2003-01-11
As the years pass by, the use of operatic and orchestral elements on Metal music is moving from the position of an entertaining gimmick to the status of an actual nuisance. Primarily, hearing a feminine virtuoso, screeching vibe flourishing amongst the raging distorted havoc, absorbing a tremendous amalgamation of two note brutal churns with a paralleling contrast of astral camber music presence, was a sensation overwhelming enough in order to remove from the focal of attention the bluntly, banal compositions and obvious commercial approach, and allow the artists (or shall I say record companies and producers) daring enough to intiate such ventures a nearly guaranteed, foreseen success. However, as the public ear gets gradually used to this past pseudo-brave experiments, one notices to a greater extent the flaws of some previously adored efforts. I don’t find this the proper place and time to strat a mass-slaughter of holy cows, therefore will spare the examples. Surely, some of these were raised instantly in the mind of each reader.
Therefore, as a sobered fan of grandiose cliches, I was rather suspicious when receiving the 4-track debut EP of Tzefa, a Russian band (residing in the US), shamelessly boasting for their combination of male and female operatic vocals, as well as a presence of violin. However, I was glad to find that my unavoidable prejudgment was false and unjust. Tzefa knowingly apply their classical arsenal only for specific, defined purposes, thus creating a piece which is, even if somehow unripe and narrow-spectral, encouraging, promising and rather enjoyable.
The music of Tzefa is based on a repetitive circular pattern of the construction of emotional tension, shortly followed by its expected, forseen premeditated dissolvement, which leads to a predeterminate restoration of the previous contrasting suspended expression. Unsurprisingly, the opposing stress and relaxation factors are represented by the contrasting instrumental and vocals elements: the female vocals usually stand for an independent entity, defied by the allegedly-hardy male vocals (imparted with a rather amusing Russian accent), only in order to expectedly, unopposedly reject it in the next musical segment, and so on. Occasionally, a similar conflict is issued by colliding parts of electric guitar and classical violin.
In my opinion, the main attribute preventing Tzefa of degenerating to the common rate of a standard, shallow quasi-operatic Metal band, is the simplicity of their music. The band’s compositional core ever remains loyal to the simple principles of Thrash-oriented Heavy Metal. The powerful structures are rather simple and unpretentious, the melodic lines and arrangements are rarely overbearing. Thus, by merely maintaining a dynamic, catchy, erosive feel to their music, which, unfortunately, at times borders actual Pop music, Tzefa allow the listener not to be entangled within a pointless maze of pompous unnecssary complexity, imbuing him with the plain gracious virtue of simply enjoying their basic melodic motives, maintaining his rooty, unintelectual vitality by issuing their quite charming recuring compositional resolvement of contradictions.
Nevertheless, the aforementioned approach also bears certain faults: not every musical fan is able to enjoy such a basic and uninitiative essence for a continuous period of time. Personally, I found the 4th (closing) track already superfluous. It seems that by simplifing their output, the Tzefa has produced an entertaining album, yet by no means a binding one. For a debut EP, this attribute is forgivable; However, if interested in fulfilling their potential to its full extent, the band members will have to figure their own way in order to deliver a more generative, thought provoking creation, avoiding the magnetising, enticing commercial slogans. I will keep my fingers crossed for this promising band.
Tom Orgad
