Mare Infinitum - Alien Monolith God (CD)

funeral death doom metal, Solitude Productions, Solitude Productions
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The second full-length album of the Mare Infinitum project titled «Alien Monolith God» invites you to a new journey through the endless sea. The musical material of the album is a logical continuation of the debut release «Sea Of Infinity» and includes 55 minutes of high-quality doom death metal. The crew of the Mare Infinitum ship will exalt you to the space heights, where a massive meteorite attack threatens to eliminate every living being on the surface of planet Earth, and then sank into the dark Lovecraftian depths where unknown Cthulhian creatures plunge you into the abyss of an imminent terror.

Tracklist:
1 The Nightmare Corpse-City Of R’lyeh 10:21
2 Prosthetic Consciousness 11:15
3 Alien Monolith God 14:21
4 Beholding The Unseen Chapter II 8:13
5 The Sun That Harasses My Solitude 11:21

Artist:
Mare Infinitum
Artist Country:
Russia
Album Year:
2015
Title:
Alien Monolith God
Genre:
funeral death doom metal
Format:
CD
Type:
CD Album
Package:
Jewel Case
Label:
Solitude Productions
Cat Num:
SP. 101-15
Release Year:
2015
Barcode:
4632000000726
Country Of Manufacture:
Russia
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Review
Iye Zine
8/10
14.05.2015

Secondo album per i russi Mare Infinitum che danno, così, un seguito al riuscito esordio del 2012, “Sea Of Infinity”.

Già dall’opener The Nightmare Corpse-City of R’lyeh si può constatare che qualcosa è cambiato nel sound della band moscovita: infatti l’ortodosso death doom dell’esordi viene qui arricchito da una stentorea voce pulita, ad opera di Ivan Guskov, che fa il paio con il consueto ed ottimo growl di Andrey Karpukhin (A.K. iEzor – Abstract Spirit e Comatose Vigil, uscito dalla band dopo la registrazione dell’album), mentre le atmosfere, proprio in concomitanza con le aperture vocali si fanno anch’esse più terse, assumendo sembianze quasi epiche.
Il progetto è come sempre condotto da Georgiy Bykov (Homer), il quali si occupa di tutta la parte strumentale e, indubbiamente, la maggiore varietà conferita alle sonorità death doom denota una crescita esponenziale delle doti compositive di questo musicista.
I tre anni intercorsi tra un album e l’altro sono stati quindi ben spesi, a giudicare dai risultati ottenuti: Alien Monolith God è, infatti, un lavoro davvero eccellente nel suo districarsi tra i mortiferi e cadenzati riff e le improvvise quanto ariose aperture melodiche.
Il disco risulta così avvincente in ogni suo passaggio senza sacrificare nulla dal punto di vista dell’impatto emotivo e neppure risentendo di una durata che va a sfiorare l’ora.
Nessuno dei cinque brani mostra la corda, andando a comporre un monolite sonoro inattaccabile sotto l’aspetto qualitativo; chiaramente l’impronta tipica della scena doom moscovita è sempre ben presente, come è normale che sia quando ci si muove in un ambito nel quale le band ed i musicisti sono piuttosto coesi e portati quindi alla reciproca collaborazione.
Una menzione particolare la meritano comunque la lunghissima e cangiante title-track e l’evocativa traccia di chiusura The Sun That Harasses My Solitude, conclusione degna di un disco impeccabile che darà sicura soddisfazione agli amanti del genere.

Author: Stefano Cavanna
Solitude Productions 21.05.2015, 15:51
Review
Gorgers Metall
20.04.2015

At en ulykke sjelden kommer alene har ofte sin naturlige forklaring i dominoeffekten. At en drшss gode skiver som jeg gjerne skulle hшrt ti ganger for sе е presentere et sшvndyssende foredrag om sjelden kommer alene har ingen tilsynelatende logisk forklaring.
Mare Infinitum overveldet meg med sin bunnsolide debut i 2011, og jeg skulle aller helst tatt meg tid til minst ti runder med denne, men det fеr klare seg med fire-fem i denne omgang.

