Reviews
2007-11-13
Bjornar E. Nilsen is one talented guy. He produced such famed Norwegian acts as Helheim and Deathcon, was active in Industrial black metal outfit Black Hole Generator, and how he's back with strange combination of prog. Avant-garde and extreme metal –
Vulture Industries.
The band combines his talents as a vocalist, keyboardist, programmer and producer with those of some solid Norwegian metal players, who did work in the past with bands such as Enslaved Malice In Wonderland, so they're no slouches either.
What’s sets this band apart as something as unique as exciting as it is, is the combination of both cerebral and yet deeply emotional aspects in the band's music. The musicianship is top notch, the production is perfect, but it's also the smart use of keys and programming, and Nilsen's highly emotive and evocative voice which makes this an almost unparalleled experience.
From the opener - Pills Of Conformity, the album does let down for a moment. The band's music comes off as a combination of bands such as Arcturus with some works by Vintersorg. Progy guitar work intertwined with complex drumming, added keyboards layers, and vocals that move from deep and emotional clean ones to deeper growled ones. As complex and well-crafted as it is, it still retains a melodic element that stands in the basis of it the songs, and the combination works.
The opening keyboard line to A Path Of Infamy is another fine example of what the band does right, it's a combination of the extreme with the almost indie approach the band takes. Somehow every song feels cerebral and brimming with intelligence, quite a rare thing in extreme music of any kind.
I'm most certainly going to get the complete CD by this band, a promo is not nearly enough in this case, and I suggest you do the same.
Alon Miasnikov
