Hymnes Funeraires

Hypomanie – Calm Down, You Weren’t Set On Fire

Zamo — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:16:53 +0000

Band: Hypomanie
Country: Netherlands
Style: blackgaze / shoegaze
Label: Valse Sinistre Productions

Hypomanie, the solo blackgaze / Shoegaze project from Netherlands its at the third full length album in over 4 years. As a black metal project, Hypomanie, started in 2008 but after some time S. decide to abandon the black metal roots as he focused more on a purely instrumental and a shoegaze approach. Still he kept some elements of black metal, as they call it, blackgaze, some elements that give the band its specific touch.

“Calm Down, You Weren’t Set On Fire” is the third full length album of the band and is continuing the same path opened by the EP “She Could not Find a Flower, But There Was Snow”. The most enjoyable part for the listener, when it comes to this purely instrumental approach, shoegazing, is that you can leave everything behind you, there are no limits or restrictions, you can create your own world based on what you’re listening to, and that’s what’s all about, to dream, to let yourself go and experience this post apocalyptic world.

The album keeps a very melodic line, it is easy to listen. The guitars riffs are easy to predict, in fact the drums are also linear, with simple beats. The parts where the songs are increasing in intensity have that distinctive blackgaze influence, with fast riffs and some blastbeats, a legacy from the early black metal days. This kind of passages can be heard very well in Sweet 19 Stars And The Smell Of Cinnamon and Pale Blue.

“Lullabye For Ian” is the song that has the most post rock influences, a very melancholic and depressive song with a combination between dreamy guitar solos and distorted guitars riffs. A real ethereal journey completed by melancholic feelings.

Even if some people could have some complaints about the lack of innovation or variation between tracks, “Calm Down, You Weren’t Set On Fire” is a decent release, with a very ethereal and dreamy atmosphere, completed by some blackgaze elements, merged with the post-rock / shoegaze flavor. From my point of view it is an improvement over the previous release and it will be interesting to see how this evolution of Hypomanie will continue.

Rating 7.8

Tracklist:

1. 19 Stars And The Sweet Smell Of Cinnamon
2. Alissa Loves Perfume
3. If Only The Seas Were Merciful
4. Lullabye For Ian
5. Pale Blue
6. You Never Listened To The Birds

Links:

Hypomanie on Myspace

Valse Sinistre Productions

Free download HERE : Hypomanie – Calm down, you weren’t set on fire

Aabsynthum – Inanimus (review)

Zamo — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:05:04 +0000

Band: Aabsynthum
Country: Romania
Style: funeral doom
Label: Marche Funebre Productions

Aabsynthum, for those who know and are familiar with funeral doom and the lesser known bands, might have heard of them since the launch of their first disc, “Non Forms … regressus ad Origin”, a disc which at that time was among the first (if not first, I’m not sure) full funeral doom album in Romania.
For those less familiar with them, at this time Aabsynthum is a one man band, hailing from Romania, it started in 2007 and two years later, in 2009, “Non Forms … regressus ad Origin” the first full length album was released.

Inanimus, is the second album of the band, released in 2011, all instruments, vocals, mixed, mastered, photos and cover are made by Groza Gabriel, the man behind Aabshynthum. We can easily say that Inanimus is his full work and creation. The production of the album was made by Marche Funebre Productions, a Russian label that launched among others “Not A Gleam Of Hope” – Comatose Vigil and “My Life Your Death” from Funeral Tears.

Without too much discussion leading towards “Non Forms … regressus ad Origin”, the production of Inanimus is superior and more mature, especially in terms of composition and sound.
It is a typical funeral doom album with three very long songs, with an average of 20 minutes / song, plus an intro and an outro. It is a very oppressive, heavy, yet not boring album, with a certain inclination (or so it seems) toward the Russian funeral doom scene. I could easily put the band’s album next to Comatose Vigil’s, so you can form an idea of how it sounds.

