Rituals of Transcendence / Liimk Halaayt

I am admittedly not particularly well versed in the world of split CDs, so the concept of an alternating track split seems alien and terrifying to me, having been raised on the traditional conservative notion that each artist has a “side” of a release dedicated to their craft (despite CD formats doing away with this concept).

However I must confess that this innocuous feature is one of the structural qualities of the Mitochondrion / Gyibaaw split that makes it such a strong listen, and successfully thwarts the age-old problem of a single artist on a split hooking the listener's attention at the expense of the other.

After opening with a jointly composed haunting tribal jam (which in reality seems indistinguishable from a segue written solely by Gyibaaw), the disc kicks into proceedings. The flow is superb, with each artist handing tracks off to each other, like the change of shifts in a torture chamber.
Mito largely sound the same as their yet-to-be-released Parasignosis, though slightly less moist and cavernous. Their opening track “Through Cosmic Gaze” churns and swirls, before focusing on a repeating thread which sweeps the stage clean for Gyibaaw's appearance. Through squealing pick slides and drums fills, Gyibaaw enter the scene sounding rich and raw, but are disappointingly drowned out by the unavoidable volume and production difference between the artists.

Despite the jarring difference in production styles, Gyibaaw's airy and folk driven compositions act as a wondrous counterpoint to Mitochondrion's abrasive onslaught. The variety of music on offer manages to continually pique the listener's interest, without compromising the overall feel and direction of the release. This is a difficult line to walk, and we have all experienced the faux pas at both ends of the spectrum, be it the ennui of a split CD by bands that may as be the same (read: brutal death metal), or the confusion of two artists who should never be occupying the same disc in the first place.

The balance of the split begins well, but as the playtime matures, I find that Gyibaaw begin to weigh in much heavier and dominate the latter portion of the disc. Their two final 9 minute tracks, “Iɫee Tsimshian (I Am of Tsimshian Blood)” and the Drudkh cover are undoubtedly their strongest on the disc, but through the swollen length of these tracks, they condemn their split partners to a frankly absurd 45 second cover of Rites of Thy Degringolade.

But while discussing covers, it must be mentioned that the final two tracks on this CD steal the show for me, and yes, they are covers. Both Drudkh's “Furrows of Gods”, infused with Gyibaaw's tribal spirit, and Inquisition's “Imperial Hymn for Our Master Satan” pummeled into shape by Mito's truculent idiom are absolute blinders. This CD is worth the hassle simply for these tracks, as they are some of the highest quality metal cover versions that I have heard in a long time.

I must also take time to praise the bizarre but exquisite packaging of this CD. This may not come across well in pictures, but the entire inlay of the release, including the feverishly scribbled booklet is presented on some form of matte, craft paper. This is a classy package, and it looks and feels as ancient and artisanal as this music sounds.

Quick and to the point, but with excellent music to boot; this split is one of the strongest that I have heard in recent years, and it manages to even outrun the structural shortcomings which go hand in with the split CD concept. Recommended.

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