Abstract Spirit - Horror Vacui (CD)

funeral doom, Solitude Productions, Solitude Productions
466.67 Р
Price in points: 700 points
SP. 046-11 x
In stock
+
The new creation of the funeral doom metal masters Abstract Spirit, the album «Horror Vacui» combines ideas of two previous band albums. Epic compositions are filled with the black atmosphere of insanity and despair expressed by performance of live choirs, wind funeral orchestra, keyboard passages and powerful guitar riffs. Another feature of all compositions is represented by unique growl by A.K. iEzor (also appearing in Comatose Vigil). «Horror Vacui» confirms the status of Abstract Spirit as one of the leading Russian funeral doom metal bands.

Tracklist:
1 За Пределами Сомкнутых Век 12:56
2 Post Mortem 11:20
3 Пульс 12:01
4 Vigilae Mortuorum (Interludium) 3:18
5 Без Меня... Мертвое Завтра... 10:25
6 Атрофия Мировоззрения 11:44
7 Horror Vacui 9:15

Artist:
Abstract Spirit
Artist Country:
Russia
Album Year:
2011
Title:
Horror Vacui
Genre:
funeral doom
Format:
CD
Type:
CD Album
Package:
Jewel Case
Label:
Solitude Productions
Cat Num:
SP. 046-11
Release Year:
2011
Country Of Manufacture:
Russia
Review
VS Webzine
14/20

Revers (ou bon côté, au choix) de la mondialisation extrême qui régit désormais notre société, les marchés de niche, comme on dit en école de commerce, se multiplient. Et tout comme je suis sûr qu’il existe quelque part une maison de disque uniquement dédiée à ne sortir que des chutes de studio de ‘kosmische musik’ enregistré entre novembre 1971 et février 1972 (je suis d’ailleurs preneur si vous avez l’info), on peut désormais faire confiance à SOLITUDE PRODUCTIONS en ce qui concerne le funeral doom.

Visiblement marqué à vie par SKEPTICISM, SHAPE OF DESPAIR et pas grand-chose d’autre en fait, ce label basé en Russie à fait son fonds de commerce de ne pratiquement sortir que des disques qui sont des décalqués de ‘Shades Of…’ et ‘Stormcrowfleet’, si possible avec des groupes locaux. Après NIGHT OF SUICIDE ou EA et en attendant le nouveau COMATOSE VIGIL, voici donc les très studieux ABSTRACT SPIRIT qui pilonnent tout espoir de retrouver toute joie de vivre depuis trois albums.

'Studieux': le mot est bien choisi car ici les canons du genre sont respectés à la lettre et avec le doigt sur la couture SVP. Soit six ‘vrais’ morceaux variant entre neuf et treize minutes plus un interlude instrumental par dessus (le funeral doom remercie d'ailleurs le format CD qui lui permet quasi-systématiquement de dépasser les soixante-dix minutes de durée totale), un chant extrêmement guttural, une batterie au style minimaliste mais très percussif rappelant celui du tambour funéraire, le timpani, nappes sous-jacentes de claviers vaporeux… Toute épaisse qu’elle soit, la fange a donc ici un arrière-goût bien familier, quant elle ne se permet pas de reprendre presque à son compte le riff principal de « The Songless Bird » de MY DYING BRIDE comme ici sur l’intro de « Пульс » (oui, les trois quarts des textes sont ici déclamés en russe, ce qui n’est pas très grave vu que l’on devine assez facilement les thèmes abordés a priori).

Sauf qu’en laissant parfois les claviers prendre une étonnante tournure quasi-symphonique (le final décadent de « Post Mortem ») et surtout en accentuant la notion de clair-obscur qui, entre deux plongées dans un trou noir sans fond, laisse filtrer quelques vagues rayons de lumière blafarde, ce brave petit soldat de l’underground marque sa (petite) différence. Il permet surtout avec ‘Horror Vacui’ de rendre hommage au funeral doom de façon classique mais aussi cinglante tout en lui donnant un petit côté légèrement plus accessible – même si ici, cette notion est des plus relative je vous l’accorde bande de râleurs – qui servira peut-être de porte d’entrée aux curieux qui se tâtaient depuis quelques lunes d’entrer dans cette cave mal éclairée à la fore odeur de décomposition mais que l’extrémisme d’un COLOSSEUM (R.I.P.) par exemple rebutait jusqu’à lors…

