V:28 "NonAnthropogenic" CD
[Vendlus]
Hmmm... I'm unsure what I make of this Norwegian duo. Their brand of "experimental" (to some light degree) metal blends programmed drums and some orchestral synths (in a toned down, atmospheric manner) with distorted guitars and snarling vocal screams. The tempos are moderately paced and have sort of a driving Bolt Thrower sort of rhythm going on, with some nice uses of delay and reverb over the melodic lead lines giving an earlier Paradise Lost sort of vibe to some of the passages - though oddly these guys really sound nothing like either of those two bands in the least! There are definitely some doomier influences at work, and perhaps a little bit of black metal in theory, but I'd say this is fairly unique in its own right. As far as the sound, I'm not that into it, and I think that's one of the key problems I'd cite with this CD, because from a songwriting standpoint I quite enjoy much of what they're doing. The drum machines could be far, far worse, but they're still too thin and clinical to add to the band's bleak and rhythmic approach. The guitar tone is also a little unnatural and lacks warmth, so even if they were sort of going for that more electronic/industrial style (which they haven't reached in either case), it really doesn't fit the nature of the songs or their emotional impact. The vocals and the lead lines sound fairly good, though the bass is very hard to pick out. The synths aren't 100% effective either, because the actual sounds, be it piano, strings, drones, etc. are often more of a mid-grade quality than I would expect from a band that seems to be fairly focused. I definitely enjoy listening to these songs, portions are a little weak, and there's not necessarily enough variety between tempos and riffing approaches, but I do enjoy most of it. And for those who may be interested, Enslaved's Grutle Kjellson provides some guest vocals in a few tracks. I'm not that into the layout. It's professionally handled as far as print quality and such, I just find it visually unappealing. The text is clean, so that's fine, but I find the manipulated road signs to be a little lame, and the band photos are inexcusably cheesy (two guys wearing ratty clothes and covered in dirt and camouflage face paint making silly "sneering" faces and shit), so the overall appearance sort of slips below par. The lyrics do nothing for me either: "Earth, To destroy the earth, No life, no hope for the future of mankind, In nothingness..." Not bad as a whole. I'm interested, I'll say that. I could see this band reaching far more impressive heights than this with some further progress. (6/10)
Running time - 44:23, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Dead Shining Star, To be Tuned, The Fall of Science]
Vendlus Records - http://www.vendlus.com

This review has been displayed 1816 times.