Every word that is sung on this album seems to have been done so with the utmost conviction. They are the central parts of this album. The melodies created for this album almost become infinite - the guitar rhythms never match nor do they conflict with the vocal melodies. To me this music represents the continuous nature of this life we experience.
One can easily argue that the songwriting needs improvement; yes it is hard to understand the structure of the songs and melodies seem to be coming at your head from all direction and as soon as you find yourself following the beauty of one melody, it’s gone and you fall into the next. But this is the beauty of it! It is complexity without being “technically” challenging. Imagine those brief early morning colors in the sky just before the sun has risen that you wish you could keep with you forever, yet you know that no photograph can ever truly let you relive the experience of how it felt to be surrounded by such beauty. If you can imagine this, as I have felt this too many times, you can understand why this album is so natural and breathtaking to someone like me. I feel for the first that I have in my possession the picture of that perfect dawn, where the only thing that matters is everything and nothing.
The musicianship is flawless. The guitar parts do not serve a purpose of showing off new riffs – instead they add to the whole of the music. If one just sit back and let the music take you on the journey I think it intends to, one won’t even really notice the guitars. It’s almost as if they’re only really there to complement the drumming of Jan Axel Blomberg (on a side note: his bass drums sound so full and rich on this album). This is not to suggest that the guitar playing is by any means average – it’s beautiful, because it does not try to take away from the whole of the music by standing out too much. And all solos are well executed. The vocals on this album have significantly matured since the last album [think Kamelot’s “Ghost Opera” – how dramatically Khan’s vocals matured]. One can argue that the Andy Winter’s Keys have taken the backseat for this album, but I would not go so far as to say that. They’re everywhere; just not as pronounced as they have been in the past. Also it’s important to note that these extremely well-written lyrics were written by Winter, himself. His role in this creation was as important as any of the other members’. An additional piece of information that I feel enhances the elegance of this music is that in Winds, Blomberg goes by his real name; not “Hellhammer”.
This album surely requires several listens but I promise you will be singing and humming some of the most beautiful melodies of “prominence and demise” for a long time. This album takes you on a journey, musically and lyrically. It might just make you question existence and make you feel happy to be alive. As dark and melancholic as these lyrics and music may be, there’s an overwhelming sense of joy that awaits you.
The standout feature of this album is without doubt the remarkable and beautiful singing of Lars Eric Si. Notice I said “singing”, not merely “vocals”, because this man can really sing. His inspiring tenor would sound perfect as lead solo in a Handel consort. I bought the album because Jan Axel von Blomberg (aka you-know-who) was on it. Si’s vocals came as a stunning surprise. I listened to the whole disc twice at first sitting.
His range is remarkable, and not just the octaves which are impressive enough. There are stylistic references to several other singers throughout including Jon Anderson, Jack Bruce, and there’s even a nod, when the harmonies kick in, to the serpentine Armenian strains of System of a Down. The harmonies are remarkable, arresting and, in many instances throughout the disc, literally nerve-tingling. When Si’s melodies weave within then refract off the chords, there are some truly special moments. Check the gorgeous intro to “When the Cold Winds Blow” for an example.
I couldn’t help feeling, though, that I’d heard his voice somewhere before, not just someone like him but the man himself. Then it hit me: Age of Silence, another Winter/Hellhammer collaboration. Checking Metal Archives’ listing, I found him, disguised behind the pseudonym Eikind. But … he’s playing bass! Vocals on AoS are handled by Lazare (Lars Nedland). Very curious indeed.
I get the impression that this disc will need a few more plays to fully settle in. On first listens, “Prominence and Demise” tends to meander a little. The avant-garde, neo-classical melodies snake around attractively yet don’t always seem to resolve. Some of the endings seem abrupt and a few songs appear to lack a satisfying wholeness. Mind you, I felt that way about To-Mera’s “Transcendental” initially although it’s now become a favourite, so I’m confident that repeated playings of this disc should improve global appreciation. Fortunately, a few tracks are very engaging from the off, for example “Distorted Dimensions”, featuring sublime string quartet and keyboard interplay and a clever little “Kashmir” reference. By album’s end things really start to lock in. “When the Cold Winds Blow” is a cracker and the final track, “The Last Line”, brings together string quartet, female vocals, classical guitar and ensemble playing to forge a satisfying conclusion to the program.
Lyrics are especially impressive, focusing on a humanist search for the meaning of existence in the cosmos, and even touching on the profound in places: “ … if existence is imagined, does it matter anyway?”
Carl August Tidemann’s guitar playing is very impressive. His solo in “The Grand Design”, though, sounds like he’s trying to tune to a station on the shortwave band. It’s dexterous widdly-widdly stuff that shows off knowledge of scales yet nothing much is really said. Tidemann does have many fine moments however, particularly his pretty solo in “Rise and Fall” and the shorter solos and arpeggio support on “The Last Line”, and throughout the album he often sits back in the mix, stabbing with chords and fills to add drama and texture to the music.
A personal whine is that Andy Winter’s keys make too few appearances. Winter is a great player and when he does step forward, I’m left wanting more of him and perhaps fewer guitar solos.
Jan Axel’s drumming is as superb as ever, although I get the feeling that for much of this it’s a walk in the park for him, especially compared with the almost bizarre demands made by Blasphemer’s latest compositions for Mayhem. Nonetheless, when the time comes for machine-gun double kicks, JA is the guy you want on the team and he delivers the goods flawlessly.
A quick nod must go to the evocative, Turner-inspired cover art panels by Travis Smith, metal’s Roger Dean. Wouldn’t I love to have one or two originals from this series on my wall!
All in all, an initially appealing and very promising disc that will, I trust, become more deeply satisfying with repeated listens. Time to go stick it in the un-pod.
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