Author: Olivier 'Zoltar' Badin
Review
Crossover

Das dritte Album von Abstract Spirit ist das simpelste Album der Band. Das Pompöse und Majestätische der beiden Vorgänger wurde abgelegt - mit dem Ergebnis, dass Abstract Spirit nun musikalisch näher an Comatose Vigil liegen (die sich übrigens laut metal-archives.com jüngst aufgelöst haben) und sich gleichzeitig maßlos gesteigert haben. "Horror Vacui" ist der qualitative Höhe- und emotionale Tiefpunkt des bisherigen Schaffens der Moskauer. Monolithisch, schwerfällig, ein Koloss mit einer absolut überzeugenden, bedrohlichen Atmosphäre, ein Album voller Bosheit, zutiefst negativ, die Beschwörung einer Welt voller Angst. Hinter einem milchigen Schleier wittert der Wahnsinn und "Horror Vacui" vertont ihn nicht direkt. Aber "Horror Vacui" ist die schönheitlose Klangwerdung des ständigen Bewusstseins, dass es nur dieser milchige Schleier ist, der den Reisenden vom Wahnsinn trennt.
Abstract Spirit sind atmosphärisch ebenso minimalistisch wie Comatose Vigil, aber in der Gestaltung abwechslungsreicher und experimenteller. Disharmonische Einwürfe, dunkle Chöre, Glocken, ein leiernder Synthesizer gehören ebenso zur Grundausstattung wie die zermalmende Funeral-Doom-Basis aus schweren Drums, dunklen Gitarrenakkorden, Leads, die das Kommen des Todesengels ankündigen, und den wie immer zerstörerischen Growls von A.K. iEzor.
"Horror Vacui" ist - für mich völlig überraschend - das Funeral-Doom-Album des Jahres 2011 geworden und lässt sogar die hochklassigen Neuveröffentlichungen von weitaus bekannteren Genrevertretern wie Esoteric und Mournful Congregation hinter sich.

Author: Tobias Audersch
Review
Forgotten Path
6.5/10

First thought that occurred to me while I was listening to the new album of Abstract Spirit was that it is much grimmer and more of a depressive disc than other Funeral Doom Metal records. Strangely, though, such music shouldn’t arise happy emotions, I miss some melody, atmosphere or gentleness in creations of “Horror Vacui”. Wind instruments used in the music makes it feel like a funeral procession even more. Well, it’s Funeral Doom, so could it be otherwise? It’s hard to say. “Tragedy and Weeds”, their previous work sounded much more pleasant. I think that on that album the band succumbed to some heavier emotions. It is not bad; however but with this the musical side of the album became blander. It can be argued that there are more experiments in the music, some new ideas, searching. However it scarcely answered the purpose. A majority of tracks sound primitive and boring. Yes, there’s more originality, but it doesn’t reach its goal. Even such a melancholic genre needs some fast rhythm this time. Of course the vocals and quality of the record shine brightly, though the sound sometimes feels dead and synthetic. And even if we stay with the idea that this is funeral music, the procession would look quite strange and funny essentially because of these experimental decisions. It is a non-typical album, however it is not very convincing.

Author: Odium
Review
Metalitalia
5.5/10

Giungono al terzo full length i funeral doomster moscoviti Abstract Spirit, da sempre patrocinati dall’attenta Solitude Productions, ormai divenuta quasi monopolista all’interno della scena extreme doom dell’est europeo. Dopo un lavoro coraggioso ed incoraggiante quale “Tragedy And Weeds”, dove i nostri inserivano delle buone orchestrazioni su base funeral, si era creata una certa curiosità intorno al nuovo “Horror Vacui”: si voleva insomma vedere se M. Hater e soci avrebbero continuato sulla strada appena intrapresa, difficile ma carica di fascino. In realtà il nuovo platter risulta piuttosto deludente e non ispirato. Le orchestrazioni sono ancora presenti, anche se in dosi meno massicce, ma vengono utilizzate in maniera pessima, molto semplicisticamente e finiscono per nuocere alla proposta musicale dei nostri. I brani migliori sono quindi quelli meno soggetti a queste sperimentazioni, ovverosia le maggiormente canoniche “Za Predelami Somknutih Vek” e “Post Mortem”, poste in apertura dell’album. La prima é un funeral doom classico e ben composto e suonato, con dei synth sognanti ad alleggerire le atmosfere plumbee e mortifere, mentre nella seconda si iniziano a sentire i fiati ed cori che amplificano la grandeur insita nel DNA della band. Alcuni momenti interessanti possono essere riscontrati anche in “Bez Menya… Mertvoe Zavtra…” e “Atrophia Mirovozzreniya”, appese tra momenti estremamente conservatori ed aperture orchestrali dal sapore gothic. Male invece la title track, nonostante dei vaghi rimandi al dark settantiano e la confusionaria “Pulse”, che non va oltre dei violini quasi irritanti e degli ottoni suonati a tonalità bassissime. L’idea di base dietro alla musica degli Abstract Spirit rimane molto valida ed interessante, ma “Horror Vacui” soffre di cali compositivi troppo evidenti per potere realmente colpire nel segno. Speriamo sia solo un passaggio a vuoto e che già con il prossimo lavoro il trio russo sappia riprendersi appieno.