Den russiske duoen bestеr av Homer (eks-Who Dies in Siberian Slush) pе gitar, bass og programmering samt A.K. iEzor (Abstract Spirit) pе vokal og trommer. De to virker sжrs kompetente, og lykkes godt i е fе det hele til е lеte som et fullt band.
Sea Of Infinity blеste meg altsе overende. Ikke pе en Reign in Blood/A Blaze in the Northern Sky/Altars of Madness mеte, dette er ikke bruk-hшyttalerne-som-fшner -musikk. Mare Infinitum er treige og bly-med-ekstra-isotoper -tungt*. Debuten bestod av atmosfжrisk, melodisk og dels symfonisk death/doom med linker mot funeral doom.
*(At atomer med ekstra isotoper har hшyere egenvekt er en pеstand uten nшdvendig hold i virkeligheten. Jeg er for faen ingen kjemiker).

Funeral er i seg selv en elsk-eller-hat -stilart. Mare Infinitum har bredde til е omfavne begge grupperinger i sе mеte. Med 55 minutter fordelt pе 5 lеter, akkurat det samme som pе debuten, er det klart at Alien Monolith God har lange lеter, og joda, de har gjшrme opp til leggene hva hastighet angеr, men der de fleste band i nevnte sjanger subber rundt som overtrшtte zombier, lшfter Mare Infinitum fшttene som overdimensjonerte vade-rovfugler. Her finnes (blant annet) melodier, symfoniske snutter, svevende partier og ulike vokale former nok til е skape enorm divergens.

I fшrste spor fеr vi smеtt episke toner med lett midtшsten-preg, og hint av Orphaned Land. The Nightmare Corpse-City Of R’lyeh er som tittelen antyder likevel langt fra sе glatt og poppete. Men tunge riff og seige, kraftfulle kanon-salutter fra slagverket blir heller ikke baktungt da svevende strykere og gitarstrenger sammen med gjennomfшrt klar og ren vokal ogsе drar helheten litt i retning av Septicflesh.
I et spor som tittellеta dras vi med ut i galaksehopene. Lеta gir et et snev av Below the Sun, og bringer snodige effekter (hvor tankene glir mer mot Ayreon) samt den mindre snodige, men heller jordnжre og alltid hyggelige munnharpa.

Lyden er generelt meget god. Gitar og bass durer voldsomt, mens trommene har godt med trшkk og vokalen er klar og tydelig. Den musikalske kvaliteten er profesjonelt gjennomfшrt.
Det er ikke vanskelig е hшre, selv i fшrste gjennomlytt, at dette er monumentale saker, og at variasjon og ingredienser trolig vil avslшre mange detaljer og bidra til lang levetid. Erfaring fra Sea Of Infinity tilsier ogsе at bandets virke ikke er noe man gеr lei av med det aller fшrste.
Musikken er likevel mektig som marsipan, og nytes gjerne best i doser pе йn og йn gjennomhшring.
Slik Mare Infinitum omfavner genre, omfavner jeg deres musikk.
De med allsidig metallsmak anbefales altsе е sjekke ut bandet.
Solitude Productions 21.04.2015, 18:41
Review
Kaosguards
17/20

Le premier album de ce projet Doom Death russe, « Sea Of Inifnity », nous était apparu solide mais peu novateur (http://www.kaosguards.com/content/view/6214/43/).

Force est d'admettre que Alien Monolith God hisse MARE INFINITUM dans une toute autre dimension qualitative ; Car si l'étiquette Doom Death Metal paraît toujours globalement pertinente, il faut souligner que les promoteurs du projet ont tenu à en livrer une version non restrictive et extrêmement riche.

Débutons par le relevé des repères classiques propres au Doom Death. Comme à l'accoutumée, le tempo est lent, les rythmiques écrasantes, le chant majoritaire caverneux, les claviers éthérés, les cinq compositions sont longues (entre huit et quatorze minutes) et l'atmosphère générale est marquée par l'angoisse et le désespoir (normal, il est ici question de l'univers de Lovecraft!). Le tout manié avec un savoir-faire avéré. Mais s'il n'y avait que cela, « Alien Monolith God » ne serait qu'un album passable.

