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Narrow House - A Key To Panngrieb (CD)

atmospheric funeral doom, Solitude Productions, Solitude Productions
41 reviews Write a review
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Debut album by a young Ukrainian band Narrow House who was featured at a number of gigs and festivals. «A Key To Panngrieb» album is a 45-minutes-long journey to your subconsciousness accompanied by funeral guitars, atmospheric keyboards and live cello. Another approach to funeral doom metal, another key to eternal secrets of life and death.

Tracklist:
1 Последнее Пристанище 14:33
2 Псевдорятунок 6:45
3 Стеклянный Бог 13:00
4 Под Маской Этой 11:10

Artist:
Narrow House
Artist Country:
Ukraine
Album Year:
2012
Title:
A Key To Panngrieb
Genre:
atmospheric funeral doom
Format:
CD
Type:
CD Album
Package:
Jewel Case
Label:
Solitude Productions
Cat Num:
SP. 064-12
Release Year:
2012
Country Of Manufacture:
Russia
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Review
Metalive
8+/10
09.10.2012

Недавно вот натыкался на сингл и рад скорому полноформату. Творчество соотечественников пришлось по душе и как раз вовремя, к наступившей осени. После сингла и прослушанного альбома мнение мое совершенно не изменилось. Ребята играют красивый и атмосферный похоронный дум, да к тому же еще и с лирикой на русском языке. В общем то особо добавить нечего, единственное только нарекание у меня вызвал кавер. Не очень удачный выбор, как по мне. Да и не совсем то получилось, как-то никак я бы сказал. Ну а в остальном все класс. Альбом входит в топ года полюбому и оценки 8+/10 вполне заслуживает.

Author: SatanicPanzer
Solitude Productions 18.10.2012, 01:21
Review
Hell Music
02.10.2012

Šiais metais pradėjau sekti vienos įrašų studijos naujienas, kurios daugiausiai akcentuoja Rytų Europos doom metalo sceną. Na ir tarp daugelio naujienų vieną kartą krito į akį visai žavus NARROW HOUSE - ”A Key To Panngrieb” albumas. Tiesą pasakius viršelis, nes kol kas muzikos dar nemoku atskirti su regimuoju jutikliu.

Taigi va ir dabar pagaliau ramiai, sėdėdamas namuose (už lango mielaširdingas lietutis bando apgaut kitus gyventojus kad iš tikro 'lyja') suku albumą. Depresuojančiai net ir linksiu į violančelės taktą, kuri mano sugadintoj vaizduotėj, bent jau šiuo metu, pateikia lėtą ir skausmingą kraujo, ar kito panašaus skysčio iš žmogaus, varvėjimą, kai aplink kažkas vyksta, sulėtintu veiksmu pramerki akis ir tas pats minėtas lietus vos ne vos pila kaip iš kibiro. Gal padauginau – muzikos neapibūdinsiu tinkama situacija, o ir pačias situacijas mes linkę kaskart įvardinti kitaip, tad palieku geriau klausytojui vertinti savo jausmus duotuoju momentu.

Sugrįžkim prie detalių. Albumas sąlyginai trumpas – vos per 45 minutes. Ir tik keturios dainos jame. Kas pirmiausiai krenta į akis bevartant puslapius (metal-archives, namų puslapis, knygutės paveiksliukai), tai kontrastas tarp trumpų tekstų ir ilgų dainų. Toks jausmas kad sudainuos greit ir paskui temps gumą atsakančiai. Bet kiek va jau klausau, atrodo vis dainuoja ir dainuoja. Tie trumpi posmai ištempti po žodį ar du ir taip užpildo visas 10 (tarkim) minučių. Aš truputį pamelavau, sakydamas kad pirmiausia kas krito akin, bet apie albumo knygutės, viršelio stilistiką nejučia užsiminiau pirmoje pastraipoje.