Inanimus is haunting us with slow, oppressive tempo, typical for funeral doom, imposing heavy riffs and a really dark and morbid atmosphere. I can say it’s a very imposing burial process, by its sound the album really gives you this impression. I really need to emphasize “Are Themselves Simple Thoughts…”, from my point of view, the best song on the album and also to congratulate the very inspired move to use the cello throughout the song. “Are Themselves Simple Thoughts…” has absolutely everything you’d want in funeral doom, heavy riffs supported by those long cello passages, passages that create a very dark atmosphere, gloomy, even depressive. Very good deep guttural vocals during the song (and album) and trough the end, after this slow funeral march , some angelic chorus passages, to mark the end of this “funeral ritual”.

Aabsynthum, with Inanimus managed to create a real Marche Funebre audition, a real good album for those interested in funeral doom and for those who like a very slow, dark and gloomy atmospheric music

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Tracklist

1. Initium
2. Are Themselves Simple Thoughts…
3. …at the Hour of Death
4. That Comes Before the Final… Rest
5. Clausula

Links:

www.myspace.com/aabsynthum

www.reverbnation.com/aabsynthum

Shining set to release new Ep

Zamo — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:27:59 +0000

Swedish black metallers Shining are set to release an EP of cover songs with a choice of material that will come as a surprise to many of the band’s fans. The four-track EP, titled Lots Of Girls Gonna Get Hurt, includes tracks from Katatonia, Kent, Imperiet and Poets Of The Fall, and is due for release via Spinefarm Records on May 16th. Whilst Katatonia is an internationally recognised name, Kent and Thåström’s Imperiet are relatively unknown outside of Sweden, where they are two of the country’s biggest names, and Poets Of The Fall is a Finnish band with a substantial following in their own country. Cover art is by Pauline Greefhorst.

Commenting on the decision to release an EP of covers, as well as on the choice of material, Shining’s front man and founder Niklas Kvarforth had this to say: “In no way should this EP be seen as a new direction for Shining, and it is absolutely no indication of what you can expect from our upcoming eighth album. Like most musicians neither myself, nor the rest of the band, restrict ourselves to listening to only one genre of music. We all have eclectic tastes, and finding ourselves with some spare time in the studio, we recorded a total of six covers, and decided to release four of them. This EP simply represents some of the artists and music that we like. We know that those fans of Shining who limit themselves to a narrow musical spectrum will hate the album, but that really is of no concern to us.”

Shining‘s eighth, as yet untitled, full-length album will be released in autumn of this year.

Source: Shining official facebook.com

Din Brad – Dor (review)

Zamo — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:39:33 +0000

Band: Din Brad
Country: Romania
Style: traditional Romanian soundscape / neofolk
Label: Prophecy Productions

Din Brad, the side project of two members of the current Negura Bunget, Negru and Inia Dinia, has been a long mystery to many of us. It has been announced as “neofolk” project, some time ago, but with the departure of Hupogrammos and Sol Faur from the band it was said that Din Brad would carry on Negru’s vision of Negura Bunget. Strictly, from this point of view, the things were soon clear, Negura Bunget would continue its work but with a different line-up, Dordeduh was created by Hupogrammos and Soul Faur, the only project that was still a mystery remained “Din Brad”.

The waiting for the first Din Brad material, English for “from the fir tree,” lasted until 2011 when the band recorded its first album entitled “Dor” (Yearning, Longing in English).
To my surprise “Dor” is focused very much on the traditional Romanian music. It is an album inspired one hundred percent by Romanian folklore, an album with 11 songs divided between a personal view on authentic Romanian traditional music and traditional songs, sung by local performers.

The fir tree, longing, these two elements may seem ordinary to some, but they manage to create that strong link between traditions and those far away, isolated and forgotten lands and places. There, the purity of these feelings and lyrics that are found in the songs haven’t lost their true meaning.
I never had the impression that we, as a nation, are the most joyful people out there. Grief, longing, this two feelings are the main themes of traditional Romanian music and specific to our nation, this songs are called “Doină”.

Din Brad – Dor, as a whole, is a doină, a melancholic and mournful 40 minute experience. “Dor” is exploring this emblematic feelings.
It’s like they say, a traditional Romanian soundscape, imbued with traditional instruments, a specific theme of this area and pure folklore. All of these elements describe “Dor” as a unique Romanian feature.

