PrækΩsmium

It’s quite difficult to obtain background information about this band. They never send any lifesign before PRÆKOSMIUM, you won’t find any information on the founding date or anything else. The only real information you can obtain consist of one foto of the only person behind the band and, as a logic consequence, the fact, that he has done everything on his own (well, there were some session musicians involved recording this record). The debut record of this german band consists of “only” five tracks, but it still offers a total playing time of round about 45 minutes.

You could describe the record as two-parted (although these parts are mixed). The five tracks of the record are divided into two instrumentals, one outro track and, as the core of the record (as both tracks are quite overlong) , two “real” tracks. One of these core pieces starts the record, its named Die Architektur des Seins and it covers 15 whole minutes of the total playing time. This song starts quite calm but soon gets transformed into something darker, melancholic which resembles the main part of the track. You could easily say, that this track is the centerpiece – the soul – of the whole record, as it covers the whole music spectrum FrostSeele can offer in it’s finest quality.

The song offers everything pending from really catchy riffs featuring screamed vocals to some calmer moments, which continue the theme of the opening. These quite different, but still matching, parts prevent the song from becoming boring, although it had it’s highlight – without any doubt – right in the middle of the track. The only real flaw in this song might be the long-drawn instrumental at the end of the track. The other songs feature the same base-quality, but they lack something else, which diminish the general impression.

The main symptom found in these tracks is the lack of highlights, respectively the lack of really catching riffs. The two instrumental tracks are quite varied and well done, but they didn’t manage to create something really catchy. Of course it’s always difficult to create a striking good song without vocals, but the long playing time took it’s toll. The second “real” track Du has another little flaw in the middle section, as the song becomes really slow paced and nothing really happens in this long-drawn period (although I’m quite aware of the fact, that this passage fits quite well into the concept of the track, but it’s still too boring.). The production is quite good, besides the fact that it lacks the low frequencies, which causes the bassdrum to be too subtle at times.

Conclusion:

FrostSeele released a really striking debut record basically out of nowhere! The tracks are quite varied and well done, but all of them suffer from one or another flaw like the lack of highlights or really catchy riffs that can’t be balanced by the good basic quality the songs have. This record contains a mix of melodic black metal and atmospheric/ambient music, that surely isn’t new but really well done. You loved Dämmerfarben? Then you will love FrostSeele too!
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Written for http://threnodies.com