▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Odradek Room ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Bardo. Relative Reality █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2013 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2014-02-09 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Death Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Hypnotic Dirge Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ This young Ukrainian band has the means to conjure █ █ up everything thatÆs interesting and compelling █ █ about melodic death/doom and post-metal/post-rock █ █ and mash it up in a fulfilling and coherent mass █ █ of sound, as exemplified here in Bardo. Relative █ █ Reality, their debut album through Canadian label █ █ Hypnotic Dirge Records, who have a preference █ █ towards doom and ambient/atmospheric metal bands, █ █ so thereÆs no surprise that they included these █ █ talented Ukrainians into their rooster. It took me █ █ several spins to really get into the album, not █ █ because itÆs too demanding or overtly complex, but █ █ because at almost one hour of duration it really █ █ contains a lot to digest, though most of it is █ █ easily enjoyable since the first listen. But the █ █ more times IÆve listened to it, the more I come to █ █ appreciate it. █ █ Post-rockish, pensive, melancholic moments are █ █ intertwined with heavier, doomy sections, and this █ █ band shows great ability in swinging from one to █ █ another, creating a labyrinth of emotions and █ █ sensations. Guitars are the absolute highlight; █ █ theyÆre quite varied in techniques and delivery, █ █ showing this bandÆs dexterity and versatility, as █ █ well as their great compositional skills. Ilya █ █ Zernitsky and Artyom Krikhtenko might not produce █ █ the most amazing riffs ever, but everything they █ █ come up is worth listening to. ThereÆre as many █ █ opportunities to head-bang as opportunities to █ █ just sit back and relax. As for ArtyomÆs vocals, █ █ they come second place as the better element in █ █ their musical output. Our first encounter with █ █ them is the bull frog-like bellowing and croaks in █ █ opener ôTheatre of Formsö, not unlike Swallow the █ █ SunÆs Mikko KotamΣki growls. I was not impressed █ █ with those vocals, but afterwards Mr. Krikhtenko █ █ shows that heÆs not a one trick pony, singing with █ █ a pleasant but somber, manly clean voice that he █ █ uses on most songs, whilst other times he employs █ █ voice-over narration, somewhat akin to Anders █ █ FridΘn clear vocals, but free of In FlameÆs █ █ frontman exaggerated, teen-appealing melodrama. █ █ The rhythmic section formed by Sergey Kuznetsov on █ █ bass guitar and Roman Borovikov on drums is █ █ usually not blatantly prominent, most of the time █ █ contented to support the rest of the instruments, █ █ though it remains varied and compelling for the █ █ entire duration of the album, and they even show █ █ some serious chops on a few occasions. Even █ █ blast-beats are used from time to time, though the █ █ changes in tempo and mood are not made abruptly, █ █ rather tastefully IÆd say, so you could call this █ █ progressive to a degree, but not technical nor █ █ showy. Another thing to notice is their excellent █ █ use of keyboards and samples, whose limited but █ █ expertly placed intervention greatly enhances the █ █ poignancy and mystique of this indisputably █ █ guitar-oriented album. Sometimes they appear as █ █ calm piano, like in the colossal and outstanding █ █ third track ôA Painting (Digging into the Canvas █ █ with Oil)ö, whilst other times they provide █ █ stranger, industrial sounds or as background synth █ █ textures. The production work is superb; you can █ █ clearly discern each and every instrument and █ █ minor sound. █ █ As for highlights, for me those are the longest █ █ tunes here, twelve-minute ôA Painting (Digging █ █ into the Canvas with Oil)ö, and the just under █ █ ten-minute ôFaded Realityö. Not that the rest of █ █ the songs are not as good, but I think on that █ █ pair of behemoths you can fully grasp the █ █ variation and fortes in Odradek Room's music. The █ █ first riffs of ôFaded Realityö are almost █ █ thrash-like, probably the best on the whole █ █ record. But thereÆre no fillers here, no weak █ █ songs or pointless interludes. I found the second █ █ track, ôInflorescence of Silenceö marginally more █ █ mundane than its peers, but itÆs not a bad song by █ █ any means. ôRiverö, the sixth track, is also worth █ █ mentioning, as a dreamy ballad thatÆll make your █ █ mind wander free and ponder in the mysteries of █ █ existenceà and shit like that. Clearly this band █ █ offers a lot with their debut, a serious contender █ █ for 2013 debuts of the year by my account. Fans of █ █ outfits such as post-metal gods Neurosis, or the █ █ now defunct Isis, as well as classic Opeth, █ █ Katatonia, October Tide, or the more recent In █ █ Mourning or Barren Earth might want to check this █ █ one out. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Theatre of Forms 8:33 ░ ░ 2. Inflorescence of Silence 6:27 ░ ░ 3. A Painting (Digging into the Canvas with 12:28 ░ ░ Oil) ░ ░ 4. Suffocation 7:56 ░ ░ 5. Faded Reality 9:57 ░ ░ 6. River 5:24 ░ ░ 7. Cold Light 7:27 ░ ░ 58:12 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░