Echelon-Vivito! Creato! Moritor!

Gravity Entertainment
2014

Austrian-act Echelon, who shouldn't be confused with the now-defunct English band of the same name (otherwise known as Radiohead's kid brother!) or the numerous other heavy metal and rock bands (both secular and Christian) who have used that moniker, are not so much a band per say, but rather they are a call towards a new philosophical awakening! First-assembled in 2013, which makes them newcomers to the their local scene (albeit it in name only as each musician involved in Echelon has nearly 10 years of experience in music!), and with "Vivito! Creato! Moritor!" serving as the group's first full-length release, Echelon presents "philosophical connections between Jacques Callot, Francisco de Goya, Éduard Manet and Otto Dix and their search for the true portrayal of war". If all of that strikes you as far too heavy to digest in one mere sitting then consider the fact that all of "Vivito! Creato! Moritor!" is presented under the cover of darkness of what is otherwise known as avant-garde Black Metal. That is the cornerstone upon which Τ.Φ. (vocals, lyrics), Φ.Ω. „Feanor Omega“ (drums, clean vocals), Μ.Χ. (guitar, vocals, programming), Δ.Ρ. (bass) and Π.Σ. (guitar) build such weighty philosophical discussions. And "weighty" is as good a way as any in which to describe the lyrical content of this recording. Quite honestly I wouldn't even know where to begin with this one in that regard as the brief time I did spend in higher education was in search of true journalistic inspiration and not some form of physiological understanding. Well, I mean other then trying to find myself through women, wine and other various vices! Still, there's no need to fret over the intellectual issues at hand here (lyric-wise and all) as there is much to be enjoyed about "Vivito! Creato! Moritor!" on just the music front! That tag above (the whole "Avantgarde Black Metal" thing) does cover the overall theme of  "Vivito! Creato! Moritor!", but even then it can be broken down to include such things as (besides the obvious black metal!) doom metal, death metal, traditional heavy metal, electronic/industrial, folk/viking metal and even post-rock and punk! So yes, you can enjoy an album like this on it's own merits without worrying whether or not you'd be lost in a physiological discussion with the members of this Austrian-based act! And enjoy it I did! Can it be a little too heavy on the black metal side of things? Honestly yes. Mostly that has to do with the black metal rasps. When you're digesting some phenomenal post-rock/black metal it can be distracting, and not to mention disheartening, when raspy vocals suddenly show up to the party. But, this is a black metal band first and foremost so it's to be expected right? Other then that bit of ironic complaining on my part this is a rather fault-free recording which offers something new with each repeated listen. And you'll want to listen to this one a few times over so that you can pick up on all the subtle nuances that you might have missed. Both adventurous and creative, "Vivito! Creato! Moritor!" is an interesting introduction to this Austrian-act which should, given further time to gel together and grow, create many more works of art in the years to come.

Unbeing-Unbeing

BLK COQ Music

2013

Montreal, Quebec sure seems as if it's hiding a treasure trove of excellent metal bands. The latest one to emerge is instrumental act Unbeing. This one time self-release was originally issued back in 2011 and now it's seeing a vinyl re-release courteous of  BLK COQ Music. "Progressive" is one way to look at this metal act and it is sold as such. The thing is what's being served here on this self-titled release is more then merely "instrumental progressive metal". For one thing there are numerous tracks here that border on the heaviness of  power metal while other times Unbeing present passages that are overflowing with beautifully strange and intriguing avantgarde rock! So, putting these guys in a tiny box seems utterly unfair. There's much here to enjoy on this 40 minute plus LP and with each new listen you'll pick up things that you can't believe you missed out on. Sometimes dark and sorrowful and other times hopeful and optimistic this is a release which will allow your imagination to run wild all while keeping you grounded with it's hypnotic essence. If all of that wasn't enough it does get even better! These guys are awarded extra points as they pay tribute to the main man himself on the track "Chuck Norris" (oh yeah!). It's a small gesture of appreciation for one of Hollywood's coolest guys and it has helped the band's (so far) only album  earn an extra dose of publicity. While fan's are likely clamoring for new material (this album is two year's old after all) at least this LP re-release should help Unbeing get more word-of-mouth publicity which, in turn, should lead to new material sooner then later. And if and when that happens I'll be on the lookout as this LP, all 40 minutes or so of it, showcases a one of a kind band with loads of potential!