Some works of art are born in peace, carefully nurtured in stillness; others claw their way into existence from the rubble of catastrophe. Picasso’s Guernica, Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony, Celan’s postwar poetry—each is a testament that creation persists even when civilization collapses. One could argue that Heruvim’s Mercator, the Ukrainian band’s first full-length album, belongs to this lineage. Written across borders and recorded amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, under the looming threats of bombardment, conscription, and exile, it feels less like a studio project than an artifact wrested from crisis; a testament that music can outlast even the most … Continue reading Review: Heruvim – Mercator