Tenebrum / Azar / Unazzilat

Again the Algerian label Dark Arts offers a three-way split-CD with bands from the local music scene. In contrast to the 2006 one, this offers two real Black Metal acts and one Dark Ambient project; in this order.

Tenebrum – Théorème du Chaos
Two too long tracks.
40

There is one positive aspect on the share of Tenebrum on this release: there are only two songs by them. Negative is though that the first one has a length of twenty-seven minutes and the second is close to thirteen minutes long. Hence the reviewer faces the problem to distillate all the information on these two extraordinary long tracks somehow, but without oversimplifying the description unnecessarily and reducing the complexity of the songs to a merely raw structure. Both songs were previously released in 2004 on the Théorème du Chaos demo and form together some kind of story, to which the use of the phrase ‘chapter’ might refer to.

Chapitre 1 - Quatre Saisons Sanguinaires

The track is divided into different segments, which are in part repeated, but with some minor variations and it is not difficult to analyze the overall structure of this composition. A rough approach, without considering the variation in each segment, would look like this:
|--1--|--2--|--1'--|--2'--|--3--|--1''--|--4--|
(The lengths of the parts have been spared out, because they are of no importance for this review and would only lead to confusion; not to speak of the problems to display it properly)

Examining in detail every aspect and facet of each part of the two songs would lead to an extraordinary long review, because it would be necessary to shed light on each of the variation in terms of tempo and riffs. After thinking about this matter and getting some other opinion on the issue, I decided to describe the framework as it is, without going too much into detail. Yet it is important to shed light on each track separately, because their degree of differentiation prevents them to be discussed jointly.

Monotony loaded structures are a core element of Tenebrum’s music on this release and the band follows therefore a trend lead by Xasthur from the US. Another aspect is the way segments are used in terms of the song-writing. Nearly gapless the music switches from one part to the other and no transition is used to prepare the listener for the things to come. Minimalist in design is the programming of the drum-computer, as the style is hardly varying and the extensive use of cymbals is sometimes a little bit annoying. The tempo and motive of its programming always depends on the part, which is currently played. In faster ones (1,1',1'') the snare is easy recognizable, while in other it is drowned by the rest of the instruments; the bass-drum is over the whole length of the track hardly noticeable. Variation does hardly occur in each segment and a once chosen style is used until the end of it. To make things short: the guitars are not different from this and also provide the same approach of minimalist and simplicity. While the bass is absent, the guitar’s impact depends on the part which one is currently listening to. Sometimes some nice and catchy riffs are offered, but as the song-writing lacks of consistency, the ideas in some segments sound rather uninspired, while other are quite interesting. Perhaps the most annoying part of the whole twenty-seven minutes monster, are the two vocals styles: they are omnipresent. There is never a minute without them and the croaking and speaking is a never-ending torment of the listener. On this record an example is shown on how not to do it and how the extensively use of vocals can destroy an entire song. The reasons behind this concept remain hidden to me.

Even though the endurance of the listener is overstretched (sic!) on Quatre Saisons Sanguinaires, the quality of this track is not particularly bad. Some nice ideas can be discovered and it would be worth to elaborate them further, but most important would be to cut down the whole length a bit and split it up into shorter songs. They should be rewritten and put into a consistent framework which the listener is able to follow. If there is a red-line it is quite difficult to follow it, even after a good deal of listening to it. The length and the impossibility to remember certain motives properly are just one facet that needs to be worked on. Drums, guitars and bass and especially the vocals need improvement, to raise their quality and make their aspect of the compositions enjoyable.


Chapitre 2 - (Live)

A live track is the second part of the concept and it is much rougher and unbalanced in the sound than the predecessor which rather lacks of an unprofessional production. This lack of polished sound and dirty rawness is not surprising for a live record and can be expected. The bass-drum does not exist; the snares also vanish now and then, while the guitars, the vocals and the cymbals are very dominant. In a way the arguments brought forth regarding the first track, can also be used on the second one, with the exception that it is quite hard to examine any clear segments in the song. With its slow and depressing atmosphere it is quite tough to listen to and the bad production is not the worst facet. It lacks of nice ideas and riffs that would be worth to be listened to again, whereby nothing really exists that can be remembered in this track. While the first one had some variation in tempo and structure, not to mention some nice riffs, all this is missing on the second one.

