This is a magnum opus of a piece of musical work, and I guess so is my review, I can't help the challenge to analyse, or try to. However, for this to be listenable, and that is quite a feat in itself, you will need to be broad-minded. If you like Manson, NIN, electronic, ambient, minimalism, emotionalism, classical you will find something here to soothe your aching soul for sure. If you dislike any of the aforementioned genres you will also find tracks you don't like. There is, and I suppose could only be, a huge diversity of sound taking place in this album. Hope I don't bore you with my words, but I guarantee, if you fit the above criteria, you will not be disappointed.
Silence is a poignant piece, nice intonation, lilting piano strokes to set it off and whispers its rhythm, with a touch of bassness. Builds well and holds its poise throughout. Strong silence.
Solitude And Sorrow is straight off the mark, with harsh male vocals expressing the very emotions well. I'm not big on vocals, but it is a nicely constructed track. Sweet suffering.
Cold clatters into existence and encourages a gentle melody that is overcome by dark blasts of noise. Drums come in to mark out the pitch and we are off. It steps down and disappears.
8 begins organistically, with clattering rhythm and the ringing of bells. Then we have a bass break and return to the track all in, at a slower pace. Another bass break with added synth and slowly it returns, with symphonic allusion.
All Is Vanity deepens the tone with piano and a build up of rhythm and melody to the male vocals again, with a similar tone, quite harsh. Backed by synth at its peak. Then things calm a bit though he does not sound any happier about things.
Play Dead is suitably moribund in delivery, really nice atmosphere, dark and eerie. I love the minimalism and think the instrumentation is spot on and suits the title eminently. Love the big, swirls of sound towards the end piece. Nice movement.
Sweet Suffering (honest I didn't even read the track list) is a curious, turn up for the books. The vocals are growing on me now, I think I'm getting into this particular groove. Are we listening to a Hellraiser fan. If so, spot on. First film was mint and I love his Books of Blood.
Divine alludes to the symphonic poise with drumbeat. Quite mild to start, with variation with percussion. Divinity is just the other side of the coin, I guess.
Fuck You creeps up darkly and almost overwhelms you, but then it calms but remains a potentially savage beast. Harsh vocals enter with a dark melody, distorted, painful, angry. The track almost grabs you by the ears and shakes your head with frustration. Then more vocals with the soft piano for contrapuntal drama. Then craziness returns.
Judgement Day is a trudging rhythm with clanging chains, again dark and negative in feel. Dispassionate. I fades almost completely, then elements begin to return. Was the earlier sense of divinity enough? Then there is a dramatic upturn in sound, which gives us hope of salvation. With an ending like this, I'm not so sure.
Déraison is mournful from the outset, not a cheerful track and it seems the pain remains, or is at least being expressed, perhaps pleadingly. After such a day...
Rebirth is almost mechanistic in rhythmic form, and the deep melodiousness brightens as a beat steps in. This sounds more optimistic, another chance, another opportunity.
No One Else Knows sounds industrial still, then it is suddenly a fantastic piece of electronic music, perfectly balanced, strong. The vocals return. The track reels for the chorus and then goes solo. Then there is a shift to a wonderful techno soundscape. Reminds me of Anthony Rother's electronic powerfulness. Then the Mansonesque vocals return for the end section.
You Look So Sad has to be mournful to begin with, but then there is a touch of the dramatic, which seems to fit well into the scheme and it reaches a crescendo of sorts. Then it chills out, but soon that frantic sound returns, this time with a friend and vocals. After what is like an aural hammer-attack, it tinkles into ambient mode again.
Heart Wide Open resonates beautifully, like travelling through some distant atmosphere. Vocals come in plaintive and full of anguish. Heart opening can be tremulous experiences in the least. So good relativised sound, voice and rhythm.
Long Way From Home begins with a gentle stroking of piano keys and an assertive bass. Then everything changes, like a bomb has gone off somewhere distant, but not distant enough. Things try to pull themselves back together, which they do, nice and slowly but sure. Or is it, suddenly where in a different, but similar space, post track part of the track, the reprise. I'd say quite positive in the end.
She Doesn't Exist V2 starts plaintively, then rolls into a slowly paced track. The vocals bring more angst into the situation as is expressed. It's like Marilyn singing NIN. Cool.
Paracelsia's Origins, almost dreamy to begin with and they pretty much stay the same, some nice diversions on the main theme, nice track.
They Say is back in the gloom again. Nice rhythmic quality to the background song, almost Bowie-like in places, still with that Mansonesque drawl. Nice piano break blending with the synth.
Burning Candle deep and sonorous, rumbling drums, almost miserable. Solitude of a single candle burning in the great beyond. Nice strong synthetic noise towards the end finish the track off nicely.
Outer Crust fires off straight away, rhythm, notation, vocalisation, full of passion. The outside meeting the outside.
Tree Of Life almost a straight rock track with vocals, it all fits well together, almost symphonic in the background and ending. Worked fine.
One Day Deaf very ambient to begin, swirls of sound and a loose sense of rhythm, just enough. Then the roaring silence begins and comes and goes between variations of the synthetic ambience.
