Abstract The Light
Magna Sapientia Quaerere - to the depths of thy soul...
Talheim Records
Two years have passed since the band`s EP From Out Of The Void had been released by Talheim Records. Newest debut album from this Australian band is over 70 minutes long but the music is a variety of dark musical styles and I completely lost track of time here after the first song.
Already in track H.U.N.T.E.R., Abstract The Light has showed certain regularity. The song is composed of many riff sequences that the band explores until the fire burns out, then another (new) sequences follows, all of which last around 12 minutes. Diversity of music is huge – aggressive black metal, acoustic guitars, catchy yet guitar chords, touch of black metal avant-garde and some extravaganza, it has been a premise that it should be a very good album.
Spinning Plates starts off pretty heavy with well structured musical arrangements, and quickly, the band has started to play faster and more aggressive black metal with such vocals. Later on, more atmospheric, mid tempo passages also involve some melodic vocals.
Firstly, in Waters Of Fire you can hear sounds of nature and then acoustic guitars kick in. A vocalist is whispering and sings with clean vocals really great. It`s heavier song, few times the band seeks for harsher black metal riffs, but when heavy music has started to sound really beautiful and catchy this time, the music in some parts sounded like perfectly harmonized pagan metal that meets art rock influences. The song is fast toward the end of the track and band`s exploration of various musical ideas sound awesome in black metal style that is their own.
Broken Shards is longer black metal oriented song, faster guitar work, however it has some acoustic guitars again and slower sequences with spectrum of different vocals – from emotionally aggravated to harsh sounding shrieks. Before the song ends, there is plenty of groove, but music is not as catchy as it was few times before, in other tracks.
...Whistling wind and sound of cymbals is like from 80`s horror movies in Primeval Essence Of Nothingness. Overall the song has very good dynamics, few original guitar leads, melodic solos, some ominous choruses, and I have to write it again, this band when playing chords sounds even better and definitely goes beyond black metal...
Smouldering Black, Thy Heart is another faster black metal song but as ever in this album, only in some parts of the track. Their black metal never sounds cliché, there is more avant-garde and some progressive approach in music of the band, and almost ever, the band plays melodically, which is needed balance if you play long and complex songs as they do. Those almost operatic vocals in this track are another proof of potential in this band and the dark charm they deliver to your ears.
Carousels Of Eternity is progressive and harsh black metal with many vocal shades - shrieks, growls and howls, and of course, ~I have never enough those catchy melodic lines the band managed to have in music. Bassist and drummer make sure that the band`s rhythm section break every wall that seems unbreakable. You have a taste of subtle, gothic style keyboards here, and blistering guitar shreds in the end, which make another superbly interesting song of the album.
Band comes with many diverse intros on this record, the one that I listen to now is of dark matter and sounds spooky, because of screams and heart beats that always sound kind of frightening, when they stops in real world, life stops too.
Magna Sapientia Quaerere - to the depths of thy soul...does not sound like a typical European black metal albums at all. There is natural energy and creativity in this album and I`ll write it again, they do not sound cliché at all, even for themselves.
Already in track H.U.N.T.E.R., Abstract The Light has showed certain regularity. The song is composed of many riff sequences that the band explores until the fire burns out, then another (new) sequences follows, all of which last around 12 minutes. Diversity of music is huge – aggressive black metal, acoustic guitars, catchy yet guitar chords, touch of black metal avant-garde and some extravaganza, it has been a premise that it should be a very good album.
Spinning Plates starts off pretty heavy with well structured musical arrangements, and quickly, the band has started to play faster and more aggressive black metal with such vocals. Later on, more atmospheric, mid tempo passages also involve some melodic vocals.
Firstly, in Waters Of Fire you can hear sounds of nature and then acoustic guitars kick in. A vocalist is whispering and sings with clean vocals really great. It`s heavier song, few times the band seeks for harsher black metal riffs, but when heavy music has started to sound really beautiful and catchy this time, the music in some parts sounded like perfectly harmonized pagan metal that meets art rock influences. The song is fast toward the end of the track and band`s exploration of various musical ideas sound awesome in black metal style that is their own.
Broken Shards is longer black metal oriented song, faster guitar work, however it has some acoustic guitars again and slower sequences with spectrum of different vocals – from emotionally aggravated to harsh sounding shrieks. Before the song ends, there is plenty of groove, but music is not as catchy as it was few times before, in other tracks.
...Whistling wind and sound of cymbals is like from 80`s horror movies in Primeval Essence Of Nothingness. Overall the song has very good dynamics, few original guitar leads, melodic solos, some ominous choruses, and I have to write it again, this band when playing chords sounds even better and definitely goes beyond black metal...
Smouldering Black, Thy Heart is another faster black metal song but as ever in this album, only in some parts of the track. Their black metal never sounds cliché, there is more avant-garde and some progressive approach in music of the band, and almost ever, the band plays melodically, which is needed balance if you play long and complex songs as they do. Those almost operatic vocals in this track are another proof of potential in this band and the dark charm they deliver to your ears.
Carousels Of Eternity is progressive and harsh black metal with many vocal shades - shrieks, growls and howls, and of course, ~I have never enough those catchy melodic lines the band managed to have in music. Bassist and drummer make sure that the band`s rhythm section break every wall that seems unbreakable. You have a taste of subtle, gothic style keyboards here, and blistering guitar shreds in the end, which make another superbly interesting song of the album.
Band comes with many diverse intros on this record, the one that I listen to now is of dark matter and sounds spooky, because of screams and heart beats that always sound kind of frightening, when they stops in real world, life stops too.
Magna Sapientia Quaerere - to the depths of thy soul...does not sound like a typical European black metal albums at all. There is natural energy and creativity in this album and I`ll write it again, they do not sound cliché at all, even for themselves.
Tracklist:
1. H.U.N.T.E.R
2. Spinning Plates In The Tapestry Of Existence
3. Waters Of Fire
4. Broken Shards, Of Inner Self
5. Primeval Essence Of Nothingness
6. Smouldering Black, Thy Heart
7. Carousels Of Eternity
1. H.U.N.T.E.R
2. Spinning Plates In The Tapestry Of Existence
3. Waters Of Fire
4. Broken Shards, Of Inner Self
5. Primeval Essence Of Nothingness
6. Smouldering Black, Thy Heart
7. Carousels Of Eternity
Review by Slawek Migacz
Added: 18.11.2020
Added: 18.11.2020
