Rating: 8.7 Release Date: 2005 Record Label: Iron Tyrant Track list: |
Midryasi - Midryasi
Two observations after having spun this disc more times than I can remember: 1. This record is fucking AWESOME If the names Death SS, Zess, Paul Chain, Jacula, Antonius Rex, Devil Doll, Goblin and Il Rovescio Della Medaglia, Mortuary Drape mean anything to you, you're probably already acutely aware of what I'm talking about as far as the band's unmistakably Italian vibe goes. Being, of course, the home for cinematic geniuses as twisted and diverse as Argento, Fulci and Bozzetto, Italy's affinity for the macabre and off-kilter appears to be an inherent, innate, requisite genetic trait in every hot-blooded Italian youth. This record by fresh-faced upstarts Midryasi certainly gorges itself at the wellspring of Italian dark metal/doom/prog/psychedelia, and strikes a compromise between churning Italian darkness and the freeform, improvisatory psych-freakouts of certain Germanic luminaries (Amon Düül II are a reasonable parallel). The vocals, meanwhile, are sort of a bizarre cross between the sneer of latter day Liebling (think ‘Be Forewarned' onwards) and the nasal snarl of vintage Steve Sylvester. Like any record that involves an extensive amount of freeform noodling, this record will likely provoke polar reactions from folks, though my advice to all discerning individuals is to invest a reasonable amount of time and effort into some of the more challenging passages. It doesn't ALL work, but there are moments of absolute brilliance to be found within the meandering. Which is not to say that it doesn't go for the gut on occasion- opener “Hypnopriest” is grinding, disorienting, swirling riffage, a vacuum of mindwarping, repetitious chords accented by an infectiously phrased vocal line. This all collapses into a labyrinthine, trance-inducing passage comprising of a warped bassline, a loose, open groove and dissonant, warbling, trebly guitars. Hypnotic stuff indeed! “Acid Darkness” is suffocating vintage Celtic Frost pummel, the band opening with a bludgeoning G Warrior-esque riff that cascades into a delirious, demented freakout, each member apparently venturing into distinctly separate territory, yet somehow sounding wholly ‘together'. This all swells and congeals into a throbbing, full-throttle, riff-driven section to close the song, the surging, mounting volume matched by the aptly named Convulsion's hysterical vocalizations. “Profound ”, meanwhile, marches stridently on a divergent path away from the first two tracks, a classical guitar instrumental that serves as an unhinged prelude to another instrumental, “Instru-Mental”, an acid-soaked, resin-coated mess of overdubbed, phasing, dissonant guitar, off-balance rhythms and sinewy, assertive basslines. “Paeah” is stampeding stomp that gradually unravels into a section that seems WHOLLY incongruous with what preceded it, outfitted with lush, elaborate, winding guitar melodies and discombobulating bass counterpoints. With the likes of “Esioh Mann Sazghae” and “Cornocembalus”, we venture into far more tentative, contentious territory. I'm not much for the tangential silliness of “Esioh Mann Szaghae”, but the latter jam is quite frankly a thing of GREAT beauty, the band converging and collaborating enough times throughout the 15 and a half minute excursion to make for exciting, yet sensible listening. I won't begin to offer a section-by-section dissection of the manifold intricacies of said jam, but it should suffice to say that where bands either fall firmly in either the ‘'utter garbage'' or ‘'utter magnificence'' as far as freeform jams go, this one inclines towards the second option more often than not. Yeah, I like this band a lot, and wish that more bands (that aren't Japanese) would explore similarly frayed and depraved territory. Certainly some of the most interesting and original doom you're likely to hear this year, and save for the garage outtake quality of the concluding two jam tracks, the production is rich, full and bold enough to truly translate the remarkable capabilities of all parties involved into a rewarding, brain-frying recording.
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