Dar vienas nesuderinamumas, kuris šiaip nieko blogo nesako, nebent kokiem užkietėjusiem tikslumų perfekcionistam, tai grupės stilius. Įvairiose vietose skirtingus priežodžius pasirenka prie doom metalo – Funeral/Atmospheric, tiesiog Atmospheric, biografijoj minima ”funeral doom metalas su ambient elementais”, na o namų puslapyje, netgi Apocalyptic doom metalas. Che, apokaliptinio dar nesu matęs. Gal pridėta todėl, kad tekstų tematika apibrėžta kaip vienatvė, savęs naikinimas, mirtis, apokalipsė.

Na ir pabaigai, kartu su paskutine daina albume, smagiai belinksėdamas instrumentų sąskambyje, paminėsiu kiek apie grupę iš jų pateikto teksto: įsikūrė 2009-ais metais, Kijeve. Kaip patys teigia, NARROW HOUSE yra vienintelė tokio tipo grupė Ukrainoje. Koncertų metu, pasirodymai akomponuojami su specialiais paveiksliukais bei teminiais video montažais. Visi šie elementai ir atliekama muzika suteikia pasirodymui ypatingą amosferą, kuri tarsi bendrauja ar netgi daro įtaką esamai psichologinei auditorijos būsenai. “A Key To Panngrieb” grupės sudėtis:

Author: parašė donatas
Solitude Productions 15.10.2012, 21:49
Review
Temple of Doom Metal
12.2/20
13.10.2012

Das cinzas dos obscuros Funestum chegam à luz do dia estes Narrow House e o seu opus de estreia 'A Key To Panngrieb', com o carimbo da Solitude Productions. Quem tomou contacto com a primeira encarnação desta banda ucraniana, poderá ficar já com uma ideia do território onde estes novos temas se movimentam, embora aqui imbuídos de ambientes mais atmosféricos, bem na linha dos Comatose Vigil ou dos Abstract Spirit, por exemplo. E a páginas tantas, parece que estamos a ouvir essas bandas, dada a fórmula empregue - bem sabemos que é bastante complicado ser inovador e original neste estilo musical -, mas as comparações acabam por serem quase inevitáveis.
Ao longo destes 45 minutos de degredo funéreo, a «escola russa», chamemos-lhe assim, apresenta-se em boa forma; quatro temas tocados de forma muito competente, bem estruturados, com um bom equilíbrio entre as teclas e as guitarras e uma voz bem gutural que, esparsamente, alterna com um tom límpido e a pender um pouco para o tortuoso.
A tudo isto, é necessário acrescentar que, apesar deste registo ver somente agora a sua edição, todo ele foi gravado em 2010, com elementos que actualmente já não fazem parte da banda, o que nos fará antever alguma mudança sonora em próximos trabalhos.
Sem ser um álbum transcendental, 'A Key To Panngrieb' acaba por ser de agradável audição, sem grande originalidade, mas bastante sólido; pontos que abonam em seu favor, embora esteja sempre presente a ideia que já ouvimos algo muito parecido anteriormente.

Author: SÁBADO
Solitude Productions 14.10.2012, 00:24
Review
From the Dust Returned
7/10
10.09.2012

Though Ukrainians Narrow House hail from a tradition of soul leeching, somber funeral doom, the sound they've adopted for their debut A Key to Panngrieb is actually far brighter, more atmospheric, and their wise incorporation of instruments like a cello and synthesizers helps give this music a far larger breadth than if they had merely trudged along with the same lifeless, disaffected lurch as so many others in this niche. Granted, this debut is not incredibly menacing or sad. It's also not riff-heavy: the simple structure of the chords functions as little more than foundation for the guttural resonance of the front man, while the orchestral swells and ambient passages provide that extra 'push' preventing the heavy limbs from a festering ennui.

