Category: Reviews

Jiri Brabenec / Zdenek Vesely – Gestrandet bei der Sonne Epsilon

Merula Turdus

 

 

 

Jiri Brabenec / Zdenek Vesely – Gestrandet bei der Sonne Epsilon
Utopian novel, 1961

I read quite a lot of books, but in order to create a personal speciality for myself, some time ago I discovered the field of “Eastern European (incl. GDR) science fiction literature up to 1990”, an interesting and rich subject.
One of the most exquisite publications of this subgenre is undoubtedly “Stranded by the Sun Epsilon”, a Czechoslovak book from 1961.

Actually, the group of space travellers is supposed to search for the traces of a lost expedition on a still nameless planet of that sun, eleven light years away from Earth – but then gets into trouble themselves and has a serious accident.
The only way to survive is to break away from the doomed mother ship in a small space glider and land on the planet.
Due to the limited carrying capacity, only the bare necessities can be taken along, and when this vehicle is also wrecked and the rescue chutes have to be used, everyone only has what he/she is wearing.
In addition, the community is divided into a larger group of about 20 people and a smaller one of only three, who end up far behind the next mountain range.
Whether they survive at all is not known.
The larger group, as we soon learn, makes an emergency landing on the planet’s surface, halfway safe and sound, and, since this celestial body has quite Earth-like conditions, is also confronted with a fauna and flora similar to the Earth’s primeval period (Tertiary / Quaternary).
There are two sides to this paradise, namely an overflowing, untouched and food-giving nature, but also powerful and dangerous animals.
The very earth-like biology may seem a little exaggerated, but it doesn’t carry any weight, and in itself I find the concept of convergent evolution absolutely coherent.
What is particularly interesting is the evolution of the technology of the settlers, who fortunately all enjoyed an above-average education.
Thus the path from the pointed stick to the forge is described in a rousing and comprehensibly realistic way, with a dash of dry humour.
The situation is quite different for the remaining space travellers – one woman, two men – who land far away on the backside of the mountain range.
Only three of them, without anything and close to the end, they are confronted with an approaching winter in the mountains, which they apparently have to spend in a cave without a fire.
How will it all end?
Finding out won’t be cheap, because the book is rare and usually costs between 30 € for a somewhat damaged or slightly soiled edition and almost 100 € for a first-class one.
The damaged one will do, of course, and is absoutely worth every penny.
An interesting feature: everyone I know who has read this book and (unlike me) has owned it since childhood reads it over and over again, often regularly every few years.
Quite understandable.
My thanks to Frank for this recommendation!

(merula)

Fornhem – Stämman Från Berget

Merula Turdus

 

 

Fornhem – Stämman Från Berget
Trollmusic
49:11 min
Viking / Black Metal

Raw sound and great melodies not only make a nice pair, but also a pleasant contrast to War Metal on the one hand and Symphonic Wacken Metal on the other.
The best recent example is Fornhem from Norrköping, whose first album “Ett fjärran kall” was already inspiring, but the present second album immediately entered the first league of my heart.
The opener “Den Längsta Dagen” begins with crackling fire and gloomy laughter, a magnificent piece of Viking Metal in its powerful stomping midtempo form.
The guitar theme, as simple as it is utterly moving, is constantly developed. Very slowly, bit by bit more and more dramatic and sophisticated, it leads into the raging fast middle part of the song.
Supported by pumping drums, a croaking vocal and a raw, yet transparent and all the more powerful sound, this song, this album goes deep under the skin.
This marvel lasts eleven minutes before it opens the gates to the fast neckbreaker “Uþarba spa”, where the great drum work stands out once again.
Shimmering guitars and melodic bass guitar accents announce “Förlist”, a ten-minute repetitive-meditative epic of a special kind. Just this repititive element almost brings me to ecstasy, similar to “Hvis lyset tar oss”.
The following title song then sets off again with a tempo that only leaves me with a broad feel-good smile on my face. Boy, when their dragon boat goes off like that, they overtake the fiercest north wind without batting an eyelid!
“Untergang” is the name of the final work on this album, a gripping piece of music, an instrumental, of dense, tension-filled drama, especially striking here the eerie, ominous drums of doom.
Of course for Trollmusic, the music is packaged in an appealing exterior, and the great sound was conjured perfectly by the master Devo Andersson.
There would be so much more to tell about this album, but you know what Frank Zappe said: Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.
Which is why I’m off to a quick hour of polka at the Kreiskulturhaus, and you can get your hands on this album in the meantime.

