Consciousness Removal Project – Tacit | Review

Mar 22 • International News, Releases, Reviews, The Slumbering Ent • 2024 Views

Today we have our own reviewer Raul Singh sharing his thoughts on the album ‘Tacit’ from the one manned post metal outfit, ‘Consciousness Removal Project’.

Consciousness Removal Project – Tacit

Tracklist:
01. Colossus I: Legacy  02:21
02. Mercurial  07:36
03. Colossus II: Thrashing  06:55
04. Decay Practice  04:50
05. Colossus III: Deadlock 07:36
06. Colossus IV: null && void 04:52
07. Lost Mnemonics 03:36
08. The Unknown Known 10:13

This one is a one man project from Finland, and they have been in the scene for quite a while now. Its a shame that most of us haven’t been introduced to this band yet. And yes, they are freaking awesome !!! I had to get my hands on their previous releases before I could put this one down in words, and somehow I did (don’t ask, don’t tell 😛 ). Most of the post-rock/metal bands I’ve been listening to , try to put elements of symphony and shoegaze and mix them up bitterly to call themselves post bands, but not CRP ( I’m lazy!)). I can honestly say to all the post-rock/shoegaze listeners out there, that if you haven’t discovered this band yet, this will be something very, very different then what you’ve been listening to so far.

Tacit starts with a very jazzy intro, in the name of “Colossus I : Legacy”. I’ve always admired the use of Saxophone in post-rock, and CRP knows exactly how to impress me with transitions 😀 ! As you make your way though the album, you start to sense all the minute detailing they have put in the making of this album. Next up “Mercurial”, have some powerful post-metal riffs, and is a delighting composition indeed. It’s actually tough to make something post and not make it sound single toned, but to use the same single toned pitch and cast it into something this beautiful is an art unto itself. The blend of heavy as well as light riffage here, more than deserves acknowledgment. By the time I reached “Colossus II: Thrashing” it looked as if the album is basically about the “Colossus” story, and the rest are all fillers, and by fillers I don’t mean they are not as good as the rest, but they take the role of supporting acts of the branched story the album is trying to convey. “Decay Practice” on the other hand , is deficient of creativity, but then I guess it was not meant to hit home anyway.What follows, are the last 2 tracks of the Colossus series, and shit you not, this guy is a genius. They’ve been designed to deliver a blend of lineal atmospheric silence and heavily distorted riffs that will have the listener fall into an aural trance. “Lost Mnemonics” is a small track, composed to play the bridge between the end of the Colossus story by “null & void” and the end of album. Bright acoustics, dark piano…and well placed distorted sounds make up the
“The unknown known”. The last 10 minutes of this elegant, swift and deeply terrifying journey of music is as good as it gets.
Tacit is something that will require multiple listens to truly appreciate its ethereal beauty. And I won’t be ashamed to admit that this album was beyond my deciphering capabilities. Nonethless it still is an experience that is totally worth the length.

RATING : 4.5/5

Follow the CRP on Facebook

Stream and download the album from their bandcamp page.

Listen to the album stream below:

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Heavy Prescription : Aosoth, Thyrfing

Mar 22 • International News, Releases, Reviews, The Slumbering Ent • 2134 Views

Damn it!! Its been quite a while since my last Heavy Prescription post! Well as usual, i am here to make up for all the lost time. And i haven’t been idle when it comes to listening to new stuff. Here are two brilliant bands that i’ve been aching to write about for a few days now. Check them out!

Aosoth – An Arrow in Heart

1. AOSOTH

Off late, the death/black doom side of metal seems to have enthralled me in its iron grip. A lot of blackened death/doom have as a result snaked their way into my playlist. One such rather recent finding is Aosoth from France. An unholy trio of sorts, the band members are known by stage names, namely : MkM on vocals, BST and INRVI on all the instruments evolved. Aosoth consider themselves to be a black metal band, aesthetically, i would agree. But their new track titled “An Arrow in Heart” have elements of doom and death in it as well. But surely the black metal vibe here predominates over them both. ‘An Arrow in Heart’ comes from their latest album titled ‘IV: Arrow in Heart‘ released via Agonia Records.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFTvx9ZPpJc&w=300&h=169]

Initial listens sent chills shivering down my spine. What you have here is one evil acolyte, adorned in the blackest of capes with a purpose that will spur on global destruction. Hate fueled by satanic ideologies percolates out through the track and reaches out to the listener. But it left me with a sour aftertaste of hunger. Curiosity kills (pun intended). As i was possessed to find more about the band, i came across this mammoth of a track. Mere words cannot describe the pure evil that this track (linked below) infiltrates you with.

