A Must Have For True Music/Art Lovers
Christopher Laferrera | So. Plainfield,NJ | 03/28/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Written by Draomere
Well, I must start by saying that when I first got this album I was easily just expecting some wild dark ambient atmosphere combined to some more so progressive black metal riffs. What I got was a major concoction of epic dark ambient symphonics with extreme melodic death metal riffing combined with an overall black metal atmosphere. This album is fully on the extreme side of metal. The album is full of brilliant drum programmed blast beats that only add to the intensity and epic feel it presents. And yes, the album is only 4 tracks long, but you get the same experience out of it that you would a 8 or 10 track album full of the same style.
A Scream to Express the Hate of a Race is probably the best representative track of the album. It begins with a solemn, yet powerful organ intro and immediately jumps into Vladimir's intense harsh vocals, blast beats, and intricate chord riffs. It almost feels as if a church laid in ruin whilst an epic battle was taking place around it. Nothing ever clashes in the song; every riff change melts perfectly into the next. The most notable part of the song is where the music takes a sudden drop in sound and all you hear is Vladimir's clean vocals reach through in a (yet again) solemn, yet powerful interlude, and just as immediately as it came it dropped back into the epic sound accompanied by his clean vocals. The song ends just as brilliant as it begins, leaving no wholes for you to lose attention.
Mortphose is a continuation in the previous song. It has an obviously different sound, but mixing in so well in comparison to the first one. This song shows some of the more accessible moments of the music. The music is somewhat less intense as the first, but don't let that keep you from being uninterested. For it has just as many beautiful moments as previously.
De l'Échec et de son Essentialité (Point 1. Marginalité Démystifiée) starts off with a much more ambient sound. I feel the main purpose was to calm the listener for a good minute in order to comprehend what comes next. Slowly the opening riff comes in with the same ambience still being shadowed in the melody, and the intensity arises when the blast beat programming comes in and you are once again enthralled with the intense and emotional feel of the song. And thus far, everything about the album has probably enthused you to keep listening.
Ils Brandiront leurs Idoles is the final track of the album. After 3 previously long and enthralling songs, the final song strikes you. With the fullest symphonics that are shown in the album. It then quites down, and the song slowly catches it paces and continues to reside at a medium pace of soothing symphonics, intricate riffing, and moderate well implemented blast beats. This song somewhat differs from the rest of the album. It's a 22 minute song with a more atmospheric crushing sound rather than an intense epic in your face sound. Let that not discourage you because you will be just as interested in the atmosphere of the song as you were in the intensity of the previous tracks. This track shows basically all color from the entire album, while not being as intense as the previous. It still has it's own originality and similar influence in order to keep your attitude of the length at on par levels. I wouldn't say I appreciated this track the most on the album, but I'm very glad that the album managed to actually shift in style, yet still keep the atmosphere each song before it had. If your at all interested in intense epic black metal, this album CAN NOT go overlooked
"
Brilliant, Complex, Intriguing
Metal Queen | Portland, Oregon | 04/23/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I can't believe this band. They are the most complex, fascinating, mix of neo-classical, black, viking and straight up rock I've ever heard. They are truly creative artists in the black metal world. And as much as I love black metal, it needs some creative diversions at times. Highly recommend this band. They will totally surprise you with creativity and brilliance."