Author: Luca Filisetti
Review
Metalizer
4.5/5
14.12.2011

Давно мне не приходилось окунуться в потустороннюю глубинную атмосферу funeral doom metal. Предполагаю, что всё дело заключается во времени: как только какое-то из направлений экстремальной музыки становится относительно популярным (разумеется, не в прямом смысле этого слова) среди металической аудитории, то есть имеется ввиду приковано чересчур большое внимание, то его становится слишком много, зачастую встречается приличное количество плагиата, в таком случае начинает возникать отторжение у слушателя, после чего появляется желание переключиться на что-то иное, как случилось со мной.


Одно время даже казалось, что жанр-то забыт совсем, в смысле ничего нового в нем не появляется, а лишь остается довольствоваться хорошо забытым старым. Но до тех пор, пока существуют и творят отечественные формации Comatose Vigil и Abstract Spirit, в данном жанре бояться нечего, он не будет деградировать, но, правда, развиваться наверно тоже не будет, скорее, будет застывать на месте, замораживаясь дальше. Но для поклонников дума – это будет самое то. Всё, чего можно достигнуть путём funeral doom metal – будет достигнуто со сто процентной точностью, без каких-либо сомнений.

Если предыдущий альбом «Tragedy And Weeds» не смог дать в мире funeral doom ничего сверхнового, ничего больше, чем было до этого сделано, то, во всяком случае, третий полноформатник «Horror Vacui» и дальше будет продолжать укреплять и держать позиции Abstract Spirit.

Опус «Horror Vacui» полностью завораживает, обволакивает и покрывает своеобразной пеленой транса, во многом это большая заслуга вокала, главной особенностью которого является глубокий тягучий гроулинг в совокупности с русской лирикой, что делает релиз полноправным хозяином вашего сознания. Редкие, но меткие похоронные клавишные также позаботятся об этом. Но в интерлюдии они бесподобны, лучше, пожалуй, уже быть не может. Хор и звуки духового похоронного оркестра сделали своё чёрное дело. Вся магия релиза сокрылась именно в жуткой величественной атмосфере.

Проваливаясь в бездну черной бескрайней пустоты, порой тяжко найти выход из оказавшегося тупиковым измерения. Если слушать альбом в идеальной темноте, то можно получить бесконечно полноценные эмоции, благодаря которым можно улететь далеко за пределы манящего космоса. Странно, но именно две самые длинные по хронометражу композиции пролетают на одном дыхании, которые должны по идее быстро надоесть. Но в общем плане альбом можно посчитать затянутым, несмотря на определение funeral doom, что само собой подразумевает характерную черту этой музыки. Как и предполагалось, вокал идёт фоном, полностью вгрызаясь в полотно альбома, так как вокал используется как дополнительный инструмент наравне с клавишными или гитарами. Лирика даже не имеет смысла, в том плане, что нет разницы на каком языке рычит вокалист, хотя как по мне, так всегда «за», поэтому переход на русскую лирику я ценю по достоинству. Лучше уж понимать, о чём идет речь, помимо наслаждения музыкой, однако, как известно, каждому – своё. Если музыканты изначально задавались целью погрузить слушателя в пучину страха и моря отчаянности, безграничного леденящего душу упоительного ужаса, то им это удалось – цель с большим успехом достигнута, а значит – альбом удался на славу. Диск предназначен исключительно для поклонников. Релиз предоставлен Solitude Productions.