The album should be viewed separately, not as a direct connection between Din Brad and Negura Bunget. I’m sure many have thought about it or they were expecting it. Some similarities can be found on keyboards, which renders the atmosphere that is found in some Negura Bunget songs. We are used with Negru handling the drums, but perhaps we were not expecting female voices on this project. The vocals on “Dor” are provided by Alma and Inia Dinia. To be honest I have a problem with the vocals, the interpretation often lacks any substance, it is more like a recitation, simply it does not seem strong enough, it does not wake any feelings.

“Dor uses traditional authentic Romanian folklore music as a way to capture forgotten times and feelings”, indeed, this is what it does, it is a way to preserve and spread our traditions, music and ancestral folklore.

Tracklist:

1. Amar

2. Imbratisat de dor

3. Poarce’n Suflet Greu Pacatu

4. Doina

5. Cîntecul Cununei

6. Dor

7. Of, of, viata

8. Durere

9. Foaie Verde, Odolean

10 Cine Iubeste si Lasa

11 Bradule, Bradutule

Links

www.dinbrad.com
www.facebook.com/dinbrad
www.myspace.com/dinbrad

Din Brad – Dor stream available

Zamo — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:28:41 +0000

DIN BRAD’s debut album “Dor” is now available! It can be obtained in two different physical editions from common record retailers and Prophecy’s online shop:

- Digipak CD (14.99 Euro incl. worldwide shipping)
- Limited collector’s edition: Digipak CD wrapped up in hamp cloth and tied up with a hamp rope, incl. handnumbered and signed certificate, ltd. 150! (22.99 Euro incl. worldwide shipping)
“Dor” @ Prophecy’s online shop

The entire album is also available for free streaming on Prophecy’s Youtube channel:
“Dor” @ Youtube

LOTUS CIRCLE and GRISATRE new albums

Zamo — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 17:55:11 +0000

GRISATRE “Esthaetique” digipack CD

Cat. Number : dusk010
Country : France
Format : digipack CD (w/8page booklet)

Barcode : 8002565023908
File : Ambient Black Metal
Shipping date : Now
Download info-selling sheet PDF : here
Audio samples : click here
Buy online : here

Tracklist :
Intro | L’Abstrait | L’Impression | Opus Demen

Esthaetique is the second Grisatre full length album on Dusktone label. This time Rokkr created a personal journey perhaps even more introspective and oppressive than the previous acclaimed “L’idée De Dieu” album.
Grisatre involve the listener in a timeless and emotionally expansive trave of discovery, evaluation and reflection over the course of the album’s 45 minutes.

Grisâtre produces a music aiming at the call of the feelings which take to the reflexion, to the discovery of an unconscious occult knowledge, it’s also a personal representation of visions, perceptions. A vision Artistically metaphysical.. Grisâtre is an idea (Conceptually).

LOTUS CIRCLE “Caves” digipack CD

Cat. Number : dusk009
Country : Greece
Format : digipack CD

Barcode : 8002565023786
File : Esoteric Doom Drone
Download info-selling sheet PDF : here
Audio samples : click here
Buy online : here

Tracklist :
…to witness under the stars | dawn of a dead sun | secret entities | from the depths | plutonian funeral

Lotus Circle’s sound expression is based on an experimental karma of genres such as Doom, drone, black Metal, noise/electronic music always under the sign of a spiritual Inner Ritualism. “Caves” is a truly monster of warm and enveloping drone bringing the listener to an unknown and somewhat psychedelic level.

After five years from the previous praised ”Bottomless Vales and Boundless Floods” album, LOTUS CIRCLE are back for a new spiritual catharsis...

Fading Waves – The sense of space (review)

Zamo — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:53:58 +0000

Band: Fading Waves
Country: Russia
Style: Post Metal
Label: Slow Burn Records

Honestly, this is the first time when I have contact with this band, and from what I’ve seen, Fading Waves is a one-man, Rostov on Don-based post-metal project. The man behind this project is Alexey Maximuk, also “The sense of space”, the album we’re going to talk about is the first full length release.

