Absidia...In The Shadow - The Storm (EP) (2013)

For those who haven't had the pleasure of experiencing it first hand, there is a tremendous amount of work and dedication that goes into the pre-production process. Writing, arranging, adjusting, rearranging, rewriting; It seems like a neverending battle before you ever get into the studio in earnest, to actually put your music to digital media. Absidia...In The Shadow, a Moscow based raw black metal band, undoubtedly put in the hours to get their music ready for release. But it is what happens when the record button is pressed that people remember, not the work that went in beforehand. So despiite their best efforts, the EP that makes it's way to you, titled "The Storm," probably isn't what they intended it to be. Two tracks, ten minutes of raw but symphonic-tinged black metal that has all of the necessary elements to put down a classic offering, and yet fails to highlight anything along the way. One layer, one dimension, and a lack of a star leaves this offering feeling flat and awry.

Leading with the title track, "The Storm," there is certainly a heavy reliance on symphonic and synthesized backings here. It is a simple flow of clean guitars and drums, elevated by some brilliantly restrained keyboard work. What makes it successful, even with a tight two minute window attached, as the haunting feeling it leaves as it rolls into the second track, "World Of Rain." With vocals now present, there is a certain roughness to the mix, an added raw element that, somehow, actually generates depth. It is bizarrely alluring, despite lacking an element that takes command of the mix. In fact, it isn't until past the three and a half minute mark that the guitars make themselves known as more than just a layer of distorted chords. They jump out of your speakers for a brief solo, only to step backwards into the fray. That is where the major flaw of the EP comes to the forefront; with no clear leader, the track often feels muddled, despite having a handful of elements at their disposal. Isolating each one with repeated listens, there is plenty going on. But the mix let's the band down.

When Robert Burns wrote "The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley," never could he have known the universal application of his words. Better known to the current generation by the English translation, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry," it can be placed next to any event, any piece of art, any situation in life. Absidia... In The Shadow must known all too well the depth of it's meaning. Their intentions on this EP seem righteous at their core; symphonic inspired black metal, with a raw edge. And maybe that is what some people will hear when they hit play. But where "The Storm" fails to deliver is in a need for a center stage player. Is it the keys, the guitars, the vocals? Aside from a thirty second blast of wailing guitar solo, there isn't much to hang your hat on when the last notes fade. And that, more than anything else, is where this two track EP goes off the rails. The set up is there, the actors are ready, but the spot light never comes on.

6/10

Official Site - http://vk.com/club27180188
Myspace - https://myspace.com/absidiaintheshadow

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So Hideous - Last Poem​/​First Light (2013)

Sometimes, the best albums are the ones you stumble on unknowingly. We have been fortunate enough to receive promotional copies of albums from all over the world. Some are good, some are not so good. But when we are charged with writing a review for something that was submitted, there is an element of "work" added to the equation. Meeting deadlines, making sure our reviews are as well written as we are capable of, and even using social media to spread our reviews and opinions can be a lot of time and effort. But when you find an album, all on your own, something special happens. Listening to the album, digesting it, hearing it again and again until you have all the information you need to write a comprehensive and informative review becomes fun again. So Hideous can now be added to the short list of bands that have made me sit back in my seat, and just let it all happen around me. Their new album, which was found by pure chance in a routine sweep of the internet, is unlike other things we've heard. "Last Poem​/​First Light" is something special.

Once the first scream washes over you, some five seconds into "Rising," there is simply no going back. You have been washed away in a chaotic sea of blackened drum beats and well utilized keyboards. There is a density to the instrumental here that may seem counterproductive, yet it somehow manages to equate to something far more grandiose than one would imagine. Even when the drums seem out of control, the crying ambient noise always brings them back. The last minute,  with the crackling and humming of feedback seems like the haunting white noise of a dungeon. It becomes a recognizable pattern; building from a whisper, and eventually returning to it. But it isn't all massive kick drums and distortion in between. Beginning with "Stabat Mater," the symphonic element takes on a role of it's own. It sets the stage, quietly, for an explosion of epic proportions. I would be remiss to fail to note the presence of hardcore tendencies in the mix, but their unification with black metal seems almost too good to be true. Each well placed scream adds to the ever deepening soundscape. A magnificent piano outro returns you to that base point, this time erupting with the force of a volcano as "My Light" begins.

The climbing keyboard notes here are incredibly rich, despite being so far back in the mix. Organized chaos reigns supreme, a bombastic sonic assault that runs counter to everything you thought you knew about black metal in all it's forms. To be replaced soon thereafter by a sweeping orchestral melody seems impossible, but they do just that; it is short and fleeting, but a clearer example of black and white contrast would be impossible to find. If there was only one track you could use as a weapon to spread the gospel of So Hideous, "Rhapsody" would be it. The fusion of elements is now complete, finding a striking balance here unlike anything I've ever heard. Whether you find your solace in the neverending battery of drums, or in the atmospheric keyboards that rise and fall behind them, something will catch your ear. It would be a challenge to find a segment of music more compelling than the last minute of this track.