Grâce à un sens affûté de la composition, MARE INFINITUM injecte des éléments exogènes au Doom Death. En premier lieu, plusieurs registres vocaux cohabitent avec les grondements sourds : l'un est typiquement Heavy Metal, puissant et lyrique (à la Mats Leven), l'autre est un chant clair très expressif. Evidemment, l'adjonction de ces facettes vocales dynamise considérablement l'ensemble. Ensuite, les claviers ne se contentent pas de nappes brumeuses et romantiques, ils proposent souvent des arrangements plus troubles, proches du Space Rock et du psychédélisme. Enfin, le groupe n'hésite pas à contrebalancer les passages les plus épais par de magnifiques plages mélodiques, presque planantes, au cours desquelles la guitare solo livre des prestations spatiales, gorgées de feeling.

Comme dans les nouvelles de Lovecraft, MARE INFINITUM vient d'ouvrir une nouvelle dimension qui offre des perspectives aussi fascinantes qu'effrayantes.

Author: Alain Lavanne
Solitude Productions 06.04.2015, 20:01
Review
Zwaremetalen
8/10
30.07.2015

Het is niet enkel de muziek van het Russische Mare Infinitum die traag is, de heren zelf zijn het ook wel een beetje. Vier jaar geleden kwam het debuut van de Russen uit en vol lof werd deze onthaald. Anno 2015 ligt de tweede plaat in de rekken en is er naast A.K. iEzor ook een man voor de cleane vocalen gevonden, zijnde Ivan Guskov. Een naam die me niets zegt, maar de man levert wel een aardige bijdrage aan dit type atmosferische doom/death.

Vijf nummers opnieuw, en opnieuw zijn we vertrokken voor een klein uur. Mare Infinitum klinkt vooral erg beheerst en overtuigend binnen dit genre. De band presenteert nummers die nergens uitbundig worden, maar waar een knappe balans bereikt is tussen diepgaande traditionele doom met een atmosferisch kader, en kwalitatief gegrom dat het geheel hier en daar een donkere tint meegeeft. Eigenlijk is dit muziek om eens flink bij te gaan liggen om de kolkende en traag voortstuwende massa in al haar facetten te volgen. Het is immers maar een indruk dat Mare Infinitmum droog en ongezouten zou klinken, hier schuilt heel wat verhaal, diepgang en afwisseling in. Dat gaat van de vocale afwisseling tot de knappe gitaarpartijen die het sleepblok wat opfleuren.

Naast een band die beheerst en overtuigend klinkt binnen het doomgenre, is dit ook gewoon een productie die geknipt is voor dit type muziek. Erg helder, om de atmosfeer wat vorm te geven, gitaren die flink wat lading meekrijgen en een zanger die steunt op zijn stembanden om het geheel wat donkerder in te kleuren. Afgeborstelde doomdeath voor de fans van traag uitgesponnen werkjes die met overgave gebracht zijn.

Author: Yves Pelgrims
Solitude Productions 08.03.2015, 19:57
Review
Aristocrazia
02.11.2015

Secondo disco e secondo passaggio su Aristocrazia per i Mare Infinitum: all'incirca tre anni fa il nostro Mourning ci parlò infatti del debutto "Sea Of Infinity", mentre oggi il sottoscritto vi presenterà il nuovo parto "Alien Monolith God", uscito ancora una volta grazie all'inarrestabile attività della Solitude Productions.

Andiamo però subito al sodo: se l'esordio era un album piacevole ma fondamentalmente poco più che sufficiente, con episodi quali "The Nightmare Corpse-City Of R'lyeh" e "Beholding The Unseen (Chapter II)" il lavoro ivi esaminato si dimostra di caratura superiore al predecessore, sebbene le basi della proposta del trio russo non siano cambiate. Abbiamo quindi a che fare con un Death-Doom Metal dai riflessi funerei, in cui spicca l'alternanza delle voci pulite dai contorni quasi epici con un growl cavernoso e impastato, così come i lunghi, granitici e sepolcrali riff miscelati ad atmosfere tenebrosamente esotiche, in scrupolosa osservanza della concettualità aliena dell'opera.

