Unituli

Circle of Ouroborus’ Unituli sees the band opting for a droning, one could say trance like effect. Compared to the previous album of there’s I reviewed; Tree of Knowledge, the music on Unituli is far more minimalistic and hypnotic, and also it loses even more of the bands natural oddities in favor of a grounded, atmospheric sound. Whilst this is not as good as Tree of Knowledge, Unituli is still a fantastic album that shows the bands continuing progression within the black metal world, from young black metal oddities to a more focused and mature atmospheric powerhouse.

The first change that struck me about Unituli was the cover art, instead of the gritty overtones that emblazoned their previous covers; Unituli opts for a brighter, yet still dreary and dismal artwork. Yet, whilst the brighter colors might point to the overall tone of the music following in suite, Unituli instead is dark and dismal, with melancholic undertones pervading each composition, and even the vocals, that were often lively and erratic have become worn out, tired, apathetic. All of these elements come together to provide a very atmospheric and emotive record that sees Circle of Ouroborus carving their own niche into the black metal underground .Far removed from the drunken splendor of Shores or the dark, gothic atmospheres of Tree of Knowledge, Unituli is an exercise in minimalistic and droning black metal that succeeds in creating a worn out and languid atmosphere that previous albums have always eluded to, but have never quite delivered to the extent Unituli has.

In comparison to the bands earlier work, it seems that the band has been influenced by the depressive black metal scene through the use of minimalistic discordant riffs that succeed in capturing an atmosphere of inner mental torment. Whilst the music never reaches the same slow tempos that many dsbm bands have utilized, the music as a whole still carries with it certain tortured riffs, and when mixed in with the languid vocals creates a very provocative atmosphere.

Though the band has opted for a more depressed edge on this album, it is interesting to point out that as the album goes on, the tone of the music becomes gradually more optimistic, yet still carrying that melancholic edge that makes this band stand out. The fuzzed out guitars bring to mind certain bands of the blackgaze phenomenon, where the hazy wall of sound creates bleak yet dreary sound textures. The blackgaze elements are a new addition to Circle of Ouroborus’ sound, and although it is a new addition, the band handles it with care and skill that I would not have expected. Juxtaposing the dreamy, textured riffs with the harder, more depressed edge to the music creates a rather bizarre duality between the two contrasting elements. The music never touches the realm of pure depression, although it alludes to it. It never touches pure optimism although there are moments of it. Instead, the band has created a balance between joy and spirituality. In comparison to their previous works where the mood was constantly downbeat, Unituli injects new life into the gloom yet still carrying much of the atmospheric bleakness that has come to define the band. Vocally is where the band carries much of the negative atmosphere. Antti Klemi has no doubt improved as a vocalist from his mediocre performance on Shores and is able to present more emotional range through the use of his growing confidence and determination.

Unituli is certainly a stand out in this bands discography, from the trance inducing droning of the guitars to the evocative and emotive singing, Unituli sees the band adding more depth to their music through the use of more textured riffing. The production seems to have degraded slightly from the bands previous albums as the whole music is draped in a murk that gives the guitars a very muddy edge and results in the vocals sounding surreal, unearthly even. However, Circle of Ouroborus works wonders with the degraded production, focusing much more on the overall effect of the music itself. Unituli is a very melancholic, somber affair yet filled with a fair degree of hope, for those looking for atmospheric and powerful music, this would be a good place to start.

Recent album releases by the Finnish duo have pointed in a hazier, more trancey and mellow direction with a clearer production and more confident singing from Antti Klemi. "Unituli" is a part of this trend. The album begins strongly with a buzzing clouds of noise guitar, very crisp percussion and Klemi's voice covered in more echo than seems usual on "Pimealle Valolle". The music sounds distant as if already being pulled into intangible realms hidden deep in the cosmos.

At this point, I should say "Unituli" is one of CoO's Finnish-language albums so the review emphasis is more on the music than on the lyrics. "Maanalainen kuningas " ("Subway king") continues the blurry, steaming dark urban-industrial ambience but features some unusual rhythms that evoke a strong melancholy feeling. There is anger expressed as well, as though the protagonist is critical of whatever it is in modern post-industrial Finnish society that is causing sadness, isolation and alienation. As the album goes on its way, there's a strong BM-noise edge to the music along with a mood of gloom and forlorn longing for connection. On "Unohduksen puistossa" (which might possibly mean "In the Park of Oblivion" - I'm only going by what I find on Google Translate), the singing sounds as if Klemi's physical substance is draining so that all that might remain of him when the song finishes is the faintest trace of ectoplasm, all else having been drained into an unseen force-field generated by Hell.