Follow the devil’s incarnate on Facebook

2. THYRFING

Thyrfing – De Odeslosa

* kindly stop staring at the artwork

Viking metal, i believe has lost most of its sheen. For the genre has grown to be incredibly self- limiting over the years. It has always been the same old tunes getting rehashed and recycled over the years. The instant catchiness that earmarks most of the songs from the genre, seem to have descended into a state of familiar catchiness. This makes quick wearing out, in fact if you exclude Bathory and the genre’s  early progenitors, the genre was never in it for its staying power.

But oh my! Thyrfing seems to have proved me wrong here, yet again. These Swedish folks seem to have crafted another song which combines catchiness with incredible staying power. Yes the riffs might indeed seem a tad derivative, but oh boy don’t they mix things up! Combining the viking call for valor and ethereal melody these guys have indeed created a piece of ineffable beauty. Oh! and not to mention those heavenly choir section.

The song titled ‘Veners Forfall‘ from the album ‘De Odeslosa‘ released via NoiseArt Records.

Check out the song below

Follow the band on Facebook.

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Krypts – Unending Degradation | Review

Mar 22 • International News, Releases, Reviews, The Slumbering Ent • 2262 Views

Krypts – Unending Degradation

Tracklist:
1. Introeon: Perpetual Beyond
2. Blessed Entwinement
3. Open The Crypt
4. Dormancy Of The Ancients
5. Inhale…
6. The Black Smoke
7. Day Of Reckoning
8. Beneath The Archaic

Gargantuan grooves make out with dildos of doom (WTF??? Oh yes..)

2012 was to witness the resurgence of dark, occult, death-doom genre. At the forefront of this back- to- form, were and still are, small time record labels such as Dark Descent and Profound Lore.  With brilliant releases from Samothrace, Indesinence, Evoken, Monolithe, Hooded Menace(to name a few) last year, the genre is well on its way to global domination, albeit on a very much ‘Underground’ scale.

Today I’ve got myself another one of the said releases and it’s suffice to say that I’ve been floored once again. The album in question is’ Krypts – Unending Degradation’ on Dark Descent Records.

Now Krypts are a Finnish trio consisting on Antti Kotiranta on Vocals/Bass, Ville Snicker on Guitars and Otso Ukkonen on drums. They have just come up with first LP.What you have before you is essentially a death/doom record drenched in an infinitesimal amount of absolute hatred for humanity. Given the atrocities that mankind has conjured upon itself, it is only right that a person is likely to be overcome by a deep sense of disdain for his own kind. Here is an essential death/ doom record leaning more towards the ‘death’ier side of things. There is absolutely no enjoyable melody here, but in its place are huge monolithic riffs combined with crushing grooves which paint a dark and brooding auditory landscape. The mention of the term death/doom will usually have the listener imagining an album that moves at a crawling pace. But just when things get comfortable, things pace up to give that necessary shot of adrenaline.

Now this beast of a song is what got me interested in the band .

The album comprises of eight tracks, three of which appear on their debut demo in late 2009. Nonetheless they have been reworked and jacked up all of those tracks to fit in seamlessly. Of particular notice is the opening track ‘Blessed Entwinement’ which i wager will be one of the best death metal songs of the year already. Vocalist Antti belts out cavernous gutturals that will suck the breath right out of you. The riffs are what makes or breaks a death metal band, and this is where the band truly shines. The downtuned badass riffery will batter you slow and low, for they rely on weight rather than technical wizardry. Melody is absent in the true sense of its term, for a melody is supposed to stand out to the listener as a single entity. Instead, hiding behind the main rhythm, are vast undercurrents of discordant guitar wails that coalesce into its own single entity. Yet tracks such as ‘Dormancy of the Ancients’ (another personal favorite), has its share of dystopian lead work that will twist the insides of every uninitiated listener.

To backup all this is one of the thickest,murkiest and filthiest bass tones I’ve heard in a bloody long while. It is the ballast that keeps the weight of the record together and afloat. Overall, the tracks do lack in variation, as is staple in the genre, but makes up for it by maxing out the ‘pure evil’ factor. This is a must listen for every death/doom fan out there. Or if you are a person who loves reveling in the occasional misanthropy, then this my friend, shall be your bible.

Follow them via their blog.

Check their self titled EP below

This was posted on MetalSpree on 2013/02/19.

Sanath Kumar • No Comments on Krypts – Unending Degradation | Review

Abriosis – Vessel | Review

Mar 22 • International News, Releases, Reviews, The Slumbering Ent • 1846 Views

Today we have reviewer Mohammad Kabeer (from Necrofilth) doing the review of the EP  ‘Vessel’ from ‘Abriosis’

Abriosis – Vessel EP

Tracklist:

1. Crypsis
2. Vessel
3. Peering Into Oblivion
4. Apochra

Canada is the  Hub  of technical  metal  with all time legends   like Gorguts  and  Voivod   to the  more modern  genre benders   like Despised Icon  and Strapping Young  Lad.   Abriosis is a new band trying to fit in the niche carved by these giants.  Does it live up to the expectations?  lets find out.