Il tutto viene orchestrato con magistrale perizia e la funzionalità dell'intero impianto sonoro è ancora più evidente in pezzi come "Prosthetic Consciousness" e "The Sun That Harasses My Soul": desolanti e mastodontiche sezioni opprimenti si accavallano con aperture melodiche che — a dispetto delle sembianze eteree — instillano un senso di gelido vuoto finora avulso ai nostri sensi. I Mare Infinitum ci risucchiano in una bolla dimensionale sconosciuta, al cui interno veniamo soffocati da visioni e incubi che la nostra mente mortale non è in grado di sostenere.

Insomma, un grande passo in avanti per il gruppo russo, poiché — pur rimanendo fedele agli stilemi del genere suonato e in particolare all'enorme importanza attribuita già in passato alla parte atmosferica — "Alien Monolith God" risulta un album molto interessante, personale, coinvolgente e ispirato. Un lavoro consigliatissimo a tutti gli amanti di tale filone musicale; un lavoro che tiene fede al proprio titolo: un monolite alieno che merita certamente un po' della nostra adorazione.

Author: Dope Fiend
Solitude Productions 12.02.2015, 02:35
Review
Lords of Metal
8.9/10

Met ’Sea Of Infinity’ leverde het Russische Mare Infinitum een gewedlig debuut af. Na vier jaar keert deze act terug met ‘Alien Monolith God’. De belangrijkste man achter de band is Georgiy Bykov die voor de gitaar, bas en de geprogrammeerde toetspartijen verantwoordelijk is. Op het vorige album noemde hij zichzelf nog Homer en hij heeft voor Mare Infinitum deel uitgemaakt van Who Dies In Siberian Slush. Op het debuut werd hij bijgestaan door twee zangers. Ivan Guskov als vast bandlid en A.K. iEzor als sessie zanger (en drummer). Beide heren zijn ook op dit nieuwe album weer van de partij en laatstgenoemde is zelfs als vast bandlid actief. Dit keer onder zijn echte naam Andrey Karpukhin. Hij speelt overigens ook in de bands Comatose Vigil en Abstract Spirit. Van die laatste band is ook M. Hater bij Mare Infinitum betrokken. Hij verzorgde de productie en speelde als sessie muzikant de lead gitaarpartijen in. De drums op dit tweede album werden ingespeeld door Vladimir Lyaschkov en Olesya Levina verzorgde de vrouwelijke vocalen. Beiden ook als sessie muzikant.

Bij het debuut moest ik regelmatig aan bands als Mourning Beloveth en Ahab denken. Na het beluisteren van ‘Alien Monolith God’ schieten ook namen van recentere bands als Doomed en Victims Of Creation te binnen. Doomed vooral vanwege het gitaargeluid en de drive die de songs hebben. Victims Of Creation vanwege de combinatie van zware grunts en cleane zang. Dit zijn allemaal elementen die dit album echt een goede basis geven. Daarnaast zijn de songs ook nog eens erg goed geschreven. De gelaagdheid komt heel mooi tot zijn recht, mede door de prima productie. Ook zet de band elementen in die je misschien vaker gehoord hebt, maar wel wat extra’s toevoegen. Bijvoorbeeld de vrouwen vocalen en de oosterse melodieën die je hier en daar langs hoort komen. Ik ben gewoon heel erg te spreken over dit album en raad het aan iedereen aan die van goede melodieuze funeral doom/death houdt.

