December 17, 2007
Favorite Albums of 2007
This has been a great year for music. I was surprised to see so many bands turn out albums that may prove to be their best yet. Here are several releases that I was thoroughly impressed with, reviewed in no special order.
Burial
Untrue (Hyperdub)
01.
02. Archangel
03. Near Dark
04. Ghost Hardware
05. Endorphin
06. Etched Headplate
07. In McDonalds
08. Untrue
09. Shell Of Light
10. Dog Shelter
11. Homeless
12. UK
13. Raver
Untrue is a dubstep masterpiece that is vulnerable, damaged, and suffused with yearning. Like pensive, post-club dance music, it is composed of the dubstep trademarks: slinking lower bass frequencies, sparse rhythms that skip beats, and a dark mood. Clips of vocal samples, many supposedly from R&B songs, are used to great effect throughout the album. The frequency of the voices is shifted by varying degrees to transform the tone dramatically, and often to obscure the words themselves. The words result in sounding loaded with emotion yet indiscernible, spoken by a voice of unknown gender. Uttering only a few words at a time, the vocals offer unfinished lamentations to the negative space of these minimal compositions. The sub-bass frequencies are restless and stirring, sometimes sounding akin to a forklift with a faulty cylinder. The bass frequency on songs like Etched Headplate slides up and down at broken intervals to sound like muffled, faltering hydraulics coming from the opposite end of a deep-sea vessel.
Burial’s sampled sound effects often evoke images of armor and weaponry, such as the sound of artillery shells being ejected. These sounds form part of the rhythm and, much like the vocal samples, are often inconclusive and merely suggestive of the original sound. As such, the listener is compelled to fill in the spaces in order to guess where a familiar sound originated from or how a sentence ends. In this way, Burial has the uncanny ability to produce music from inside your head, and the resulting feeling is of a personal, secret connection to what is being expressed, as well as the feeling that you’ve heard it somewhere before. The fact that its maker remains anonymous is significant.
This album is not an offering of technical ability. It appeals on an emotional level to universal human hurt. It is reverent to the wounded and the lonely. One of the most attractive aspects of Burial is the aural immediacy; there is no cryptic message to uncover, no amazing feat of technical skill to puzzle over. The music is relatively simple. The components of the songs typically layer up in a linear fashion alongside a simple and constant rhythm. All that it requires is a space in your head and a willingness to absorb from the speakers.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Near Dark”, “Etched Headplate”, “Untrue”, “Raver”
Alcest
Souvenirs d’un autre monde (Prophecy Productions)
01. Printemps Émeraude
02. Souvenirs D’Un Autre Monde
03. Les Iris
04. Ciel Errant
05. Sur L’Autre Rive Je T’Attendrai
06. Tir Nan Og
With this album, Neige has arrived at the perfect arrangement to express himself. I like this album so much that I can only hold my breath in the hope that he will release something comparable in the future. Wrought with longing, Souvenirs… is a shoegazing reverie that takes flight on the guitar tremolo known so well to black metal. These songs yearn for a perfect world that cannot exist. But they do not dwell on the pain of nostalgia, rather choosing to revel in the childlike bliss of possibility and imagination. The lyrics are included in French, but one does not need to understand them to be moved by the emotions that pour forth on this album.
While singing, Neige often leaves word-bound language behind and chooses to hum the melodies instead. His abandonment of spoken language is but one token of the guileless, youthful nature of this album. The imagery is made complete by the cover photograph of a young child playing a reed flute, a portrait of innocence and contentment.