So spacious is A Key to Panngrieb, that you can discern each snare, cymbal and kick of the drummer, as if he was storing up all this pent up emotion and aggression into the most minimal of strikes. The bass strums along like the failing pulse of a dying heart, full but at the same time quite sparse over the raw banks of the guitar distortion, while the cello plucks along like a chamber musician witnessing one of Edgar Allen Poe's liquor fit depressions. The vocals are a pure growl, something like Shape of Despair where he lets his intonation ride out over each syllable in time with the drudging undercurrent, but they often take on a higher, rasped pitch, or even sink into a guttural mumble. The keys definitely create an otherworldly choir of sadness through their own simple repetition; never complex or intricate in terms of their composition, more like a procession of mourning angels slowly swaggering to the precipice of some eternal pit and then thrusting themselves down to its depths with mechanical precision. Guitars do often pick up pace to a flood of chords or chugs, as with the closer "Под Маской Этой" (a cover of Esoteric's "Beneath This Face"), where they even lovingly tease a blast beat...

However, I wouldn't have minded more variety to these patterns, perhaps more implementation of sad, swelling guitar harmonies that could even play better off the cello. Like most albums in this type, A Key to Panngrieb fights an uphill battle to remain interesting across the 11-14 minute long songs that represent 75% of the track list. I actually liked the extended intro to the album, with speech samples, brooding synthesizers and low piano hits; I also thought the production was excellent, nothing murky or difficult to process; and the surreal artwork is quite compelling. But with music that moves so slowly, I feel like the chord progressions need to be incredibly capable of conjuring despair, and these were just sort of average in doing that job. Narrow House succeed here by virtue of their enormous atmospherics, but they've got plenty of space in which to further experiment. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to fans of the more dry, psychedelic droning doom inherent to Skepticism or Thergothon, but more to those who like the simpler, mourning crush of Evoken, Shape of Despair, perhaps even My Dying Bride.
Solitude Productions 10.10.2012, 03:00
Review
Ave Noctum
7.5/10
26.09.2012

If you hunt out any promo pictures of Ukrainian band Narrow House you might be forgiven for thinking we are about to step into flouncy goth metal territory. Thankfully, though, we are deep into funeral doom here. Deep in. With a sound filled out with cello and keyboards, a touch of Shape Of Despair and very early Pantheist and the shadow, of course, of Skepticism you get an idea of the core sound. The slow, haunting melody lines and harsh, growled vocals also edge very close to some of the slow, depressive black metal projects like those of Dis Pater.

We are gently led into the Narrow House by a keyboard wave sheltering soft, spoken words. Melancholic guitars and spare drumming rise through the keyboards with no rush to greet the louder riff and death style vocals. It is a lush sound; bleak, yes but full of stately melody with the excellent addition of the cello and delivered with a poise that speaks of confidence. A fine way to begin your album career. The next track ‘Psevdor Jatunok’ sounds like Amber Asylum slowed down and with a Skepticism style riff and howl rolling over it. Whilst good on its own terms, it does somehow fail to quite reach the haunting, majestic depths of those two masters and unfair as it might be, this is something that begins to nag at me until I make a conscious effort to quell it. On their own terms, Narrow House are the most accomplished new funeral doom band that I have heard in some time: They use the cello and keyboards beautifully to ease the flow from chord to chord in the riff, and the vocals have a fine tone to them. However their minor downfall (and in the scheme of things it is minor) is that because of their influences the shadow of the Finnish Overlords of the End of All Things, Skepticism, looms so large that it threatens to engulf them at times as you cannot avoid the thoughts of how they would have let the vocals inhale and exhale with the riff here, or pushed out the clouds of melody there. But in a way this perhaps is a kind of compliment as to invoke that comparison in that way shows how fine a band Narrow House actually are. They don’t wrench my emotions quite as much as they should, but it never once dissolves into cold and clinical doom so we are talking degrees and shades here. A little attention to detail, a tighter touch in the arrangements or the production to allow things to flower fully. Nit picking, yes, but only because Narrow House are so very close to something special and I so want them to get there.

Four songs, around forty five minutes in total. Majestic, subtle and darkly beautiful and they even have a great name. If funeral doom is your thing then take a long, deep breath and step into Narrow House. They will be one of the best very, very soon.

