlaneg. Sunset side is weird psychedelic atmoblack that sounds like it's coming from beneath the horizon. It's also pretty neat. |
| 15 |  | Trha
tálcunnana dëhajma tun dejl bënatsë abcul’han dlhenisë ëlh inagat..
Perhaps the most divisive release he's done, this is the real first emergence of his "cold fairyland" sound. It's a very sugary journey for sure, but I do like the icy feel the album has. |
| 14 |  | Trha
endlhëdëhaj qáshmëna ëlh vim innivte
Mixes Endlhetoneg with a compilation of every Donkey Kong snow/ice level music. That vibe hits for me more, but it may be too Christmastime for you. |
| 13 |  | Trha
enΩëcunna edëno£sa qud'lhëlh
Has some really muffled production, which was the worst until the split with Midoran. Still gets a little crackly here and there. Manages to make good soundscapes with heavy usage of keys. I feel it'd be a lot better if he didn't sabotage it with bad production. |
| 12 |  | Trha / Sanguine Wounds
Trhä / Sanguine Wounds
Two nice and interesting tracks. Track 1 is raw somber depressive stuff that's pretty good. Then track 2 is really weird, being lo-fi black metal with a lo-fi hip hop beat. It's not as awkward as it sounds. Middle section of the song is standard Trha fare, ending with a different hip hop beat. Kind of impressed by how not awkward it sounds. Sanguine Wounds side ain't bad, solid standard raw black. |
| 11 |  | Trha
av◊ëlajnt◊ë£ hinnem nihre
What the hell this is some weird melodic black stuff with folkish keys. Yo Damian make an album out of this stat, two songs ain't enough. |
| 10 |  | Sankaku / Trha
Sankaku / Trhä Split
Sankaku is some standardish black metal with interjections of Trha-like keys here and there. A little one-note, but the songs are short. Trha, on the other hand, brings his punkiest offering yet here. It goes pretty hard, and seamlessly evolves into incorporating Trha's keys and atmospheric stuff as the songs progress. |
| 9 |  | Trha
lhum'ad'sejja
Icy, biting riffy atmoblack done so cleanly. Last song ends like seven minutes earlier, probably the worst ambient outro Damian's done, ow my ears. But the riffs. |
| 8 |  | Trha / Seht
Dlahdlhë
Why is this song so good? Nice meloblack riffs with some screamo feels here and there. Maybe the flowery arpeggio section goes on for a bit too long, but this song kicks ass. Then the Seht side sucks. It sounds like you're in the parking lot of a concert venue hearing the black metal inside while some dude across the street is playing improv along with keys. And he sucks. Boring and repetitive. |
| 7 |  | Trha
novej qalhnjënno
Excellent riffy atmoblack with more subdued keys than most of his releases. Reminds me of old school symphonic black metal where the keys accentuate the riffs and whatnot. If you listen to his works chronologically, the last track here sets the stage for what could be described as his standard sound. But alas, if only there was one more song. |
| 6 |  | Trha
inagape
Killer riffs and atmosphere. Nice and melancholic. Not sure why the butterfly is the cover art, since that'd fit a lot more things in his discography. Also manages to feel complete despite being two songs and an ambient outro. |
| 5 |  | Trha
Vat Gëlénva!!!
Riffs for days, and basically showcases all of the styles this project pulls off in one package. Definitely has some eclectic parts in later tracks that sound goofy and Christmas-y, but that's part of the charm for me. He manages to make things mesh, at least. |
| 4 |  | Trha
Nvenlanëg
First release was pretty killer. Paysage d'Hiver but more uplifting in sound. |
| 3 |  | Trha
§ºanωë Aglivajsamë Cá Nëlh¶iha
This symbol vomit of an album is really good. More riffy atmoblack with some ambient sections here and there, kind of blackgazey feel, good stuff. |
| 2 |  | Trha
Rhejde Qhaominvac Tla Aglhaonamëc
Bleak and cold, definitely some DSBM influence here. Excellent last track having more of an uplifting feel, as if a battle with inner demons has been won. |
| 1 |  | Trha
alëce iΩic
This is probably a pretentious comparison, but this is Trha we're talking about here and I've probably already made some of those in this list. This is the Program Music I of black metal. I get taken on an adventure every time I give this album a spin. A musical journey laden with whimsical Studio Ghibli feel. The recurring leitmotif in the second track gives me life, and the wall of sound back half of it is euphoric. It's going to be real hard for this to be topped for me. |
|
