There was a debate on this. Some deemed it brilliant and unique avant garde metal, while others (including myself initially) said it was another case of hype in an already saturated metal market. I gave it a couple of spins and then forgot about the promo, but when some people I respected insisted, I gave it another try and found the truth to be somewhere in the middle.
The short industrial intro gives way to a great opener in “Irreversible”, amonster hook laden black metal mini epic. This has it all, great headbanging moments, dark breaks, great leads and sharp synths. The same winning combination continues on “Cosmic Zero Equation”.Damn this stuff is catchy. It is the kind of state of art well produced black metal that fell on the sidelines at the beginning of this decade as the more lo-fi (read crap)elements took over. Herein lies the problem: it would be perfectly at home amidst the melodic BM scene of some 8-10 years ago, and will still have the fans of the genre in ecstacy. What it does not do is even break half of the new ground that Arcturus (the most dropped name in the hyped comparisons) broke some 15 odd years ago. The title tracks varies the formular with competent clean vocals insections, but somehow it still comes across as traditional. None of this take away from the thoroughly dark and rocking nature of this music.
It is a fine slice of well thought out black metal that thankfully neither opts for blasting frenzy nor suicidal dirges to get its point across. The industrial sounding interludes further add to the mature compositions. The lyrics are rather philosphical in nature while touching on the occult, yet open-ended enough to lend themselves to multiple intrepretations. Overall , it does feel like a concept album with hints of pomposity here and there.
By the 3rd spin, the disc had found a place in my heart – albeit as a black metal album. The music is heavy and fast without being chaotic and a relaxed almost casual air dominates the proceedings, as the band rips through some anthemic compositions with ease. Some of these are indeed tunes that other bands would kill for. A nice , celan production allows all the instruments justified space in the mix and no track dominates, yet work towards the songs. It is somehting to return to onece in while, abd begs the question : What next ? Will the band venture out into the experimentation hinted in a few places, or continue on its present course to make perfect black.
– Suleiman
VITALS:
Release: 2008
Label: Dissonart Productions
Avantgenre: Perfect Extreme Metal
Duration: 49:46
Origin: Greece
Official site: http://www.transcendingbizarre.com/
Review online since: 06.02.2009 / 19:11:52
TRACKLIST:
1.Dat Rosa Mel Apibus (intro)
2.Irreversible
3.Cosmic Zero Equation
4.The Serpent’s Manifolds
5.Dimension Hell
6.Cell
7.Writhing Coils Of Construction
8.The Music Of The Spheres
9.The Navelless One
10.Infinite
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