Overall impression

There is still a good deal of work to do for Tenebrum and it is not the problem of proper recording equipment that hampers the band from creating good music. It is the extraordinary length of these two songs with their very simplistic design which is annoying. The listener has a hard time by listening to these tracks, because their design is not easy recognizable and also remains hidden due to a bad and unbalanced production. It is not a bad one, but also far from good.


Azar – Izorane
It was a good decision to change the style.
50

On the 2006 and first release of Azar, the band offered a great variety of styles, ranging from Ambient over folk to springs from the electronic genre. If these days of experimenting with ideas from different genres are over is hard to say, on this demo though, Shashunq has decided to stick to the metal genre and to ‘substitute’ the keyboards with the guitars for now; and this is not the only thing that has changed.

The whole spirit and atmosphere of the record is different and has switched to a Black Metal one, which has been enriched with some folk elements. Clean vocals and variation on the guitar help to keep the songs going and are a welcome disruption from the monotony that a lot of Black Metal recordings are facing. Excluding the intro as well as the cover version, three tracks stick to this style, but every track with its own interpretation and a unique combination of the elements. Somehow it remains unclear which way the band might go on future releases. I really hope he will abandon those strange and extremely distorted vocals or at least reduce the level of electronic mixing, because they annoy and are out of place. Instead of using this extreme form of expression, Shashunq should rather stick to the clean ones like he did on Ava. From the point of view of a person unfamiliar with the music from Algeria or Northern Africa, they are something special and are through their catchiness easily remembered. Why is there not the tendency to use more of the spirit of the local metal scene and the approach to combine this with some kind of metal? I predict that a good deal of buried potential lies hidden in these scenes and it is sad to see that most of the bands merely try to copy their archetypes.

The music is dominated by a monotonous drum-computer in the background, with some guitars following this approach by using fast played, extensively repeated riffs. A bass exists also and his play can be recognized, yet never with enough power to have a positive influence on the sound. Interludes are used on each of the three tracks and each time their composition is different. They are well written and are a clear contrast to the rest of the tracks. Monotony is never really occurring on this release, as the band is always able to use some small elements to keep the tension high, but without to overstretch the limit. Like a lot of underground bands, Azar’s music is suffering from an unbalances production and the drum-computer with its minimalist programming is not an aspect in favour of the band. More is possible on both facets.

On the second demo Azar offers another face, which differs to a great deal from the previous one. If this road will be followed in future, will have to be seen, but from my impression the quality of the compositions has improved and the jury-ridden attempts on the first demo seem to be gone. Nevertheless a good deal of improvement can still be achieved and I hope the band will be able to do so in the future.


Unazzilat – Legions of Huonrez
No more side-projects, please!
5

The release closes with the Dark Ambient band Unazzilat, which is a side-project from the vocalist and keyboarder of the Algerian Black Metal band Bactotavaiy. It has become quite common to have an Ambient side-project these days or at least using elements in the composition of music; especially some subgenres make extensively use of this approach. It has reached a state of a commonly associated phrase with Black Metal these days. The spread of the internet has helped this to take its share of the music scene, but not every ‘project’ which claims to play this particular kind of music is worth to be listened to or even supported. Unazzilat is one of the bad apples that exist today.

Somehow does this utterly noise terror remind me on the Stigma Diabolicum side-project of Zarach ‘Baal’ Tharagh. It is in design and quality as pathetic as the more famous band from France, which has released twenty-four records/demos so far. The music, see Wikipedia for a description of the term, is merely consisting of noisy and annoying vocals with a good deal of sound textures in the background. It is not necessary to mention them further or go into too much of details, simply because it would be a waste of energy. There is nothing that should be or is worthy to be emphasized on this release. Like the 2007 split release of Zarach ‘Baal’ Tharagh and Angelus Diaboli, Unazzilat is annoying in every respect and not recommended at all. Why do musicians spend their time on such a piece of crap, when they could invest it better on a serious release of their main band? I do not get it.