What's even more stunning is the way they follow it. The sound of "Last Poem" is immense; The sound waves would stand a miraculous mile high if your screen could contain them. Every kick drum slams into your skull, every scream rattles your inner ear. But amidst all of that, you can find serenity and calm in the use of strings. You will be swept up in the wonder of it all, captivated by the constant shifting and changing of this single song. When it cuts out to silence, only to return with the most minimal of synthesized sounds, you might be concerned that you've lost your sense of direction. But fear not; it really is every bit as beautiful as it seems. Yes, with the screams, blasting drum beats, squealing guitars, and everything, it is still awe-inspiringly beautiful. How you complete this masterpiece would be far beyond my mental reach. But they do it with ease, allowing "glory" to rise, to build, to take shape, and then to fall. How this combination of sounds works here is a complete mystery, but even note on the keyboard seems to sync up with every kick drum and distorted riff. They all work... somehow.

It's hard to keep all of our label partners and sources straight. Which albums came from who, who represents which bands, and so on. It is up to s to do that due diligence to make all the pieces come together. It's what we do, as music lovers, for all of our favorite bands. So Hideous may have a name that almost told me to shy away, but they have a sound that is now engrained into my head for an undetermined length of infinite time. They have a sound all their own, which is nearly impossible in this day and age. But they've done it here, and in a way that is not only impressive, but exciting. They are doing something outside the realm of any one genre, and they are doing it without hesitation or pause. And in doing so, they have truly joined a very limited list of bands that have redefined a sound or genre for me. Malnatt opened our eyes to what black metal could be. Blizzard At Sea made sludge an office favorite. And So Hideous has now taken symphonic post-black melodic hardcore and given it a face.

9.5/10

Bandcamp - http://sohideous.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sohideous

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Frost Despair - The God Delusion (EP) (2013)

Whether or not you've had formal audio engineering training or not, you know that there are limits to how much sound you can justifiably fit onto one recording. It may not be a numeric answer, but a case of logical derivation. Frost Despair, a seven piece band from Brazil, have agreed to throw caution to the wind, and try to fit their own blend of black metal and classical music onto a single recorded file. But even digital media has a limit, one that, when exceeded, can sound like the war has come home. Based on the works of Richard Dawkins, 'The God Delusion" is an album of metal fusion, exploring the thoughts on atheism and the violent spread of religion. But, as these seven tracks reveal, it is also an exercise in proper production and mixing. Seven members, seven separate layers, and one gigantic wall of distortion. With a sound that often gets in its own way, muffling and muting one element in favor of another, it succeeds in message but fails in delivery.

The first track, "The Dark Ages" sets up what is to be a bizarre contradiction. It extends well beyond what you could call an intro track, but remains at a constant level throughout. Touching on the darker side of classical music, it is a composition that is as rich as it is gloomy, adding so much depth to the low end. But rather than build onto that sound, the title track boasts a blasting blackened thrash aesthetic. The orchestral element is still there, but it is now hidden behind a growing wall of distorted guitars and drums. The layering of sounds here doesn't do the track any favors, tilting the mix too heavily towards one element. A trade off between male and female vocals is a treat at times, while exposing how one dimensional each can be without the other. The danger here is packing the mix too full, with a constant peaking of levels detracting from the individual pieces. As it stands, "Damnation" is merely the intro to the following track, "Splendor Of War," although their separation makes little sense, from a flowing perspective. The latter reinstates the symphonic element in full swing, despite drum work that could drown out a war itself. In the quieter moments, particularly when the female vocal is allowed to see lead time, you can get a far more detailed view of the soundscapes. As the drums are dialed back for a guitar solo, it starts to come together.

Unfortunately, the problems persist in the album's second half, rendering "Dark Bachiana" a murky mess of a song. The layers begin to condense themselves into one massive chunk of distortion, a production miscue that makes parts of the track unidentifiable. There are moments where the bands shines, both musically and vocally. The keyboard work here, tinged to echo the sound of a church organ, is top notch when it comes through. The section around the three and a half minute mark is evidence that balance can be found. It manages to extend into the opening stages of "The Final Breath" before chaos reigns supreme. The verse is an organized assault, while the chorus and bridge or hectic, at best. With the drums now dominating the mix once again, half of the track is spent righting the ship, while the other half is spent spinning off course. Beautifully orchestrated piano steers the track back onto the right path, and dazzles you into "At The Gates." In the most impressive piece of musicianship, the keys take over in full here, fluttering and winding through a series of high tempo melodic shifts.

One of the biggest shames of the modern metal experience is when production gets in the way of the final product. Frost despair have written and recorded an album that might have embodied the spirit of their original concept, but fails to meet the threshold for success. Whether the problem be in pre, post, or during the recording sessions, there is a significant hurdle in the way. With multiple listens, one can dissect a lot of the background work that goes on here, from guitars to bass to keyboards. But on first impressions, it could be dismissed as a lost cause. If you could look beyond the faults of the mix, there is a lot to hang your hat on; the guitar work is solid, the vocals are versatile and on the daring side, and the keyboards are worthy of a round of applause. The true shame is that they all shine separately, yet fail to do more than flicker when crammed in so tightly together. if this act can find balance where there was no room for it before, "The God Delusion" might not have all been in vain.

6.5/10

Official Site - http://www.frostdespair.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frost-Despair/170368476397736

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