For emotion and anger at modern life, no song here surpasses "Lahoan" which might just be the best track on the album, with Klemi growling and sputtering in fury. "Kylma Virta Laulaa" is a poppier and slightly more upbeat song though the gritty dark ambience of the album is never far away. "Aamusta" ("Dawn") is a stodgy affair but has an air of hope in the busy melody and riffs, and the bright tones of the guitars. The optimism continues on "Yohon" with trilling tremolo guitars and Klemi's confident singing.

The album has very few dull moments even if the music rarely strays from the beaten track of gritty post-industrial BM-influenced urban blues rock and Finnish lyrics dominate every song. One surprise is that near the album's end, warmth and optimism enter the music and stay all the way. The singing might be heavy with echo and on some songs it seems unearthly and lacking in three-dimensional substance but it never fades or shrivels into something on the verge of death or in some other incorporeal realm. The album's overall impression is one of almost trance-like music about to pass from life into death but at the last minute pulling back away from darkness and moving towards light.

It's not hard to think that here CoO might be sympathising with those who have contemplated taking their own lives and who only needed a few words of reassurance to convince them to stick out the hard times and seize hope.

For anyone familiar with the effects of alcohol, “Unituli” should provide for a similar experience. Indeend, though Circle of Ouroborus creates music soberly, the music itself sounds like what an inebriated listener would hear when a live black metal band is playing.

A thick haze of reverb hangs over the music as if each and every sound bouncing off of your eardrum is forced to struggle through thick, vodka saturated blood, thus preventing any hope of prompt aural perceptions reaching your brain. The reverb here constantly goes far beyond what is normal for most music and even pushes the limits of how much reverb is normally useable for a black metal band. This results in the music sounding far away, but only because the listener is down the hallway leaning over a toilet in an echoey restroom. With such an unusual amount of reverb, the album amplifies the sensation that one is listening to a live recording, yet it all retains a very listenable quality.

For example, Antti Klemi’s vocals stand out as the most striking and memorable aspect of “Unituli.” While being drowned in reverb like everything else, the underlying style is quite unusual. The vast majority of the lyrics are presented in a melodic but almost spoken style. While a speaker of Finnish may find this as a clear way to present the lyrics, everyone else is given a foreign language that the reverb makes even more unintelligible. Again, this reenforces the sensation of drunkenness.

Atmospheric black metal is likely the best label to apply to the music’s end result. At times, tremolo picking rings out in a way that sounds as if a synthesizer was creating all of the guitar sounds. Though contrary to usual practice for the genre, Circle of Ouroborus seems to have cut out a lot of the high end guitar frequencies. Often, this buries the melody as the drum’s snare and hi-hat ring out and overtake the hissing role normally played by black metal guitars. Even when the guitars slow down, as they frequently do, the melody sounds buried.

This same melody burying effect makes “Unituli” something worth listening to more than once. While chord progressions pour through the mix creating the overall atmosphere, quiet higher melodies flicker in and out of the background like unreachable fireflies peppering the night sky in an ever changing reticulation. These melodies feel effervescent not just because they are so quiet, but also because they never provide a strong sense of where one riff ends and the next starts.

The riff about 80 seconds into the song “Aamusta” is an excellent example of this phenomena. There, the guitar trades off between placing chords or single notes in the forefront, thus creating a lot of energy that never really reaches a melodic resolution. However, “Lahoan” is the album’s standout track and an even better example. “Lahoan” features plenty of long fadeout shouting, a melody so quiet it feels like you are hearing a secret, and smooth guitar lines that will slowly seep into your body.

Oddly enough, the DSBM style appears to have some minor influence on the album, as evinced by the dissonant and melancholic opening riff. Circle of Ouroborus best illustrates how DSBM can be incorporated into more atmospheric music on the song “Unohduksen Puistossa.” Riffs alternate between being rather upbeat with faster drumming and slow tortured riffs that would not be out of place being repeated ad nauseam in a Xasthur song. This mix makes the music as a whole more dynamic. Even through the constant haze of reverb, the changing tempos punctuate the music like memories in an evening of excess revelry.

While most music sounds muddled in such a reverb laden atmosphere, “Unituli” somehow creates an enjoyable experience. The notes, and even your memory of them, may come out as a blur, but overall the album is very pleasant as you experience it. Afterwards, you may be left less satisfied and wondering where 40 odd minutes of your life went, yet many listeners may still retain a fond if not hazy memory of “Unituli.”


Originally written for: http://theoakconclave.blogspot.com/