Author: Gizmo
Solitude Productions 28.09.2012, 00:09
Review
Brutalism
3/5
26.09.2012

'A Key to Panngrieb' is definitely a CD filled with such a dark ambiance that it could be the background music for an apocalypse. I looked Narrow House up and they are categorized as Apocalyptic Doom Metal so that fits. On their website they are listed as "atmopsheric funeral doom" which fits as well.

'The Last Refuge' starts off with haunting piano along with an inaudible voice that could absolutely be the soundtrack while standing in a field of apocalyptic aftermath. The song is fourteen minutes long and it builds with thin layers of additional music that is almost like a resurrection.

'Psevdoryatunok' is the shortest track out of four tracks total on the CD. And, while it starts out dark and brooding, there is a brief happy moment halfway through, then goes back into a moody stretch. The drums are prevalent, and there is a hint of string music at the end.

The third track, 'Glass God' is really just more of the same in the beginning (dark and brooding). This track pervaded my ears as the tempo picked up, then went back down, then picked up again.

The fourth and final track on this release, 'Behind the Mask This' is a great finale. By this point in the CD, I had broken down into tears twice because it was such an emotional roller coaster of sound.

I recommend this CD to anyone that enjoys Apocalyptic Doom Metal and a cleansing, emotional breakdown.

Author: Darlene Steelman
Solitude Productions 26.09.2012, 20:26
Review
Kaosguards

Quiconque aura l’inconscience de tenter l’écoute de « A Key To Panngrieb », premier opus des Ukrainiens de NARROW HOUSE, doit se préparer à une expérience éreintante.

Enfant de ESOTERIC (dont il reprend d’ailleurs un titre, « Beneath This Face », de manière convaincante), ce groupe pratique un Funeral Doom très distinct dans son énoncé, totalement désespéré, imposant de lenteur et dénué de tout compromis. NARROW HOUSE ne prétend pas bousculer les règles assez limitées de ce sous-genre : tempo ultra lent, riffs imposants, rythmiques pachydermiques et chant guttural.

Cela dit, le groupe fait l’effort constant de créer des atmosphères lancinantes à base de claviers (bien sûr !) mais aussi de violoncelle. L’ambiance est garantie lugubre, vous pouvez me croire ! Sur les trois compositions du groupe, deux d’entre elles dépassent les dix minutes et invitent à une procession hypnotique conduisant inexorablement vers un abysse terrifiant. Classique mais très efficace.

Author: Alain Lavanne
Solitude Productions 26.09.2012, 00:56
Review
Metalstorm
8.3/10
19.09.2012

Don't spend too much time pondering the band's name, "WTF does a Narrow House have to do with metal?" Don't lump them as some 80's alternative rock band like the similarly named A House or Crowded House, nor think of that catchy "Our House" ditty by Madness.

Perish the thought.

And just perish in general.

"Narrow House" is a slang term for a coffin and that should give you a much better idea of what their music is about. Nothing cheery. Nothing happy. Nothing particularly hummable. A Key To Panngrieb is like a gathering storm, a slowly coalescing bleakness that continues to build in intensity until it culminates in a horrific sonic onslaught that batters the listener to their very core.

It is a crushing doom platter paired with a side of black and a nice ambient sauce drizzled over the top.

It starts off quietly enough with ambient soundscapes like troubling clouds on the distant horizon, but don't reach for that volume knob. Don't be fooled. When it hits, it crashes like a slow motion deluge. It gets much louder surprisingly fast.

The sonic assault also eases the listener in, however. Initially "The Last Refuge" reminded me of the softened harsh beauty of Shape Of Despair, slow moving doom cloaked in synths (and cello). As the album progresses, the fury continues to build. At certain times I was reminded of the psychedelia of Esoteric. Midway through the closing track, "Behind The Mask This", the band drew a comparison to Faal's latest album closer when it suddenly kicked into a full throttle stormburst…

A Key To Pangriebb is really well crafted, from song arrangements to sound. Narrow House almost effortlessly succeed in conveying the wide ranges of doom, from fragile beauty to crushing loss to abject horror.