Die Like A God, powerful, relentlessly so, with some wicked instrumentation. Nice depth and sense of being, with vocals performing as instrument themselves, I think it works very well. Then the dying begins, with much gnashing of teeth, as they would say of old.
P E S T E mixes piano and drums for the kick off, then things get rolling waiting for the lyrics. Nice distortion and scattering of voice, until it coagulates into that accent again. It all integrates nicely and I'm becoming more accustomed to the style. I'm not generally big on vocals when they are employed plainly, as instrumental they are more acceptable for me, it's a silly, personal thing.
Marie through a glass, darkly whirls gracefully into the spectrum of my attempt at analysis. I really like it, it's a very pleasant piece of music, refreshing and quite light at the end.
No Name V2 is in stark contrast to the last track, a harder combination of sound and structure. A beat sneaks in to help mark out the sonic territory, set up nicely for the song itself. The background track recedes a touch too much I think, but it normalises as the track makes it half way, and now it takes a step back into chilled ambience. Then that rock attack, like an asteroid shower, crashes into the forum, very dramatic.
Between Her Lines starts with a nice ditty on the piano which then blossoms into a mildly assertive structure of sound and rhythm. Nice gentle variations on piano and in the background buzz.
Crève presents us with deep, dark, shadows moving around you. The lyrics suit the atmosphere, created by a instrumental background that flows and ebbs, while hanging onto the main core of rhythmic structure. Then it evens out slightly, as the lyrics change tone slightly. Extra layers, like strings are added to the fray and it all works out fine in the end. Quite liked that one.
Down The Sun dark again, and somewhat foreboding, in a subtle way. Interesting structure and gentle melody, which is quite light in places. A eulogy to shadows. It regenerates itself in a calm and sure manner, confident in its' expression.
Back Off booms and sniggers in your face, then argues itself to such pitches, to be joined by vocals, harsh and distorted. Angry music, even in some of the excellent instrumentation. I feel the tools put to use are utilised well.
You Are Alone V3 pulses at you, and voice creeps in, followed by rhythm to suit the synthetic melody. Then it eases of and introduces female vocals to the mix. Nice ending.
Budapest is like church organs with whispers of voice, a twisting, turning structure, pegged out by piano. This is followed by a complete change in structure but not tone, then it begins to rejuvenate itself, nice track. Almost hypnotic.
Stupid plods away, with deep, rasping breaths of noise and slow rhythm and percussiveness. A gentle drum, to enhance the gentle vocals. Synthetic noises are generated. Then WHAM... the angry man is back and then is gone, to leave you in a soft fluffy place. The voice almost pleading, the track builds again, twitching and he's back again, though expected and suitably, and nicely diverse from the first screaming fit. Well built track.
Senseless V2 almost purrs away, with gentle piano, rhythm in the distance and a firm structure. Percussion encourages a slight resolve to pick up the pace a bit, which it does, though it seems a little reticent at first. The piano holds sway throughout without realising until the end.
Disaster voice and dramatic sounds meld and whirl around, with that Mansonesque voice again. Nice diversities but it doesn't sound so good for the victim of this particular soundtrack of an imagination far from mine, but maybe nearer than I think. Very spooky.
Innocent sounds like it's underground, subterranean sonic structures, echoing and resounding. Very serene the track blossoms with purity in musical form and there's a lot of that going on here. Some female sound sample and that trusty piano stroke, puts it simply into shape.
What's In My Head dark ambience, very slow beat and percussion, rushes of synth. Drums set out the march of the track, for which the vocals creep around like a vine of solitude. Then an almost synthetic symphony is upon you, slightly off kilter, which is a nice twist in the tale. Assimilation of internal chaos. Underlined at the end.
Whisper, starts with a whisper then creates a scenery for a drama upon drama, like tuning through radio stations, my childhood searches the airwaves for sound, creating rhythm. I love the touches of minimalism throughout, it is quite stunning in places. Such a lot can be achieved from what seems a simple combination, it's an artform in itself, and here the skill is achieved well, as is the complete adverse. This track, like some others has its quiet moments and crazy moments. And, again I like everything thus far. The whisper being the proverbial butterfly's wing.
Empty Space filled with lovely synthetic noises twirling and swirling, forming a rhythmic poise for the vocals and backing instrumentation. Again harsh vocals, an empty space can be a big place inside and outside. Stand up with pride. Good job done again.
Zero starts with a voice sample, and an eerie track develops around it. Then it pauses, returns slightly distorted now. Another sample and that magical piano tinkling away set it off really nicely. Loved it. Especially that end piece.
Searching For Romance, is a mellow track to start. Strumming of string noises mixed in with the synthetic beautifully, a positive feel to this track. Nice ambience again into a pause, a stronger sound structure redevelops seamlessly. Then it drops back again, to change for a third movement, which rumbles into view. Again, done artfully.
Black And White has a sense of desolation, deeper, and darker movements and large wheeling structures of rhythm are intonated with that piano. Then things start to get a bit more serious, a queer pitch comes into focus. It converses in unknown tongue, to a female vocal sample. Black and white passion play.
Dawn squeals and squirms into existence, Pan piping in a deep ancient forest somewhere. There is some nice soundscaping here again, intimating a natural darkness. Acceptable chaos in the framework of life, our Weltanschauung, our world-view. It's dawn, start again...
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