Phormula

Ever since I first heard of Ephel Duath years ago, I really wanted to hear their music first hand as well. All reviews and articles about the band gave an impression of a truly one-of-a-kind band. They were certainly not wrong.

Think Emperor on bad acid, and you have an idea of what this album sounds like. Now, this is not altogether a negative statement; there are points on it that are genuinely interesting. But there are also points where the madness goes a bit too far - for my liking, at least.

You have programmed drums, stylistically done for the most part but just plain weird at other times. The guitars not once play in unison, and the harmonies, leads, even the riffs are often incomprehensible for the "normal" listener. Add to this keyboards and a set of industrial-style effects that seem to ramble on by themselves with no apparent connection to the other instruments.

Vocals are left a little back in the mix, but this is not a bad thing - the shrieks could sound better (somewhat resembling Ihsahn's voice, they are definitely a reason for me linking this album to Emperor so strongly). There are clean vocals here too, and they could have been turned up a bit, since it would be nice to hear if it's speech you're hearing or if there exists a melody of some kind...

As for sounds in general, it's not bad. The instruments are distinguishable and the overall production even surprisingly clear. The guitars could be thicker, the bass is not often heard, the melody instruments get blurred at times, but these are minor details - I've never been a production freak myself.

Since first hearing this album, I've grown to like parts of it more and more, but at the same time I'm constantly finding new spots that I simply don't get. In fact, I find it very hard to believe that anyone could LIKE all of it - in the actual meaning of the word - but it is definitely interesting in every possible aspect. I have no idea if the two guys knew what they were doing, but at least they were not afraid to experiment - and still aren't.

Worth a listen for the extremely open-minded.