Атмосфера – 5/5
Техника – 5/5
Материал – 4/5
Реализация – 4/5

Author: Валентина PANTERA Катышева
Review
Rock Metal Bands
88/100
12.12.2011

7 tracks compose the Moscow 3-piece's third album, once again with song titles and lyrics in Russian and Latin, once again recorded at the Primordial studio and released by the fellow citizen label.
Don't expect mid-tempos or violins, but keep in mind that there're new elements in this full-length, such as the beginning of the title track, deeply debtor to Carcass, or the following whispered backing vocals, making you shudder in fear; the arrangements also have been refined bringing the band to another league and that's vital when most of your tracks last 11 or 12 minutes.
The opening track immediately shows the differences with the previous records: the keyboards in all the album play a more important role and in this case they are as sinister as never before; what's more the guitar plots and the cemeterial guitar sounds of the two axes played by Manhater (lead and rhythm), where the lead is barely distorted, create enough variety during the long song development; in the final of the composition are distant Gregorian chants, too, but I can't be sure if they're actual voices or a keyboards effect.
Since the seven tracks are homogenous and often not separated by silence, it's correct to analyze the opus as a whole, nevereless at the same time it's in "Post Mortem" that the keyboard-player exhumes the year-forgotten Russian tradition of the funerary march; and it's there, too, that the deceased's families' moans gather the meaning of the style Abstract Spirit interpret. Top-notch is the central break and the mass funeral keyboards lines in the closure.
I had already some of these tracks in Moscow at the musicians' and on stage, I have listened to them again surrounded by deep snow, freeze and silence, and probably this has fostered my assimilation and song reception (especially of tracks like the blood-curdling "Pulse"), yet even in summer I would have claimed this is the best and most complete work by the Russian trio to date. The recording, mixjng and mastering were done again at the band's home studio and stresses out their huge ability in separating the instruments, but if it had been a major/big indie production, this album would have disrupted much of the foreign competition. It's unbelievable how they can get these results with such a tiny budget!
The three veteran artists are the oldest and finest formation of Funeral Doom/Death hailing from Russia and deserve far more respect and exposure from the international scene; today with "Horror Vacui" absolute pain has found a new domicile...

Author: MARKUS GANZHERRLICH
Review
Brutalism
4/5
04.04.2012

Septic Mind impress yet again with another epic release of Funeral Doom Metal. Comprised of only three tracks each track is over ten minutes long, so this is no cakewalk. Their previous releases were rooted in the more basic side of Funeral Doom which was heavy, very slow distorted passages with some keyboard lumped in that was too shrouded to hear and low, guttural vocals that carried on and on for long periods of time. Following the steps of groups like Esoteric, the band made an impression, but it didn't really stir waters. Here, with 'The True Calll,' the band's third album, they mix things up a little bit. The opening "The True Call" is absent of almost any vocals and carries a rather clean sound throughout the whole 25 minutes. The clean production of the music allows the swirling keyboards, haunting guitar passages, and percussion to really bring out something scary and dark and when the vocals come in they sound fanstastic as they swirl too with multiple layerings of distortion and overall gives a very psychedelic side of Doom Metal that hasn't really been seen before amongst Solitude Prod's Death/ Doom artists. While the music does carry on like this for some time without much variation, it is a welcome addition to Septic Mind's overall sound and improves their skill from the last album.

The other two tracks are much shorter and unfortunately fall back to more of what was heard on their sophomore effort. More focused on the highly distorted atmosphere of the guitars in slow, chugging passages and the constant growling that was equally slow, this feels more like Doom Sludge Metal that just isn't as innovative and is more basic, yet still very hypnotic. The guitars play their take on a keyboard based sound but the wailing sadly overshrouds the low buzzing of the bass and drums and vocals, cutting out everything in drowning despair (perhaps on purpose). "Planet Is Sick" does a little better job at merging atmosphere with the heavier passages. It is still highly distorted and constantly growling but at least near the end the music lightens up a bit for some more slide guitar that isn't just chugging and includes some very twisted ambient sections that feel like they came from Axis Of Perdition- scary and perfect for Septic Mind's overall theme and style of Doom Metal. This is definitely one of the stronger Funeral Doom Metal artists on Solitude's label and should not be missed for those who like epic, haunting music that isn't completely just noise ambiance.

Author: devilmetal747
Review
Headbang
7/10

"O li ami, o li odi", il discorso andrebbe ampliato a tutto il genere funeral doom ma calza a pennello in maniera particolare ai russi Comatose Vigil. Era cosi per il primo disco Not A Gleam of Hope, per il mini cd Narcosis e ed è ancora cosi con il secondo e "mastodontico" Fuimus, Non Sumus....