So while the band name might sound odd if not familiar with the slang meaning, and the cover is not prototypical doom, I've namedropped two titans of doom metal as well as my current favorite release of the year (The Clouds Are Burning) as points of sonic reference. I did not do this lightly. This album was the wildcard in my latest "From Russia With Love Doom" pack from Solitude Productions, and piqued my interest to hop to the front of the review queue.

If you enjoy the more extreme side of doom, it is definitely worth checking out the first and worst from this Ukrainian Insurgent (Doom) Army.

Conveniently the band crafted a video for the opening track, "The Last Refuge", which you can find here.

Author: BitterCOld
Solitude Productions 19.09.2012, 23:12
Review
Mortem Zine
7.5/10
19.09.2012

Čaro extrémnej hudby spočíva v mojom vnímaní hlavne v tom, že hudobníci dokážu skladby premyslieť takým spôsobom, aby boli zaujímavé aj po dvadsiatom vypočutí. Samozrejme, nie každý umelec dokáže tvoriť pútavú a zamilovania hodnú hudbu. To je zatiaľ aj prípadom mladého ukrajinského pohrebného ansámblu NARROW HOUSE, no našťastie svoje remeslo robia poctivo, vkusne a predovšetkým úprimne.

Je známe, že východne od hraníc Čiech a Slovenska vyvíja aktivity množstvo tvorivých kapiel, takže tamojšia scéna nie je ochudobnená ani o kvalitný funeral doom. Recenzované kvarteto sa dokonca venuje tzv. apocalyptic doom metalu, čo je síce škatuľka výstižná, ale obsahovo zatiaľ nenaplnená. Skupina pred sebou na cintorín hrnie otlčenú pohrebnú káru príliš lineárne, neochotne vybočujúc zo stokrát vyšliapanej cestičky. To, čo sa na ich novinke deje, už opísali predchodcovia na pamätihodných platniach v uplynulých dvoch desaťročiach. Ak hovoríme o predchodcoch, tak v poslednej skladbe „Под Маской Этой“ zaznie bleskový výpad vyvedený akoby v najlepšej tradícii austrálskych klenotníkov Disembowelment. V ostatných troch kompozíciách sa nájdu aj odkazy na Shape of Despair, starý Pantheist či rodákov Until My Funerals Began. To všetko nespomínam preto, aby som kapele krivdil, ale preto, aby vynikli jej pozitíva.

Spomínaná posledná skladba je totiž veľkou nádejou pre fanúšikov a zároveň výstavnou skriňou pre debutujúcich Ukrajincov. Riffy sa výborne obmieňajú spôsobom, ako im to tesný rubáš dovolí. Kostlivcova ruka pevne drží uzlíček melódií, ktoré sa nemajú šancu ledabolo rozsypať po špinavom stole zahnívajúceho hostinca. Ukážkový vokál, balansujúci na pomedzí hrdelného growlingu a mučivého murmuru, je balzamom na ubolené srdcové svalstvo. No čo ma v tejto skladbe teší najviac nie je ani tak odkaz na austrálsku klasiku, ale znepokojivý ruch, narúšajúci plynulosť skladby. Z pozadia vykukujú motívy, ktoré majú náboj strachu, nádych avantgardy, náznak progresivity. Ak budú mať Ukrajinci záujem pokračovať v kariére, mohli by sa na zhubnom rázcestí, kde sa križujú cesty monotónnosti, zármutku, letargie a originality, vybrať týmto smerom.