Sound-wise, the production of this album is perfectly aligned with what is being expressed; it allows the romantic vision of these songs to shine. There is a hollow, almost sacred space around each instrument, from the resounding bass to the throbbing acoustic and electric guitar riffs, from the weightless cymbal brushes to the lilting vocal melodies that come as if from above the treetops. It is Neige’s vocals that make this work replete with emotion. His voice soars on the music, at times reaching a state of near-ecstasy, and even lending the music an ethereal otherworldliness. His intonations rise and fall, then rise again like a paper airplane (as on the title track), ultimately carried into the clouds by the surging movement of the music. Most notably at the apex of Les Iris, his hummed words seem to glow like a smile and envelop the music from every direction at once. If only for this one song, I would never give up Souvenirs…
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Printemps Émeraude”, “Souvenirs D’Un Autre Monde”, “Les Iris”
Alcest MySpace
Alcest Official Site
Rotting Christ
Theogonia (Season Of Mist)
01. Χαος Γενετο (The Sign Of Prime Creation)
02. Keravnos Kivernitos
03. Nemecic
04. Enuma Elish
05. Phobos’ Synagogue
06. Gaia Tellus
07. Rege Diabolicus
08. He, The Aethyr
09. Helios Hyperion
10. Threnody
Theogonia is melodic, creative, invigorating, cohesive, and consistently good all the way through. The use of Greek instruments and theme of Mesopotamian mythology make this a refreshing and inspired metal album that I never tire of hearing. The songwriting and production are excellent. Sakis’ vocals are strong and indispensable. One of the guitarists uses a “bounce” off the string that sounds great and makes the riffs memorable. The backup vocals during the chorus parts – and especially the female vocals on Enuma Elish - add a lot of depth to the songs, filling them out and also building the energy level. Each sound stands out from the rest to keep your attention while remaining a cohesive part of the song. The band sustains an impressive level of energy and momentum for the duration of the album. There is nothing not to like! The album is lively and extremely fun to listen to. I think it can safely be said that Theogonia is a solid culmination of past work and their best album to date.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Keravnos Kivernitos”, “Enuma Elish”, “Helios Hyperion”, “Threnody”
Rotting Christ MySpace
Rotting Christ Official Site
Nile
Ithyphallic (Nuclear Blast)
01. What Can Be Safely Written
02. As He Creates So He Destroys
03. Ithyphallic
04. Papyrus Containing the Spell to Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is in the Water
05. Eat of the Dead
06. Laying Fire Upon Apep
07. The Essential Salts
08. The Infinity of Stone
09. Language of the Shadows
10. Even the Gods Must Die
Ithyphallic blew me away when I first heard it, and it continues to do so every time I listen to it. The drums are the dominant force on this album, as opposed to past albums where Nile’s massive guitar sound was given preference. Hearing the incredible speed of the blast beats and snare rolls made me realize how good George Kolias actually is. Dallas’ vocals are as aggressive as usual but easier to undertand because they are not buried within the din of Nile’s music. He also practices mid-range vocals instead of sticking to the lower end of the scale. The lyrics are excellent as well, my favorites being As He Creates So He Destroys, Ithyphallic, and The Essential Salts. However, as much as I love this album, Annihilation Of The Wicked remains my favorite for being a stronger album in general: there are no weak songs, the songwriting and solos are just as spectacular, and the liner notes are among the most engaging that I’ve ever seen.
Notwithstanding, Ithyphallic deserves a lot of credit for its merciless aural assault. This is achieved through a less murky production and by placing the relentless drums and vocals in the foreground. There is a lot of groove to this album that makes it accessible and rewarding for repeat plays, and there are extra-heavy sections of crushing doom such as on Eat Of The Dead. En fin, Nile never fail to impress. All the members possess stunning talent. They are the best death metal around today, combining atmosphere, amazing riffs and solos, overwhelming heaviness and interesting, intelligent lyrical themes.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Ithyphallic”, “Papyrus Containing the Spell to Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is in the Water”, “Language of the Shadows”
Nile MySpace
Nile Official Site
Murcof
Cosmos (Leaf)
01. Cuerpo Celeste
02. Cielo
03. Cosmos I
04. Cometa
05. Cosmos II
06. Oort
This is the first I’ve heard of Murcof, the work of Mexican artist Fernando Corona. Cosmos is a brilliant piece of enlightened space-drone, crepuscular enough to appeal to fans of dark ambient and black metal. This is a quiet album founded on the ambience of wide-open dark spaces. These spaces are gradually populated with the murmur of mysterious sounds, seeming as though it was recorded on the wing of a satellite or a silent space station. The atmosphere is not aggressive but unknowable, providing an all-encompassing experience much like a trip through an unknown landscape. I sense a slight spiritual overtone on some songs, such as the celestial humming voices found on Cielo. The first track to really pull me in was Cosmos I. The atmosphere is built on the accelerating groan of a vast engine, evoking the image of a very large motor coming to life on a deserted planet floor. A breathless awakening comes in the form of delicate, high-pitched keyboard melodies that climb spires and twist off onto new planes.
