Valentin Silvestrov composed Requiem for Larissa between 1997 and 1999 as a memorial to his wife, musicologist Larissa Bondarenko, who died in 1996. It is a big and unceasingly somber work, scored for chorus and orchestra. Understandably, this Requiem is to a degree reflective, incorporating musical themes drawn from older works that had special meaning to the couple. While Silvestrov's typically glacial tempos are in evidence here, some of the opening half of the piece has an angular spikiness that recalls serial techniques without actively engaging in them. Instrumentally, Requiem for Larissa is dark, atmospheric, and even a little cinematic; the choral parts are sparse and minimally applied. In the fourth-movement Largo, the voices take over and settle down into an ethereal texture that leavens the gloom somewhat, but by this time 25-and-a-half minutes have gone by and some listeners will have already tuned out owing to the toughness of the opening section.Requiem for Larissa is an intensely personal piece performed with respect and care by the Ukrainian National Chorus and Symphony Orchestra under conductor Vladimir Sirenko.

“The Realms of Fire and Death” is a concept album with a strong story-telling, metaphors and symbols. It is divided into three major parts, each consisting of 3 songs. Each part outlines a separate story, bringing the themes of fire and death from different perspectives. Musically, “The Realms of Fire and Death” is a modern-sounding metal album, featuring the dynamics of shifting from lighter to more brutal parts, and yet, preserving the melodic side of it. While earlier the band was working towards a symphonic direction, the melodic side in the new album is executed through various synths and electronic sounds.