Ai nostri piacciono le cose semplici ma non quelle semplificate, i Comatose Vigil continuano a battere sentieri di incontaminata monoliticità tramite brani lunghissimi (questa volta solo tre, rispettivamente di 27,23 e 24 minuti) e sfiancanti, composizioni in grado di "lobotomizzare" chiunque, anche l'accanito extreme doomster di turno.
Bisogna prendersi del tempo (che grande ovvietà per questo genere), e non avere la fretta di arrivare alla fine, solo in questa maniera Fuimus, Non Sumus... potrà schiudere la propria raggelante bellezza.
Non si suona puro funeral doom senza la passione necessaria, e i Comatose Vigil devono essere dei grandi sostenitori del genere. Non si scrivono canzoni come la title track, Autophobia e The Day Heaven Wept senza una saldo e ben radicato trasporto verso il genere. Non si arriverebbe a quella particolare soglia "di fastidio" che tanto male potrebbe fare loro in sede di critica. La formazione è strumentalmente ineccepibile, le chitarre scavano profondi solchi e lasciano addosso profonde e laceranti ferite, il growl è esattamente come deve essere e gioca di continuo una gara a chi va più lento con il resto della musica. Ma una menzione speciale se la meritano le tastiere, solennemente efficaci nel loro continuo operato dalle tinte nefaste ed opprimenti. Un trionfo di pura oppressione, questo è Fuimus, Non Sumus... in due parole, solo se cercate tale sensazione potrete dirvi interessati alla release altrimenti statene debitamente alla larga, eviterete cosi ulteriori problemi a quelli già esistenti.

Continuo ad approvare in toto l'artwork delle loro produzioni, e sarà bellissimo affiancare la nuova "perla nera" a quelle precedenti. Se guardiamo con attenzione (e i giusti occhi) la copertina, ci renderemo conto di come i Comatose Vigil continuino a parlare chiaramente anche attraverso l'immagine che vedremo poco prima di inserire l'album nel lettore.

Author: DukeFog
Review
Froster
9/10
18.03.2012

Третья работа московских фюнерал думстеров Abstract Spirit вызывает искреннее уважение. Похоронный дум дез, медленный, тягучий, злобный и ужасный, при этом феноменально мрачный и атмосферный. Работа звучит очень солидно и мощно, не в последнюю очередь благодаря ярким симфоническим партиям и жёсткому гроулу вокалиста. Отличное качество записи, великолепная профессиональная игра музыкантов. Этот альбом уж точно заслуживает внимания поклонников дума.

Author: Rover
Review
Headbang
8/10

Horror Vacui è il terzo tassello discografico per i russi Abstract Spirit, la band è in continua e lineare crescita e ancora una volta supera se stessa. In breve tempo i nostri hanno costruito una discografia di tutto rilievo tramite opere mai banali, ne furbescamente o smaccatamente melodiche. Gli Abstract Spirit rimangono una delle formazioni più difficili da ascoltare e da "vivere" in materia funeral doom, tutto il merito va ad un suono pieno e distributore di costante e tiepida apatia. A questa tornata si percepisce anche la presenza di un velato e tetro senso epico, ma ciò non è minimamente asservito alla semplificazione d'ascolto, anzi se possibile questo risvolto rende il tutto ancor più angosciante e opprimente. E' proprio il fastidio a dominare imperiosamente questa release, l'ora e dieci di durata questa volta si fa sentire bene bene, niente tempo che vola ma solo una lunga e dannata litania che sembra non arrivare mai alla propria conclusione. Proprio per questo motivo Horror Vacui diventa così speciale ed elitario, trovare il giusto habitat è pressoché impossibile, ci troveremo di fronte un mare piatto per lunghi ed interminabili minuti, cullati da tempi lentissimi su canzoni che come veleno si insediano piano piano nel nostro sangue. Anche i più allenati fruitori di funeral doom potranno trovare diverse difficoltà, solo la costanza e i giusti momenti d'ascolto potranno far decollare la completa grandiosità e raffinatezza di un opera creata per essere ricordata per diverso tempo. Si fa fatica a focalizzare qualche passaggio, diciamo che ad ogni nuovo ascolto si azzera tutto, quello che rimane è uno strano senso di deja-vu, una sensazione sicuramente strana ma anche tanto tanto affascinante.

In questi casi stare a descrivere le cose è un po inutile ma anche doveroso, su Horror Vacui troverete una "signora produzione", apocalittica, trionfale e fredda, troverete un perfetto e profondo growl, mentre la ciliegina sulla torta a questo giro è rappresentata dalle tastiere, sempre presenti ed essenziali ma mai smaccatamente invadenti o fuori tema. Tutto questo completa un mosaico perfetto, un opera dalle tinte dannate che non smetterà un solo attimo di mettervi di fronte ogni singola sofferenza del momento. Horror Vacui è un opera profonda e a modo suo passionale, partendo dall'iniziale Za Predelami Somknutih Vek, passiamo come spettatori inermi tramite Post Mortem e Pulse per arrivare al colpo di grazia finale formato dal terzetto Bez Menya… Mertvoe Zavtra…, Atrophia Mirovozzreniya e title track. Ogni cosa è al suo posto, immobile e "vuota", la release resta ferma a guardarci, e uno strano ghigno le vela il viso.

Author: DukeFog
Write a review