A light texture is added on tracks like Cometa that sound like futuristic radio static, or whirring antennae engaged in a mysterious exchange of information. There is a forceful, dubby rhythm on some tracks, and the final track features the brooding sound of a big stringed instrument, possibly a cello. The songs provide an experience of growing toward something momentous without ever really revealing what that something is. Deep, mechanical hums move skyward and are paired with drawn-out keyboard tones that cause me to envision looming horizons never before seen, like dawn on a new planet.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Cielo”, “Cosmos I”, “Cometa”
Murcof MySpace
Murcof Official Site
Abigor
Fractal Possession (End All Life)
01. Warning
02. Project: Shadow
03. Cold Void Choir
04. Lair Of Infinite Desperation
05. 3D Blasphemy
06. The Fire Syndrome
07. Injection Satan
08. Liberty Rises A Diagonal Flame
09. Vapourized Tears
10. Heaven Unveiled
This album is a mind-bending masterpiece of purely satanic ordered chaos. For lack of a comfortable knowledge of how the songs are composed (or even a passing one!) I can only say with assertion that the album pushes boundaries for black metal and is more addictive with each listen. At the outset it sounds too disharmonic to be listenable, much less an oft-played favorite, but it quickly reveals a method to the madness. The music is highly technical and complex but not devoid of melody in its arrangements. Songs like 3D Blasphemy, Injection Satan and Liberty Rises A Diagonal Flame first caught my ear for their experimental and ingenious combination of bone-saw riffs, samples and programming.
The lyrics and vocals, written and performed by A.R., play a strong role. The lyrics are interesting when discernible, and given time one might eventually decipher most of them. I enjoy his aggressive delivery with a constant mid-range snarl that is strongly (hatefully) projected. Along with the angular, cutting guitar tone, the snarled vocals are charmless as a musical instrument, but surprisingly they are not unlikable and have grown on me to the point of getting stuck in my head for days.
For fear of putting others off from listening to this album, I almost hesitate to mention an unintentional nu-metal aspect I find on this album. However, I don’t feel that this aspect has a negative effect on the album. In fact, it makes it more accessible. The lyrics, though referring to satan, sometimes sound paranoid of authority like a lot of nu-metal lyrics. I draw this connection on phrases like “we are nothing but slaves,” which is reminiscent of the Hypocrisy song Slave To The Parasites (Hypocrisy may be metal but this particular song is nu-metal). The vocals are mixed high enough to dominate the songs, another nu-metal trait that actually makes Abigor’s songs sing-alongable. But these characteristics in no way detract from the cruel density of Fractal Possession. It is incredibly dark, caustic and forward thinking, an essential album to own.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “3D Blasphemy”, “Injection Satan”, “Liberty Rises A Diagonal Flame”
Abigor MySpace
Abigor Official Site
Zaya
Render (independent)
01. The Hunt
02. Koma Stadium
03. The Korporation
04. Millenium Palace
05. Painted By Light
06. PhilAmbientAktika
07. Happy Birthday, Marvin
08. Detroit, Michigan
09. Hjemkfurshtein IV
10. Plankton
11. Fast Forward People
12. Tokyo Bug Fixed
13. Untotalized
14. Quaktral Zentrish
15. Automan
16. TV Claustrophobia
Render is the first release by Zaya, the solo project of Ravèz from Italian black metal band (V.E.G.A.). The songs on Render have been composed over the past decade and can be loosely described as ambient electronica with IDM and glitch influences. Some of the synths are reminiscent of Boards of Canada and early Autechre. The sounds on this album are varied, ranging from gradual tides of atmospheric synth to clanging rhythms and mournful keyboard melodies. There are samples of old broadcasts and classical music ensembles. On the songs Plankton and Automan there are patterns of little popping, clicking sounds with attention given to the pitch of each tone – these busy, micro-factory sounds are similar to tracks from Telafon Tel Aviv’s Fahrenheit Fair Enough.
