I don't follow Russian music much. I know almost nothing about Russian punk. I'm interested now that I'm pretty jazzed about Fatum and Distress.
What I do recognize is that Fatum is a good, sharply capable band. You can tell they, or someone(s) in the band, have a great ear for homage and mimicry. They seem like a band that is having fun, playing their influences. That's not to say they aren't serious in their pursuits, though. They wouldn't get the results if they were just screwing around. Their 2018 album, Edge of the Wild, is my favorite so far. It's a combination of Venom/Cronos vocals with a good dose of Nausea/Roy drumming and Nausea songs and feel. Check out the album opener. Whoever does their production, and possibly the same person/people with that smart ear, really knows how to get a sound. I sense the singer is one of those people who can do impressions. If you listen to this new album, and then go back and listen to their Hellhammer and Bathory covers, you can tell he has a talent for mimicking a voice. They're thorough. They also have a cool Sedition/Scatha/Scottish visual aesthetic that I appreciate.
New to me, though they just celebrated a 15 year anniversary, is Distress. I have to mention them in the same frame as Fatum because they also have a great ear for sound. That talent stands out. I haven't heard everything they've done, but so far, I've heard high quality Dis- and 90's Swedish HC. I'm liking what I've heard a lot. I sort of went down a hole with the Distress members, checking out Cyanide and Karzer; both being quality as well.
Any other bands that stand out to you?