I was just reviewing a mexican death metal band that was trying to sound Swedish thinking how everything sails under the same sun when it comes to metal these days . Then this space ship landed on my computer. I am not sure I would call the first song metal though it is intense. It is industrial and tribal all at the same time. Not unlike the band from the 90s called Crash Worship. John Zorn would also be into this. Not what you expect out of Belgium. Though I would not say Belgium is on my radar for any one particular flavor. This is a lot to digest as it amounts to a triple album. I first notice vocalizations on the second song mid the clanging and sax. They consider themselves to be drone metal that is mixed with free jazz. I hear more of the jazz. It comes to the forefront on this song. I am listening for anything that might mark this as metal half way into the song the intensity builds, but there is now aggressive vocalizing or distrotion. This changes in the third song "Lasmasthu". There is distortion placed on a stringed instrument and allowed to ring out. It is more abstract than the previous songs, which were far from being pop hits.
Four songs in they begin to cross over . Monmentum and intensity being the two elements that begin to take on a more overt metal feel. The ambiance swells. Free jazz is still a more fitting label . Something is heavy about chaos. Growling comes in amid the noise. It is kind of random like the instruments are being thrown down the steps at Regan's house in the Exoricist. These more abstract pieces are at least shorter and not ten plus minutes. "Enuma Elis" reverts more to the tribal throb with chanting over it as it wrestles with the jazz tendencies. "Zar" is the first part of the 'to the Moon" part of the album which I am guessing is the second album of this set. It is more guitar oriented , but no less bizarre. The second song of this section finds vocals becoming more apparent . Some more menacing than others. The they hit the most metal moment yet. Though not how most might experience metal. After this comes more of an interlude with some Jimi Hendrix like guitar standing alone. "the Great Wars" comes out of this and finds the Hendrix liek guitar continuing into this , though there is a marching jazz song that builds behind this
"Homosensibilis' is very John Zorn as it's jazz but very dark. David Lynch also comes to mind. I like the melody to this one . "Oi sonuf" is more precussive based, not as focused on melody. It is also a twelve minute song so the drone is here. The third section "to the Sun" sounds like it is going to be even more abstract and ambient. 18 minutes of sax and drone is a lot to ask of a listener ."Heka Hou Sia" finds the mood becoming more ominous. I was expecting album number three to have more kick than sizzle. I am fine when it is jazz or weird tribal stuff, what I am not into is just droning on noise. It takes about four minutes to get anywhere on "Heliozoapolis" then another five minutes to gain momentum. The last song never gets anywhere. There is a lot of potential here and when you commit to listening to album three albums it feels like there needs to be more of the pay it wanted to promise. So I will round this down to an 8. Most of the credit this is gettting is do to how you have not heard a lot like it.
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