Raksol (2020) - Patriarkh

Raskol (stylized in Cyrillic as РАСКОЛ) is a 2020 EP released by Bartłomiej Krysiuk’s version of Batushka, now continuing under the name Patriarkh. Arriving in the wake of the infamous split with Krzysztof Drabikowski, Raskol marks a pivotal artistic statement—rooted in both personal and theological schism. The title itself references the 17th-century divide within the Russian Orthodox Church, called the Raskol, a historical backdrop that cleverly mirrors the very public rupture in the band’s own legacy. The EP immerses the listener in dark ritualism, a cloistered mood of exile, betrayal, and spiritual yearning.

The tracklist for Raskol is:

1. Irmos I

2. Irmos II

3. Irmos III

4. Irmos IV

5. Irmos V

Each piece follows the liturgical naming convention of “Irmos,” which are hymns sung in the Orthodox Church as part of canon sequences. In this context, they serve as metaphysical rungs on a ladder descending toward inner fracture—ritualistic, echoing, and solemn. The EP weaves chanting and monastic vocal stylings with a blackened production style, though it leans less into raw aggression and more into atmosphere and theater. The guitars are drenched in reverb, serving more as a backdrop for religious immersion than as a vehicle for metallic ferocity.

Unlike Litourgiya or even Hospodi, Raskol trades in overt heaviness for a more processional experience—intended less to incite, and more to envelop. The clean vocals and Gregorian-style chants are given generous space in the mix, making the EP feel like a service for mourners of unity, both ecclesiastical and musical.

Though short in length, Raskol plays like a conceptual lamentation. It doesn’t seek to reclaim the original vision of Batushka but instead tries to reforge it through the lens of Krysiuk’s own vision: cleaner, more performative, but still cloaked in the ceremonial gravity fans associate with the band.