IC REX: "Vedenjakaja"

Ever since my teenage years when I got hold of IC Rex's debut Sielun Kadotuksen Sinfonia and a longsleeve shirt of the album's theme, and spent cold winter nights listening to the album mesmerized (what a perfect, nostalgic black metal memory right there), I've been hooked to the band. In 2008, the one-man project returned with a full line-up on Valonkantajan Alkemia which was another near-perfect record and, in my opinion, a milestone in Finnish black metal. The third album then, Vedenjakaja, came out surprisingly fast after the previous, and I wasn't sure was I ready for it yet. Considered to be the project's probably weakest offering, Vedenjakaja took its time to open and although I nowadays think it's a great album, it is still easy to see what things went wrong here. Temple of Torturous is about to unleash this rather hidden gem as a glorious double vinyl package, and what could be more fitting as now we get to see Cinata's self-made, colourful and occult painting on the cover more properly.

Onto the music, it is easy to spot the differences in sound when compared to the 2008 album: as a drummer, I couldn't help noticing at the very first second after the synth prologue that the drum machine is back form the debut, playing very similar massive tom fills and simple beats, but the sound isn't just as harsh, upfront and distorted. Indeed, Vedenjakaja is a rather clean affair sound-wise, though this is still far from anything polished and modern. Musically, things haven't changed much, as Cinata's trademark routine at guitars is still intact: he loves to play a lot of piercingly cold lead melodies on top of the rhythm guitars, and there's also the symphonic quality of IC Rex, meaning a lot beautiful synths. But, at least for me, probably the most important aspect is the lyrical side which is once again handled so damn perfectly that still to this date, a couple of years after its initial release, there is a lot to discover from Cinata's very symbolic language. Ignoring the lyrics, one misses a lot of the album, I dare to say.

Whereas the production kind of lacks the absolute fierciness of the debut and the natural sound of a full lineup as on Valonkantajan Alkemia, there is also something to complain about the songs as well. Tracks like ”Valolanka” and ”Mestarin Ääni” tend to pale in comparison to any other track from the band's back catalogue, but luckily there are a few diamonds here that compensate it fully, like the massive epos ”Näky Hävityksestä” or the heart-rending, wistful ”Hautajaiskulkue”. Both tracks include Cinata's clean vocal performance which has grown better album after album. Track-wise, it is the bonus material that I'm the most interested about now since the original songs I know by heart already, and the vinyl version happens to provide two previously unreleased lengthy pieces, ”Kaukomieli” and ”Punaisen Tulen Vihityt”. They are compositionally as well as production-wise very similar pieces in regard to the full-length and are definitely worth a listen for any IC Rex fanatic like me. I can't say much about these songs yet as IC Rex's material tends always to open up slowly, and I need to keep some pace in my review schedule...

As there has been no new material since this album's initial release, Vedenjakaja vinyl is a worthy purchase for those looking for more material from the band. Also, the music is high above your average black metal, which is more than a good reason to unleash it on the 'grandiose' audio format with large size cover art.

4 / 5

FYRNASK: "Bluostar"

For a reason I haven't yet fathomed, it seems to be Germany that spawns atmospheric black metal the most. Ambient undertones, repetitive lengthy songs, an incessantly foggy atmosphere – these are all featured on various different records put out every month, and they're all features that are included in Bluostar, Fyrnask's major debut album, as well.

And Fyrnask, or Fyrnd who's behind every instrument and shriek here, does it very well. Often these albums stagnate in poor, unbalanced productions, but Bluostar sounds really good. The sound is very detailed, full and professional, and this is put to its best use on tracks like ”Berger” that start with flourishing synth mats, distant guitars and subtle chanting. The effect is immense, but it does require proper listening settings, aka it is useless to try to get into Bluostar in the middle of all everyday hassle and stress. Forget all those for a minute (or an hour in this case), sit back and delve into the soundscape of this record.

When actual metal tracks hang all around the ten minute mark, the songs do require some variation, and despite the consciously repetitive style, there's plenty of different ideas within every song: both accelerated blast beats and slower and almost doomy sections. I can't say the actual compositions shine with chilling originality (most of the ideas are presented on a myriad of similar albums), so that Bluostar is definitely not revolutionary, but in its own sub category the album stands as an above-average effort. It is mostly thanks to the overall atmosphere that Fyrnd has created very successfully. It's quite easy to just let go and sink yourself into the massive sound walls of Bluostar. Fans of the style better check this one out.

3.5 / 5

VOM FETISCH DER UNBEIRRTHEIT: "Psychohygiene"

After minor delays, Vom Fetisch der Unbeirrtheit’s debut was unleashed in the beginning of this year, offering two discs of pure audial insanity - not to forget the physical package in which the music comes: this hardcover digibook with 26 pages of intricate artwork plus lyrics is one of the sweetest ways I’ve seen an album presented in a while.

To the actual musical content, Psychohygiene is indeed divided into two discs of which the first presents the black metal, not far from the oddness and horror of Blut Aus Nord but in more natural sound, meaning that the drums are real and the whole sound in general is more primitive. The songs are mostly long and meandering but never pretentiously technical, e.g. the convulsing riffing in the beginning of ”Anschließendes Verstummen” that is still - in some weird way - soothing instead of meaninglessly random. Some ambient parts are to be found from this disc, most prominently on the disc highlight ”Non-Narkotikum” that has a five minute breakdown in the middle until it rises to grandiose guitar lines and blast beats again.

The second face of Psychohygiene comprises audial experimentation in the form of ambient and noise - and all kinds of weird experimenting with e.g. piano and techno beats on ”Imperativ: Kategorische Zerstörung, XIIIx losgelöst”. This side of the album might logically receive negative response from the black metal crowd, but I find this style fitting to the band, considering the filthiness of the first disc as well. We are not talking about any masterpiece tracks here, but songs like the traditional, highly distorted and rumbling ”Psychogramm” noise track, and the disturbing sounds à la Will Over Matter on ”Du magst solche Szenen” are pure pleasure to my ears.

Vom Fetisch der Unbeirrtheit and Psychohygiene came out of nowhere but made their way to the top list of 2011 already, and I could see this album among the best come end of the year. Wholly recommended for those who enjoy a lot of dirtiness and chaos in their black metal and don’t mind the experimentation either.

4 / 5