Quite a hard task to be able to catalogue
this band of Norwegian classic intellectuals; started as a raw black
metal act and touched the top with the frozen "Under ein bloodraud
maane", of the far-off 1998 for Hammerheart, they're back with
a CD which has NOTHING to do with the past, as their music has become
rich with samples, though with true drums, atmospherical, dark and slow;
the guitars are in the background and the vocals, clean from beginning
to end, are shared between 2 singers, in my opinion not always satisfying;
sometimes they sound close to Magellan's or Yes's, sometimes they are
too artificial or gay-like; there are songs like, e.g. "Terminus
a Quo/Terminus ad Quem", in which the aura is inflamed by electric
explosions and a ruinous drumming; this track is so bizzarre that even
reminds me of the mythical Jane's Addiction, to change in a calmed end.
The very gloomy and menacing words at the beginning of "Death
of the Genuine" come after, and the guitars and programming
in the trail of Aphex Twin are later effectively mixed, although the
vocals are most diverse. "Vilosophe" is a jam session
among Katatonia, Radiohead and Aphex Twin, it's true prog metal, but
they like to call it neo avant metal, prob'ly to avoid being confused
with the bands usually labelled in the prog genre. Enslaved have remained
black and have dared a lot, but they can still look at themselves in
the mirror, things that Satyricon and Mayhem can't do so easily. Manes
have completely abandoned that genre and have modified their line-up
steadily, so it'd've been more honest to choose another monicker; I
know it's hard to leave such an unusual monicker, so full of interesting
meanings, all connected to hereafter godheads. However, these 7 tracks
+ a spoken outro by a psychotic German killer, who finally shoots himself,
compound a brave CD that will be liked by the more open-minded lovers
of metal, rock and electronic music, knocking down further barriers,
and continueing what pioneeristic crossover bands began 20 years ago.
MARKUS GANZHERRLICH - 30/05/03