(merula)

Count Raven – The Sixth Storm

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Count Raven – The Sixth Storm
I Hate
73:32 min
Heavy Doom Metal

To call singer Dan Fondelius an Ozzy plagiarism is just as inappropriate as denying any comparisons to the gloomy Birminghamers.
Count Raven sound independent and, by the way, absolutely great, but listening to their new (sixth) album, you can’t help thinking about the subject.
If at all compare, then really with the first five Black Sabbath albums, or not even rather with the first three Ozzy albums? Shame on anyone who treats these three works disparagingly compared to the mother band.
Well then, the new album starts with grandiose doom metal of the heavy metal rocking kind – that the band plays their doom far away from the extremes of funeral and death doom should be known.
Hearty, gripping HEAVY riffs meet coherent choruses, and all this is excellently packed into a crushing sound, which doesn’t sound the least bit modern and yet so powerful and clear.
Outstanding!
In the first part, to return to the opening theme, rather Black Sabbath, until the fourth, unusual and untypical song “Heaven’s Door” leaves the inclined listener quite touched.
From then on, if I may say so, it becomes even more Ozzy in the sense of his early solo albums.
On the one hand, it’s more likely to be a hit and more chorus-oriented.
But especially those who have lived through long, difficult and bad times in their lives in an unhealthy relationship with substances, see the early Ozzy records in a completely different perspective than the happy average person does.
That balance, that pairing of deeply tragic, sad, bitter parts with the little smile on top. Concerned people know what I mean.
So in this way dramatish and melancholic the song material turns a little and finds a brilliant climax in the poignant “Baltic Storm”, for which alone I would buy the record.
The long and epic “Oden” is followed by the last song “Goodbye”, and leaves the writer of these lines speechless, with salty water in the corners of her eyes.
Memories are awakened, song titles like “Changes”, “So Tired”, but above all “Alone You Breathe” (Savatage) force themselves upon you.
Brilliant.

(merula)

Metallica – Ride the Lightning vs. Master of Puppets

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Metallica – Ride the Lightning vs. Master of Puppets
or: Why “Ride” is the better record.

Cover artwork

Ride the Lightning captivates in beguiling blue, but Master of Puppets’ cover is so iconic that the point goes to “Master“.

Ride: 0 Master: 1

Intro

The intro to “Fight Fire with Fire” is a permanent part of my life, and since I heard it when the first snow fell in 1985, I always think of this epochal album when I hear snow.
Musically, the intro to “Master of Puppets” is even more exciting and dramatic. This point also goes to “Master”.

Ride: 0 Master: 2

First song

“Fight Fire with Fire” or “Battery”? A decision is not possible, both get one point.

Ride: 1 Master: 3

Second song

“Master of Puppets” is better composed, but “Ride the Lightning” is harder and more dramatic.
One point each for both.

Ride: 2 Master: 4

Third song

“The Thing that Should Not Be” is awesome, but “For Whom the Bell Tolls” is one of the greatest band anthems.
One point for “Ride”.

Ride: 3 Master: 4

Fourth song, the ballad

“Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” is great, but “Fade to Black” is godlike.
One point to “Ride”.

Ride: 4 Master: 4

Fifth song, opener of the B-side.

“Trapped Under Ice” goes off like a rocket, but “Disposable Heroes” is then an angry, desperately accusatory work of absolute excellence.
Point to “Master”.

Ride: 4 Master: 5

Sixth song, the “Filler”.

Of course, if we’re talking about a weaker song here, that means these two songs would only get 10 out of 10 points, not 11 out of 10.
“Leper Messiah”, despite its lengths, is better than “Escape” with its inexplicable drumbeats beside the line, though.

Ride: 4 Master: 6

Eighth or seventh song, the instrumental.

“Orion” is breathtaking, sombre and touching. However, it is no match for the song of the century “Call of Ktulu”, perhaps the best Metal instrumental in 200,000 years of human history.

Ride: 5 Master: 6

Seventh or eighth song – what’s left over

“Damage, Inc.” is cool, but “Creeping Death” is one of the greatest band anthems ever.
I was in Lisbon at a Workers’ Party street party. What did the band play there? Of course “Creeping Death”, not “Damage, Inc.”!

Ride: 6 Master: 6

Sound

The very compressed sound on “Master of Puppets” really gets on my nerves and doesn’t stand a chance against the unpolished brute sound of “Ride the Lightning”.

Ride: 7 Master: 6

Overall impression

Two milestones, two adorable works of the century.
But the raw elemental power and impetuosity of “Ride the Lightning” was lost afterwards.

Ride: 8 Master: 6

So the winner is clearly “Ride the Lightning”!
“Kill Em All” I love idolatrously, but I didn’t rate it here, as I only wanted to review the two albums that compare so closely.
“… And Justice For All” would very well be comparable, but for me it falls completely out of the running due to its long-windedness and cheekiness towards Jason.
“Metallica” is a great, fantastic heavy rock hit album, but doesn’t fit in this place.
All the other albums are far from brilliant, but they are also quite good; I listen to them once or twice a year. All of them, including “Lulu” and “St. Anger”. They are not that bad.