Pamätám si, že som z ich štvorčlennej zostavy mal obrovskú radosť. Neviem sa dopočítať toho množstva jednočlenných projektov, kde je všetko výplodom jediného mozgu. Síce tunajší Mistress Of The Dead sa tomuto kombu určite bez problémov vyrovná, no predsa len viac hláv znamená viac hláv. Už len kvôli zvukom violončela musí byť zážitkom vidieť túto skupinu naživo. Na internete som do vyhľadávača zadal heslo Panngrieb v očakávaní, že nájdem jeho význam, no okrem tohto albumu som nenašiel nič. Kyjevskí doomsteri si túto ríšu zrejme vybájili sami a dnes nám ponúkajú prvú exkurziu do jej neznámych a hrozivo vyzerajúcich končín. Či od nich kľúč prijmeme alebo sa ho zriekneme v prospech ortodoxných priaznivcov žánru, nekriticky hltajúcich rad radom všetky, zhubnému osudu naklonené formácie, je otázkou, na ktorú neexistuje jednoznačná odpoveď.

Nie som si istý, či sa do pochmúrneho Panngriebu budem vracať často alebo len vo výnimočných chvíľach. Po štyroch krutých zastávkach si asi radšej oddýchnem v zakliatom lese, kde horí pritlmený plameň a škodoradostní zúgovia striehnu na nič netušiace mačacie obete. Každopádne verím, že to, čo pripravia NARROW HOUSE na ďalších putovaniach podsvetím, bude určite stáť za nejeden drahými kameňmi zdobený šperk.

Author: Stygian
Solitude Productions 19.09.2012, 23:11
Review
Metal.de
7/10
17.09.2012

Langsam nähert sich der Herbst und wer Glück hat, kann die letzten Sonnenstrahlen des Spätsommers genießen. Jeder, der es jedoch nicht mehr bis zu den kälteren Jahreszeiten aushält, dem kann man nur NARROW HOUSE empfehlen. Diese Band schafft es gekonnt, die Trostlosigkeit und Farblosigkeit eines herbstlichen Nebels einzufangen und in ihrem neuesten Werk “A Key To Panngrieb“ zu vereinen.

Im Gegensatz zu den meisten anderen Vertretern des Funeral Doom kommen NARROW HOUSE jedoch recht knackig um die Ecke. Die vier vorliegenden Stücke auf “A Key To Panngrieb“ bringen es gerade mal auf eine Gesamtspielzeit von gut 45 Minuten und trotz der vorherrschenden Trauer schafft es die Band mit Leichtigkeit, ungewöhnlich viel Dynamik in die Kompositionen zu legen. Zwar erreichen die Ukrainer zu keiner Zeit das Niveau von Kombos wie beispielsweise SHAPE OF DESPAIR, bieten aber mehr als solide Tonkunst der dunkelsten und langsamsten Sorte. Bereits das 14-minütige Eröffnungsstück “Последнее Пристанище“ zieht den Hörer unweigerlich hinab in die dunkelsten Ecken der Seele und dort bleibt man auch über das gesamte Werk gefangen. Langsam, dramatisch und monolithisch verschlingt “A Key To Panngrieb“ all die Hoffnung und fesselt einen immer wieder aufs Neue durch das boshafte Konstrukt aus flächigen Gitarren und aggressiven Vocals. Auch die eingesetzten Keyboards sind zwar immer präsent, aber weit entfernt vom Kitsch. Vielmehr dienen diese eher dazu, die eh schon beklemmende Stimmung nur weiter zu untermalen und zusammen zuhalten. Dies wird besonders durch das abschließende “Под Маской Этой“ nochmal verdeutlicht, in welchem geschickt eingesetzte Streicher für die nötige Portion Epik und Dramatik sorgen. In Kombination mit der schleppenden Gitarrenarbeit ergibt sich daraus ein unheimliches Duell, dass unweigerlich zum Wiederauflegen des Silberlings führt.

Kurz gesagt: NARROW HOUSE gehören definitiv zu den hochkarätigen Vertretern des Funeral Doom aus östlichen Gefilden. Nicht bahnbrechend oder besonders innovativ, aber sehr wohl mehr als reizvoll, schaffen es die Musiker gekonnt, ein ambitioniertes Klangwerk zu erschaffen, das einen durchweg fesselt und tief unter die Haut geht. Die perfekte Untermalung für die kommende kalte Jahreszeit.

Author: Florian Hefft
Solitude Productions 17.09.2012, 17:13
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