The album begins with “Airs” a short song of 2 minutes and 45 seconds, call it a short intro for “The Sense of Space” album. 2 minutes of eerie music, some spacey and really atmospheric sounds effects. In the background you can hear some voices, it’s like someone’s talking over the radio, something that makes you immediately think of those space missions seen on Tv.
Although “Airs” is not last long, that calm atmosphere continues with “Flashes”. We find the same passages of synths that bring the feeling of infinity, some calm guitar notes and something I was really not expecting, an angelic female vocal.All these elements are clearly described in the lyrics, they create a image “Imagine how you sail in these clouds, slowly, lying on your back”. Well, this is how the song sounds like.

“Destroying the time”, the third song on the album is a little bit more aggressive, it starts with some distorted guitar riffs, some fast drum rhythms and it keeps its intensity until the end. I was really pleasant surprised when the harsh vocals made their appearance. I heard something familiar with “Snohtbaen Son”.
“Perforated the time” is a mix between “The Sense of Space” and “Destroying the time”, a blend between what is worldly and celestial.

The final song on the album, “Through the veins” hits you hard, right from the start with some really heavy drumming, there’s a lot of energy into this song. After 2 minutes played, we have again those harsh vocals, but somewhere at the middle of the song, the intensity starts to drop and the female vocals appear. This moment of calmness is short, the ending is yet again very energetic, quite apocalyptic, insane guitar riffs, hard drum beats, this ending goes straight trough your veins.

The album is more worldly than the name says, “The sense of space”, only the beginning of the album gives the sensation of space, infinite and silence. After the first two songs that spacey feeling is slowly fading away, all becomes “mortal”, rushed, harsh and explosive. “The sense of space” is good release, something for the people who like the “metal” approach in the post rock movement, well yeah, that’s why it’s called post metal.

Rating: 8

Tracklist:
1. Air
2. Destroying the time
3. Perforate the sky
4. Through the veins

Links:

Label: Slow Burn Records
Official Site – http://fadingwavesband.com/
Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/fadingwavesband

Cold Body Radiation – Deer Twillight (review)

Zamo — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:48:18 +0000

Band: Cold Body Radiation
Country: Netherlands
Style: Blackgaze/Post-Rock
Label: Dusktone

“Deer Twillight” is the second release of the Holland’s shoegaze black metal band Cold Body Radiation. After the high worldwide acclaimed first album “The great white emptiness”, Cold Body Radiation are back with another interesting studio album.

Released at the end of 2011, “Deer Twillight” is an album quite hard to classify, just like the previous release. The first song of the album, the song that also gives the album its name, directly induce you into a very dreamy and atmospheric world. If we’re going to talk about the whole album, the elements that gave “The great white emptiness” its black shoegaze “flavor”, the aggressive touch, have almost disappeared. Even if there are enough distorted guitar passages, those passages lack in power and depth. The “Deer Twillight” album is heading more towards the post rock / Shoegaze scene.

After the first three songs, the one who stands out a bit is “The night reveals”. The beginning is very similar to what is heard through the newest post rock scene, some very spacey guitar riffs for the intro, but after that the song catches in intensity through some really nice blast beats. This drums have a post punk touch, giving the song a real good pace. The vocal part on this song is present only trough the end of the song and it’s mostly whispered.
“Concept of Forever” is the only song that recalls most of the blackgaze concept or call it a metal song. The blast beats are also present in this song, screamed vocals, high tempo guitar riffs, but even so, after a period of time the song loses in intensity.

The entire album has lost some of the intensity found in “The great white emptiness”, yet the album won some points in songwriting. The big difference between “The Deer Twillight” and “The great white emptiness” is that the last release has a big inclination towards the post rock / Shoegaze scene, it’s a more cosmic. calming release and less metal.
The album is dreamy, the emphasis is put more on clean guitar passages, all of this giving the song a melancholic, atmospheric and even psychedelic feeling. Sure, I miss the black and metal touch from their first release, but I’m sure quite a few people will enjoy this release, especially if you’re into the post rock scene.

