_ _______ _ ...:... _ _______ _ ___ / .:::::::::::. \ ___ | / .. (:::::::::::::) .. \ | | . .:::::.`:::::::::::'.:::::. . | | .::.. `:::.::':::`::.:::' ..::. | _ _______ | .::' ::::':::::`:::: `::. | _______ _ \\ | | :: `' ::':`:: `' :: | | // \ | | `:. .::' . `::. .:' | | / . | | .::::::..::::' ... `::::..::::::. | | . | | `:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::' | | .... | | `:' `::::: :: :: :::::' `:' | | .... | ' | : `. ': :: :: :: :: :` .' : | ` | |.....: . .......: :: :: :: :: : ...... . : ....| . ...................: : :: :: :: :: : : ................. . _____________:_____________ _____________:_____________ _ ___\` __ /_\` _______/_\` __ _/_\` /___ _ // __ / (/ ___/ (/ _ (/ /_______/\ _ _ /_________ ___________ ______/\ _ ______________/\__/_ _ \\\\\_________\__/\_________\__/\_____/\_____/\____________/ /// - -\-\-----------\__/----------\__/-------\_____/---------------/-/- - - -------------------: : :. ..:: :: . :------------------ - : : :......: :: :` ': :: : .....: : : ___ _ | | : ` ' : | | _ ___ _\---------- : | -------- : B E R C : -------- | : ----------/_ /_\ . : . ..:.. ..:.. . : . /_\ /// . . : : . . \\\ /: :\ /:: Artist :: Tyranni ::\ :: Album :: DrΣnkt av Livets Sekret :: :: Year :: 2024 :: :: __ _ _ __ :: -:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:- :: \ / :: :: . Genre :: Black Metal Source :: CD . :: :: Label :: New Era Productions R.date :: 2024-12-21 :: _::__ Cat.nr. :: S.date :: 2024-10-11 __::_ ::// \\:: ::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\:: :: :: /: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\ ..: Bitrate :: avg. 278kbps :.. . Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Joint Stereo . . Size :: 90.90 MB . . . __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: 1. Dunklets ÷ppning 1:30 :: :: 2. Ett liv i ruin 7:48 :: :: 3. Bortom bortgl÷mda skogar 7:39 :: :: 4. Vargarna Σr samlade 5:44 :: :: 5. Gravens boning... 1:58 :: :: 6. Undergσngens liklykta 7:38 :: :: 7. Vid Σttestupans kall 8:20 :: :: 8. DrΣnkt av livets sekret 2:04 :: :: :: :: :: :: ------- :: .. >> 42:41 .. __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: :: :: Tyranni came to my attention somewhere during the summer of :: :: 2019 with the 3-track æBaron Av Avoghetens SmΣrtaÆ-promo tape, :: :: which ultimately led to the debut full-length a few months :: :: later in the winter months of the same year. That promo tape :: :: was clearly an appetizer of what was to come, as not only the :: :: three tracks also appeared in a slightly updated form, at least :: :: sound-wise, on the full-length album even the title got that :: :: slight update: æBaron Af Avoghetens SmΣrtaÆ. In hindsight, that :: :: one letter difference seemed to be symbolic for the what :: :: Tyranni stood for: a rather steady force of moody, atmospheric :: :: Black Metal. Yet, for the one willing to take a deeper dive, :: :: there is a lot going on here on this long-awaited sophomore :: :: album of the Swedes. :: :: :: :: Driving force behind Tyranni is someone called Svartpest, while :: :: that might not immediately rings a bell with everyone, his :: :: other pseudonym Swartadau■uz will definitely sounds much more :: :: familiar. With bands such as Gnipahσlan, Mystik, Greve, Bekδth :: :: Nexδhmⁿ, Trolldom and Azelisassath he has found his way to many :: :: a collection of Black Metal fanatics around the world. The :: :: great common denominator in almost all of his work is his sense :: :: for a gloomy atmosphere, while the more Death Metal-driven :: :: bands such as Musmahhu might sound different at first blush, :: :: the careful listener will definitely be able to hear this :: :: musicianