* ORIGINALLY FEATURED IN SCRAWLSHOP ZINE

AN ALBUM THAT IS VERY HARD TO GRASP ON ITS INITIAL LISTENS. BUT STARTS TO GROW ON YOU AFTER SUCCEEDING PLAYBACKS AND WON'T LET GO. BELIEVE ME, MY MIND KEPT PLAYING PARTS OF SONGS LONG AFTER PLAYING THE ALBUM.

THE NEWEST OFFERING FROM THESE BLACK METAL VETERANS' SIDE PROJECT IS ONE MIND-BENDING TRIP FROM START TO FINISH. THE MUSIC IS AN ENCHANTING PIECE OF WORK WHICH IS HARD TO CLASSIFY AND HARDER TP PUT ON PAPER. THE MOST APPROPRIATE THING I COULD CALL THIS IS AVANT-GARDE. IT IS ALMOST NON-METAL. MOST OF THE SONGS ARE SAD, SLOW AND ENCHANTING WHICH OWE A LOT TO THE NUMEROUS KEYBOARD TEXTURES. SOMETIMES IT'S SILLY SOUNDING, FOLKISH, UP-TEMPO, BLACK METALLISH AND AT TIMES, JUST PLAIN WEIRD. AS FOR GARM'S VOCALS (SIMEN SINGS ON TRACK 3), THEY'RE NOT THE NORMAL KIND OF SINGING WE ARE USED TO. THEY ARE PHRASED VERY DIFFERENTLY GIVING A MEDIEVAL AND THEATRICAL FEELING OF SOME SORT. CHANTING COULD BE ONE TERM TO DESCRIBE IT. THE LEAD GUITARS ARE EXCELLENT TOO WHICH ADD MORE BEAUTIFUL MELODIES TO THE ECLECTIC MIX. VARIOUS SOUNDS AND INSTRUMENTS ARE FEATURED LIKE VIOLINS, WEIRD DIGITAL NOISES AND LOOPS WHICH SHOOT IN AND OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COMPOSITIONS. DAMN, THERE'S EVEN A DRUM & BASS PART IN ONE OF THE TRACKS (I'M NOT SAYING WHERE, YOU HAVE TO FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF). THAT'S HOW EXPERIMENTAL THIS RECORDING IS.

OH, WHEN YOU PLAY THE FIRST TRACK QUICLY REWIND IT A BIT AND SEE IF YOU'LL LIKE WHAT YOU'LL HEAR.

This review is credited to:
DEATHCRAYON