There is a cold, industrial feeling to many of these songs, as well as dreamlike wanderings into melancholy. Samples of children’s voices and cheering audiences, such as found in Koma Stadium and The Korporation, contribute to a feeling of aloneness. Other songs like Painted By Light experiment with warm, beautiful layers of synth that morph into rhythmic interludes. Fast Forward People uses fast, broken drum beats that recall drum-and-bass music. Overall, the album effectively explores a variety of styles and subtle, introspective moods. It will be interesting to see what direction Zaya chooses for the next release.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “The Hunt”, “The Korporation”, “Painted By Light”, “TV Claustrophobia”
Todtgelichter
Schemen (Folter Records)
01. Impuls
02. Larva
03. Segen
04. Blutstern
05. Für Immer Schweigen
06. Aschentraum
07. Hammer
08. Beginn Des Endes
Schemen is Todtgelichter’s 3rd album and an inspired work of energetic, soaring German black metal. I loosely compare the music to Drudkh for it’s lush, riff-based crescendos and Negurã Bunget for it’s spirit of ascension. The band is five members weilding the standard instruments, along with the help of a saxaphone on Aschentraum (a favorite track), a digeridoo cameo and female vocals on the closing track. There are two vocalists and the lyrics are in German.
An aspect of this album that I like a lot is that all instruments have a prominent role. The bass line often stands out on it’s own and figures strongly in the mix. The drumming is fast and magnificent, driving the music with clear production and plenty of creative fills. The transitions within the songs are smooth and natural. The vocals are always screamed except during a few songs, namely Blutstern, where the two vocalists revert to clean yells for an alternating face-off chorus that reminds me of American hardcore. There is a strong emotional element to this album, finding its peak toward the end of Larva and on Blutstern. I would classify this as romantic black metal along the lines of Nagelfar and Helrunar.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Larva”, “Blutstern”, “Aschentraum”
Todtgelichter MySpace
Todtgelichter Official Site
Bergraven
Dödsvisioner (Hydra Head)
01. Döende
02. Av Saknad Släcker Jag Ljuset
03. Ondkall
04. Känsla Av Livets Nästa Skede
05. Den Svarta Angstens Essens
06. Det Man Med Själen…
07. Ekot Av Bikt
08. Döende (En Avslutning)
Meaning “visions of death,” Dödsvisioner is a quiet and contemplative album with a very different take on the subject of death, one that has become all too familiar to black metal. While preserving a thread of black metal, this album experiments with the brooding atmosphere and tempo of doom. Pär Gustafsson also cites interesting influences such as Joy Division, Ved Buens Ende and Lurker of Chalice. His inventive approach with this album is so different that it took several listens to make any sense of it, or to become attached to it. The first thing that stood out was the reverberation of the loose bass string on Ekot Av Bikt.
The careful composition of this album is self-evident in its continuity and thematic cohesiveness. The long stretch of silence that opens the album is intended as the first moment after death. This moment is also pictured on the cover in a century-old photograph of a woman lying (just murdered) on the floor in front of two doors symbolizing the gates of death that she has yet to pass through. The music consequently moves into a brooding exploration of the transition that the body and mind undergoes after death. There is nothing suicidal about the music. It appeals to me for being a realistic, sincere treatment of the subject, and for being free of satanic or otherwise religious views. The album explores free movement within the songs, full of meandering passages that are magnificently composed.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Ondkall”, “Känsla Av Livets Nästa Skede”, “Ekot Av Bikt”
Wolves in the Throne Room
Two Hunters (Southern Lord)
01. Dea Artio
02. Vastness and Sorrow
03. Cleansing
04. I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots
As one of the most treasured black metal bands to come from the USA, I am happy to say that Wolves doesn’t fail to impress with their sophomore album. It consists of three epic songs and one segue song to preface the final track. The songs excel in beautiful, majestic riffs that are reverent of the rise and fall of the natural landscape, similar in many ways to Agalloch or Drudkh. The drumming is a distinguishing aspect, especially coming to the fore on the 18-minute closer, I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Vastness and Sorrow”, “I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots”
Wolves in the Throne Room MySpace
Wolves in the Throne Room Official Site
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A few other stellar albums that I didn’t get a chance to review:
Deathspell Omega, Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum
Drudkh, Estrangement
Dødheimsgard, Supervillain Outcast
Lifelover, Erotik
Mayhem, Ordo Ad Chao
Sleep Research Facility, Deep Frieze
Infected Mushroom, Vicious Delicious
Pinch, Underwater Dancehall
Forgotten Woods, Race Of Cain
Verdunkeln, Einblick In Den Qualenfall