Death Circus

This experimental black/death metal album by VIXIVI is a landscape of atmospheric auras, strangeness, and brutality. Dare I say it… “Christian underground experimental atmospheric black metal”? Not too much makes it distinctively Christian, aside from being written and performed by one. I suppose the lyrics might reflect some Christian ideas, if I could understand what little there are. Just listen to it, unprejudiced by the negative musical connotations of “Christian” that many metalheads have.

Vixivisch Igmazest: Static/radio tuning noise with a horror movie voice (sounds a bit like "The Grudge" plus something of a black metal screech) that clearly says “Welcome”. Good introduction for a diverse album.

Spirits: Fast drumming and blastbeats, seems that the bass and drums are both electronically done. Slow piano-sounding keyboard backs this fast-blasting song. The blasts give way to keyboard flutes and a very slow drumbeat with whispered vocals “See about (above?) the other side”. After this, the blasting returns with guitar harmonies and then echoey black metal vocals with death metal growls on top.

In Memorian: Keyboards start off this track, backed by an off-beat electronic drumbeat. Thought-provoking, not necessarily haunting. The rhythm recalls those amazing, yet stubborn Death songs that are hard to headbang with.

Scars Of All: Good, mid-tempo black metal, also starts off with keyboard (strings sound) chords and black metal. Soprano background vocals are fronted by thick, mid range black metal growl/screech. Suddenly, the song grinds to a halt and harpsichord (keyboard) plays a slow, simple classical melody while people chant. After a little while the song goes back to its black metal beginnings and finishes off combined with the chanting.

Winds: It’s that one static/echo horror movie noise. That’s it for this track…disappointing, but this IS experimental after all.

Your Eyes: Thin, distorted production on the guitars that start off this track, very much in the black metal vein, as well as the mid-range BM growls. The song also features very high-pitched male (sounds female in some parts) vocals chorusing, as well as gravelly whisperings “Open….your eyes…”

My Dear: Breathy, deep keyboard, combined with a higher chorus keyboard, starts off this song. This gives way to a mid paced melody on the high keyboard, with the deeper one playing a typical root bass line. Guitar takes the rhythm and the drums hold with slow double bass drumbeat and some changes here and there. “My dear so foreign, my dear so sweet. My dear so foreign, to my eyes.”

For The Sun Shall Fall: This track is not available for download online for some unknown reason.

Scream: Feedback, stopping and starting at irregular intervals and volumes. Artistic? Possibly… but not very much fun to listen to.

Child: What an awesome start! It made me chuckle as the song started with a cymbal striking and toms, and the last second before the fast drumming a whisper says “Jesus loves you.” The vocals on this song are clean and layered at the beginning, then the keyboards start in and there is a combination of BM vocals, and clean vocals of several types. Alternating between parts where the keyboards and cleans are the focus and more atmospheric/melodic BM types with rhythmic and distorted guitar.

Igmazestich Ivixiv: Closely related to the first track. Static, creepy voices, echo-y coughing? The track ends with a crescendo of voices, reversed and regular, thickly layered with echoing and distortion.

Overall, this album is a good listen, and a fine effort by VIXIVI, however it is so short that one hardly gets a chance to ‘taste’ it. It is available LEGALLY on their homepage for download, and that is the only way it has been released, aside from a couple rumored hard copies.

Recommended Tracks: Child, Scars Of All, Spirits, Your Eyes