No delusions, only ambience and black metal
Black metal is in many ways about the mindset. You can rasp your vocals and shred your fingers to pieces with a thin guitar tone all you want, but if you haven't got "it" you haven't got anything. The Ukranian one-man band Moloch is a busy one. In 2008, as an example, the band's driving force Sergiy Fjordsson release over 20 splits, albums and demos total. Obviously quantity rarely equals quality, and the quality of a band's material usually worsens with frequency of release.
What Moloch does is combine a relatively traditional approach to black metal with strong atmospheres. The first track, the instrumental Illusion des Winters, in itself sets the tone for the rest of the album. Illusionen Eines Verlorenen Lebens boasts in excess of 50 minutes of black metal hewn from the very earth, and combines lines of thin guitar leads with apathy-ridden vibes as well as tortured vocals.
The wintry grey image Fjordsson paints with Illusionen is carried on and canonized by auras of cold desolation. At first it would seem there isn't much complexity to Fjordsson's songwriting in Moloch, but the album opens up upon repeated listens and reveals vistas of sublime melodies.
What Moloch does is combine a relatively traditional approach to black metal with strong atmospheres. The first track, the instrumental Illusion des Winters, in itself sets the tone for the rest of the album. Illusionen Eines Verlorenen Lebens boasts in excess of 50 minutes of black metal hewn from the very earth, and combines lines of thin guitar leads with apathy-ridden vibes as well as tortured vocals.
The wintry grey image Fjordsson paints with Illusionen is carried on and canonized by auras of cold desolation. At first it would seem there isn't much complexity to Fjordsson's songwriting in Moloch, but the album opens up upon repeated listens and reveals vistas of sublime melodies.
"...if there's an actual human working behind the drumkit he or she was either born with a metronome up the ass or Fjordsson is a master of Pro Tools."
If there is one thing that takes away from the immersion of Moloch's Illusionen Eines Verlorenen Lebens it's the computerised drumming. Whether it is actually a drummachine at work is hard to tell, but if there's an actual human working behind the drumkit he or she was either born with a metronome up the ass or Fjordsson is a master of Pro Tools. My point is that synthetic drums removes from the overall organic and natural sense that black metal should have to work, and does away with that elusive "atmosphere" that is so prized.
Repetition has its charms, especially within black metal. It draws upon mindful mantras and, if executed correctly, induces hypnotic states that immerse you in the music. Moloch masters this and uses it to his advantage. The band's eigth album has the capacity to surprise and amaze in equal doses, and though the drums subtract from the overall impression fans of ambient black metal such as Wedard should be pleased.
Repetition has its charms, especially within black metal. It draws upon mindful mantras and, if executed correctly, induces hypnotic states that immerse you in the music. Moloch masters this and uses it to his advantage. The band's eigth album has the capacity to surprise and amaze in equal doses, and though the drums subtract from the overall impression fans of ambient black metal such as Wedard should be pleased.
8/10
Released in 2011 by Glorious North Productions
Links
Moloch on FACEBOOK
Moloch on BANDCAMP
Moloch OFFICIAL SITE
Glorious North Productions OFFICIAL SITE
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What did you think about Moloch's "Illusionen Eines Verlorenen Lebens"?
Moloch on BANDCAMP
Moloch OFFICIAL SITE
Glorious North Productions OFFICIAL SITE
Follow TONEwood on Facebook for daily updates!
What did you think about Moloch's "Illusionen Eines Verlorenen Lebens"?
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