Abriosis  is a four piece  from Vancouver, British Columbia consisting of Alxs Ness(Vocals),Taylor Lipton,(Guitar) Ryan Mcdonnell(Bass) and  Robin Iwasiw (drums). The band’s music can be categorised as Technical Death Metal. They have an interesting approach towards their sound,  they  combine  the dissonance  odd time signatures and independent , distinguishable  bass lines  of the more technical, experimental side of Metal like Gorguts, Deathspell Omega   with  the more straight forward crushing riffage of  Brutal Death Metal  in a way  that is  quite  fresh and celebrates   the nuances  of both the  genres equally. . But despite all of this Abriosis  have  one  major flaw, and it’s a flaw  that’s  quite common in this genre. They are not able to put all of these elements together in a complete cohesive manner, this   ultimately prevents the band from creating music that goes beyond things like notes, tone , accents syncopation  and  reaches a higher  level , creating  art  that   cause s a deep surge of emotion   or creates an atmosphere which  one can almost  feel. And this unfortunately,  is why there is a line of separation  between Abriosis  and the bands  mentioned above.  However there was one song   which did all of these things and did them rather well, that being the third song  Peering into Oblivion  which creates  a chilling atmosphere which I could  sense  right from the start of the song  with  that  haunting  guitar dissonance  which  is  built  up throughout the song  perfectly, and balanced well  with   their brand of brutal death metal.

So now when all is said   and done all I can say is that although I did enjoy this E.P.  but I am not going to be going back to it a lot  maybe  occasionally , well until they  make  more songs like ‘Peering into Oblivion’.

Visit their Facebok Page ——-> Abriosis

Also DOWNLOAD the entire album for free!!!

This was posted on MetalSpree on 2013/02/18.

Sanath Kumar • No Comments on Abriosis – Vessel | Review

Exist Immortal – Dream Sequence | Review

Mar 22 • International News, Releases, Reviews, The Slumbering Ent • 1952 Views

Today our reviewer Karan Katiyar reviews the new mini album from the band ‘Exist Immortal’, titled ‘Dream Sequence’.

Exist Immortal – Dream Sequence

Tracklist:

1. A Timeless Voyage
2. Grabbity Gravity
3. Initiate
4. Exist (v.2)
5. The Fracture
6. Terminate
7. The Silence (ft. guitar solo by Fred Brum)

UK based metallers Exist Immortal released their mini-album “Dream Sequence” on 28th January of this year.  Formed in 2011, these guys have already made a strong foothold in their homeland by playing UK Tech Metal fest alongside the likes of Textures, Sylosis etc.

Dream Sequence is everything but monotonous. Each track is unique in emotion, context, and purpose. I liked this album mostly because it is one of the few that can be heard in totality without exhaustion!

Songwriting:

There is a definite focus on flow and transitions. Abruptness is something you will not come across frequently in this mini-album. The songs are well structured and there is minimal dependence on fade-ins and effects for tough transitions. Though there is nothing revolutionary in the songwriting, there are moments of pure musical genius here and there (eg. 3.05 Grabbity Gravity). Catchy choruses galore, especially Initiate. Grooves are also a huge part of Exist Immortal’s sound. Special emphasis on The Fracture for some solid technical grooves.

Today we have our reviewer Karan Katiyar dissecting and examining the new album from the band Exist Immortal.

Production:

One of the few disappointments in Dream Sequence. Production could have been way better. There is a serious lack of low end punch in the entire album.

Guitars:

Very well written, structured, and intelligently placed guitar parts. Almost every riff has a story to tell. Melodies, chugs, staccatos, tasty bends, solos, twangs, you have em all. The tone is the only sour element in the guitars section.

Vocals:

A searing mixture of growls and cleans, the vocals are a dose of freshness with the focus on mid -ranges. Lots of love for not autotuning through the roof! The highlight of the vocals lie in the harmonized sections, which by the way are absolutely delightful. In some parts, though, clean vocals seem forcefully tossed.

Electronics:

Easily the showstopper element of this album. Very worldly fills that breathe life into the tracks. A Timeless Voyage is just sheer aural pleasure! It’s very easy to go overboard with electronics, but these guys have managed to hit that sweet spot between perfect and unnecessary.

Drums:

Percussions on this mini album are unimaginative. Generic grooves that completely follow the guitars are prevalent throughout the album.

Summation-

Besides the production and the percussions, this album is a musical adventure. An absolute avalanche of emotions and colours makes Dream Sequence a serious win! Exist Immortal has tremendous potential and with this release, they have set a bar for our expectations from their future endeavours.

Follow the band on Facebook here

And watch the video for their single below

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