(merula)

Die Apokalyptischen Reiter – Soft & Stronger

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Die Apokalyptischen Reiter – Soft & Stronger
Ars Metalli
40:02 min
Reiter Metal

The story of the best band begins with a horse whinny, and that’s a good thing.
Sure, before that there was a spectacular demo and a story about the actual formation of the band that was as coincidental as it was endearing and worth believing, but a horse whinny plus bass guitar tones introduce the album that paved the way for the Thuringian formation to a world-spanning career.
“Iron Fist” shows the way, but it’s not until the next song “The Almighty” that the equestrian folk pull out all the stops: varied, hefty and crude death metal with epic interludes, classical piano passages and, above all, the ingenious, defining alternating vocals between deep growls (Eumel) and deviant screeching (Skell).
The wild hunt continues with “Execute” and “Downfall” up to “Metal will never die”, one of the greatest hymns to metal itself. Unfortunately, not everyone understood at the time that the song was meant just as seriously as similar songs by Manowar and thought it was all an annoying joke. Mendacious lot – like listening to “Fast as a Shark” with the corners of your mouth hanging down at the disco at the weekend!

In this early phase, of course, the band didn’t play as mature and balanced as they did from the 2000s onwards, often hacking away wildly, but that was exactly what was so extraordinary about this unique combo: In a world where you thought everything about Black, Death, Heavy, Thrash, Speed Metal had already been said, four guys impetuously pushed their way from their rehearsal room straight to the front row, on and on. Impressive to this day – and in this one certain way also their best album. Revolutionary.
It couldn’t be duplicated, and the clever Reitervolk knew that, and from then on they followed a path of metallic vicissitudes that can be perceived as ingenious or exhausting, depending on taste, but never as mediocre.

(merula)

Helheim – WoduridaR

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Helheim – WoduridaR
Dark Essence
57:14
Black / Viking Metal

Helheim from Bergen have released a new album, which in itself is reason enough to rejoice. However, with this, their eleventh longplayer, they have heaved such a great milestone into their oeuvre that it is worth collecting enough firewood for a whole bonfire.
After a short quasi-intro, the album starts brilliantly with the high-speed slashing weapon “Vilje av Stål”. With a murderous twenty-second scream, a firework of drumming and wild guitars begins, which, however, quite soon change into – still high-tempo – melodic guitars and delightful alternating vocals between harsh and clear.
Adorable! Sounds so much like the best mid-nineties Norse Viking / Black Metal that even Helheim themselves could hardly manage in their time.
It continues with “Forrang for fiede” with a still high musical tempo, which however offers plenty of variety within the speed that makes every black metalist happy, as well as quite progressive guitars and ulveresque Bergtatt vocals.
The following title track deepens all this and, apart from a very successful vocal, relies on a ravishing, melancholic mood and stylistic devices such as ominous drums.
As if variety wasn’t already a big issue on this album, “Åndsfilosofen” even tempts with sublime bitter-sweet choruses that almost remind me a little of a black metal version of “Sistinas”. Great!
“Ni s solu sot” starts with very melodic guitars and is generally a bit quieter, but all the more epic. This points the way for the further course of WODURIDAR, because the album becomes more and more thoughtful and epic, finally ending with the hymn-like “Det kommer i bølger”. Am I mistaken, or does the band very skilfully combine Bathory / Viking Epic with Americana or Dark Country?
Listen to it and form your own opinion.
Buy it, or at least check it out!

(merula)

Fluisteraars – Gegrepen Door de Geest der Zielsontluiking

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Fluisteraars – Gegrepen Door de Geest der Zielsontluiking

Eisenwald

35:35

Black Metal

Opinions were divided about the previous album “Bloem” – but I loved it before I had even heard the first note. A Black Metal record with a flower meadow on the cover, that’s what I always wanted!

Opinions will also differ on “Gegrepen Door de Geest der Zielsontluiking” again, but maybe not on the warm, light-filled atmosphere of the predecessor, but on the really exuberant joy of experimentation of their newborn.

Shall we talk about it?

After a few short drum beats, “Het overvleugelen der meute” begins with a furious tempo, shimmering guitars with a nice amount of reverb and full of heartrending, melancholic drama and immediate vocals from Bob Mollema, who, by the way, is jangling in exactly the right direction.

The piece changes tempos every now and then in just the right way, the last two minutes then consisting of more experimental sounds.

It’s not that I wouldn’t like the song without those two minutes – it’s still fun to listen to and let yourself fall into it.

“Brand woedt in mijn graf” starts seamlessly afterwards and roughly follows in the footsteps of the first song, which is meant as a great compliment.

The third of three songs is the 20-minute “Verscheuring in de schemering”, and here you would be doing the band an injustice if you regarded the experimental part of the song as an accessory – after all, it is an essential part of the song with all its surprising, not always (fortunately) easy to follow pans and changes, with its adventurous, spacey instrumentation and the spiritual mood. Which is also deeply enthusiastic in its black metal sector.

And while we’re talking about enthusiasm – I especially like the biting bass in the pleasantly transparent, differentiated overall sound, the guitars are noble-black, the vocals matured and partly of the very finest really hysterical high screeching, the drums good and song-serving. Nice cover and booklet too!

P.S. If you always wanted to know how real experts transform a rock n roll riff with minimalistic variations into an epic black metal riff in no time, listen to “Verscheuring in de schemering” from 12:45 min. on.

(merula)