Rating : 7.5

Tracklist:
1. Deer Twillight
2. Make Believe
3. The Night reveals
4. Shimmer
5. A change of pace
6. Concept of forever
7. Yes, maybe the stars

Links:
www.dusktone.eu
myspace.com/coldbodyradiation

Swallow The Sun EU Tour

Zamo — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:03:17 +0000

Finnish melodic death/doom metallers Swallow The Sun have announced an European tour with British gothic metallers Paradise Lost for May.

Since their last tour, back in 2010, the band is really eager to play as Paradise Lost direct support in this European Tour.

The band issued the following statement on their website: “For years we have thought that us and Paradise Lost would be a perfect line-up for a tour, and now it’s coming to reality: we’re happy and proud to join them on their European tour as their direct support! It’s been a while since our last tour back in 2010, and we’re excited to be back – see you on the road!”

Tour dates:

02.05. – Tivoli, Utrecht, The Netherlands
03.05. – Den Atelier, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
04.05. – La Rodia, Besancon, France
05.05. – Le Transbordeur, Villeurbanne, Lyon, France
06.05. – Le Bikini, Toulouse, France
07.05. – Stereolux, Nantes, France
09.05. – Bataclan, Paris, France
10.05. – Le 106, Rouen, France
11.05. – Batschkapp, Frankfurt, Germany
12.05. – Matrix, Bochum, Germany
14.05. – Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark
15.05. – Sticky Fingers, Gothenburg, Sweden
16.05. – Debaser, Stockholm, Sweden
17.05. – KB, Malmö, Sweden
19.05. – Gruenspan, Hamburg, Germany
20.05. – Essibfabrik, Köln, Germany
21.05. – Backstage, Munich, Germany
22.05. – Arena, Vienna, Austria

In addition, the band will be playing the following Metalfest shows:

31.05. – Metalfest Open Air Austria, Mining, Austria
01.06. – Metalfest Open Air Germany East, Dessau, Germany
08.06. – Metalfest Open Air Germany West, Loreley, Germany
10.06. – Metalfest Switzerland, Pratteln, Switzerland

Source: swallowthesun.net
Event: Swallow The Sun + Paradise Lost: European Tour 2012

Ea – fourth album (review)

Zamo — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 21:16:47 +0000

The fourth album of this mysterious band appeared as an unexpected postscript to the previously released trilogy. This new untitled work represented by a single monolith track has no musical and ideological connections to the trilogy; however, it presents further progress of Ea ideas.

The fourth album of the band has a very apocalyptic start, low tuned piano passages backed up by a very haunting noise in the background. It really gives you the impression of a corroded world, a grey and empty landscape. The funeral part is not far away, is starts right away as the “intro” is over, low tuned and monotonous guitar riffs, hypnotizing drums and very atmospheric keyboards.
The album grows in intensity and after 6 minutes the keyboards are transforming in a somewhat apocalyptic chorus, foretelling the disaster that will follow. Low growled vocals followed by destroying drums … all is over, nothing remains, the keyboards take the form of a cathedral sound accompanied by a choir, a choir that seems to confirm that everything has passed away, amplifying the sensation created.

This moment can be interpreted as a transition to a second part of the song (minute 9-10), the pace is constant, in a funeral doom way, a choir atmosphere, low growled vocals and some catchy guitar solos. This is a full process of recovery, when the world starts to catch live, a moment of contemplation that can be heard from minute 16.

This constant struggle, this battle from the start is far from over, everything is going in a circle, the next moment of intensity starts in the 24th minute, there’s a constant growth in pace, the vocals are more similar to black metal rather than Doom, all of this details are accompanied by some fast drumming and sorrowful guitar solos, but after this, there is the silence again … although this time it seems that the result is quite different, something has changed. There is no more recovery, you have the impression that everything is just taking another form, all of the surrounding places are transforming in a cold, gloomy and haunting funeral atmosphere.

Perhaps everyone will imagine their own world when listening to Ea, therefore I believe that any review of a very atmospheric and funeral doomish song, that is about 47 minutes can be resumed only to your own imagination and association between sound and images. So, if you want to create your own world you need to listen to this album. The album is unique, as Ea used us with, it is very atmospheric and a progress of their ideas.

Rating 8.5

Tracklist :
1. Ea

Links:

http://solitude-prod.com/blog/

Buy CD here