doom metal / black metal / dark ambient
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Wait, what is this now? Somehow Cimmerian Shade records managed to releases yet another strange and confusing album which defies genre limitations without losing the dark, haunting atmosphere. I often encounter bands who seem to do whatever it takes to let out their anger, frustration and deepest inner-emotions and I almost always like the music they make. Perhaps I'm a bit too open-minded for this job but hey, that's not my problem.
Let's start with Gurthang, a band from Poland. The act started out in 2009, first as a one-man project. Gradually however, the band gained members and a few line-up changes later, they seem to be complete. Originally, this was a death/doom metal project but things seem to have changed over the years. What we get on this album is repetitive industrial doom metal, enhanced by some blackened elements. Especially opener 'Illuminate' is highly immersive and a strong piece of work. 'Arise' shows the full-frontal blackened approach while 'LCVI' combines Deutsch Nepal style industrial with downtuned guitars and a crushing atmosphere. Nice work.
Deutsch Nepal also seem to have been an influence for Beyond Life. Their contribution begins with a ritual industrial track in 'Psychopath's Mind', complete with some harsh noise elements. 'Heavy Rain' blends an eerie vocal sample with psychedelic guitar noise, while 'The Burial Ride' seem to have some post-rock influences hidden beneath the wall-of-sound. Closer 'Driven By Melancholy' is quite a nice and calm rock ballad where I can sense the presence of Pink Floyd a bit. In four tracks, this act certainly delivered an overview of their influences.
In all, this is quite an interesting split, highly recommended to anyone who is open-minded enough to take on several genres at once. So check it out if you're curious about where your musical preference can lead to. You'll be surprised...
Serge
Let's start with Gurthang, a band from Poland. The act started out in 2009, first as a one-man project. Gradually however, the band gained members and a few line-up changes later, they seem to be complete. Originally, this was a death/doom metal project but things seem to have changed over the years. What we get on this album is repetitive industrial doom metal, enhanced by some blackened elements. Especially opener 'Illuminate' is highly immersive and a strong piece of work. 'Arise' shows the full-frontal blackened approach while 'LCVI' combines Deutsch Nepal style industrial with downtuned guitars and a crushing atmosphere. Nice work.
Deutsch Nepal also seem to have been an influence for Beyond Life. Their contribution begins with a ritual industrial track in 'Psychopath's Mind', complete with some harsh noise elements. 'Heavy Rain' blends an eerie vocal sample with psychedelic guitar noise, while 'The Burial Ride' seem to have some post-rock influences hidden beneath the wall-of-sound. Closer 'Driven By Melancholy' is quite a nice and calm rock ballad where I can sense the presence of Pink Floyd a bit. In four tracks, this act certainly delivered an overview of their influences.
In all, this is quite an interesting split, highly recommended to anyone who is open-minded enough to take on several genres at once. So check it out if you're curious about where your musical preference can lead to. You'll be surprised...
Serge
