Fleurety “Department of Apocalyptic Affairs” (2000)

In 2000, Fleurety moved into more ambitious terrain with “Department of Apocalyptic Affairs,” a convoluted genre-spanning event with special guest stars from the Norwegian black metal scene (Maniac, Garm, Hellhammer, et al.). The songs are still cold and ugly, but have a sense of humor and jump around a lot. Late-period King Crimson riffs slam head on into jazzy trip hop while scat vocals dance on industrial metal surfaces. The production ties it all together with an empty flatness that somehow makes the music sound paranoid and manic.

Lyrics are grim and frosty, but are more interested in drug abuse, murder, and suicide than trolls and mountains- less Nord, more noir. Vocals are provided by veteran Alexander Nordgaren, but he’s joined by Heidi Gjermundsen, Karianne Horn, Maniac (Mayhem), and Garm (Ulver). Naturally all voices are different, but here they’re joined with a unified sense of sardonic amusement, flat, understated, and compellingly disinterested, the voice of the hard boiled. Mari Solberg’s sax work adds a forlorn urban dissonance to a few songs, spicing up what would otherwise be a purely metallic smorgasbord.

While not quite the classic “Min Tid Skal Komme” is, Department is an amusing stroll though the alleyways and gutters of extreme metal.

-James Slone

Release:  2000
Label:  Supernal Music
Avantgenre:  BM Pulp
Duration:  50:01
Origin:  Norway
Official site:  http://folk.uio.no/sveineh/fleurety/
Review online since:  22.07.2007 / 14:57:20

TRACKLIST:

01. Exterminators
02. Face In A Fever
03. Shotgun Blast
04. Fingerprint
05. Facets 2.0
06. Last-Minute Lies
07. Barb Wire Smile (Snap Ant Version)
08. Face In A Fever (Nordgaren Edit)

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