Author: Pim B.
Solitude Productions 09.02.2015, 12:11
Review
Forgotten Path
6.5/10

The biggest advantage of the sophomore album from Russian band Mare Infinitum is at the same time their worst nightmare - the mix of different kinds of Doom sub-genres. The music is mostly pretty slow, reminding us of traditional Doom and Funeral Doom chords. The vocals vary from very low growls (Death/Doom) to quite progressive sounding clean vocals (again, Traditional Doom). All in all, “Alien Monolith God” has enough different influences in order to call this release just as a Doom Metal album, and you definitely won’t be wrong. In general, the mix is pretty neat and well prepared. Each will find something attractive to his soul. On the other hand, I still don’t get the true face of the band, cause the creativity lacks some solid and core decisions. I personally don’t find enough of the heavy guitar riffs and I would single out the overuse of keyboard parts, which add some psychedelic touch to the music. Besides, you can also hear some high notes of female voices that are more typical to Gothic Metal. Do you get what it’s all about? This probably is a rather nice album and considering all the features that I tried to express above, Candlemass is the first name that comes to my mind for the comparison of this album. But sure - there’s still a big gap in mostly all possible fields between the Russians and Swedes; still, not a bad effort to make everything work.

Author: Odium
Solitude Productions 11.01.2015, 20:46
Review
The Grim Tower
10/10
26.06.2015

Mare Infinitum – Alien Monolith God (2015) – Russians Mare Infinitum play an uncommon blend of symphonic/atmospheric doom/death, which is rare in the fact that its plodding did not bore me to tears. As a matter of fact, I was completely awestruck by the whole experience, allow me to tell you why.

Let’s first take into account that Alien Monolith God is a pretty awesome sounding name, and it manages to pump an hour’s worth of material into just five tracks which fill with the very mystique that we might expect for such spatial and Lovecraftian subject matter. The frontman possesses an almost monolithic approach to the growls, which truly seems inhuman and it even feels as if an elder god is actually on the microphone instead of a human being.

In addition to that, you’ve got an absolutely incredible guitarist who definitely balances out the thick thunder of doom, beefed by synths that truly work to make the performance that much more memorable. There’s also a clean vocal approach in use here that just fucking works. When you hear the high notes rise, you’ll be mesmerized, as well as the female vocal chants which once again, only help to persuade me closer to the atmosphere. Basically, Alien Monolith God took hold of me and had such a firm grip that it refused to let go.

As I usually take my promos with me (via MP3 player) whilst I’m doing various errands around town, the record setups are usually alphabetical and sometimes random. I had no earthly idea what I was getting into as I was walking into the frozen food section and this amazing record took hold of me. I was almost in a trance as I went to add items into my cart from various aisles, while still being pulled halfway into this cold alien world that beckoned me further with each and every song.

The title track (14:21) even added a touch of calm atmosphere in which to embrace, as I continued to glide through one section to the next; completely in the hold of a fantastic musical world which was only increased by the majesty of guitar leads and unexpected electronics that open up to reveal a breathtakingly clean duet accompanied by folk instruments. Then without warning, the song made me think of something I might hear from Dead Can Dance and I became even more enamored. Just who are these gentlemen and from whence have they come?

Reader, I can honestly say to you that this review doesn’t even scratch the surface of such a mesmerizing and memorable experience. I’ve only talked about two of the five differing mood variations utilized in this doom/death style, but I’ll digress and beg of you to hear the rest. If you love doom metal, death metal and atmospheric approaches at all, then there is absolutely no reason for you not to buy Alien Monolith God.

Every self-respecting heavy metal journalist that doesn’t respect this album and the majesty it possesses should be punched in the face repeatedly. Shame on you for promoting trends, when fascinating art has been achieved and put into fruition in such a package as has been embraced here. If Mare Infinitum falls into obscurity, then it will be your faults, not mine. For I’ve done what I felt was necessary to honor such an outstanding monolith of a recording.

Though Alien Monolith God is a very lengthy experience, it is an experience that you will be more than willing to take several times over. I just can’t get over how great this record sounds the second time through and I’m quite sure that it will sound just as good on the third or fourth listen. Russia has an absolute powerhouse in this act and I hope that we’ll hear more from them, even though to be perfectly honest; I’m perfectly fine with this and wouldn’t be upset if they chose to end it here. If I had a top ten list, I’d put this one up there with Forgotten Horror for sure. We at The Grim Tower highly recommend Alien Monolith God as it is one of the best heavy metal experiences that we’ve had this year.

Author: Eric May
Solitude Productions 07.01.2015, 15:21
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