Origin: Serbia
Formed: 2014
Location: Ĺ id, Srem, Vojvodina
Genre: Black Metal / Dark Ambient
Status: Split‑up (2016)
Label: Jesboligakurac Records
Themes: Evil, Darkness, Satanism, Blasphemy
RÄ‘a (“Rust”) was a short‑lived but memorable project from Ĺ id, active between 2014 and 2016, operating at the intersection of raw black metal and dark ambient. Their sound was abrasive, hostile, and deliberately corroded—true to the project’s name. RÄ‘a belonged to that micro‑wave of mid‑2010s Serbian underground acts that embraced lo‑fi extremity, occult hostility, and a sense of decaying atmosphere rather than melodic or technical refinement.
Their debut demo Black (2014) introduced the project’s core aesthetic: primitive riffs, cavernous vocals, and a bleak ambient undercurrent. The 2015 EP Rusty Horns expanded this palette with more ritualistic textures, while the final demo Cold Skin (2015) pushed further into frostbitten minimalism. Though the band dissolved in 2016, their track “Vrištajuće stene” appeared on the Serbian Black Metal Compilation (2017), preserving their presence in the regional archive.
RÄ‘a’s lineup connected them to several important nodes in the Serbian underground. Guitarist/bassist Igor Poprocki (Soul Butcher, Vladar, ex‑KarakondĹľula) brought a death‑tinged edge, while vocalist Pakost—a prolific figure across Anality, Aura Mortis, Mortuary Hearse, and others—infused the project with a venomous, ritualistic vocal presence. Drummer SrÄ‘an Stambolija (ex‑Maroth) completed the trio during their active years.
Despite their brief existence, Rđa remains a distinct entry in the Srem black‑metal lineage: corrosive, hostile, and steeped in the aesthetics of decay.
Igor Poprocki – Guitars, Bass
Soul Butcher, Vladar, ex‑Karakondžula, ex‑Atomski Rat, ex‑Morbidoom
Pakost – Vocals
Anality, Aura Mortis, Deadspawned, Flesh Cult, Light Denied, Mortuary Hearse, ex‑BegUsToStop, ex‑Crnobog, ex‑Redenik, ex‑Karakondžula (live), Thorntree, ex‑Navtepheret, ex‑Shovel
Srđan Stambolija – Drums
ex‑Maroth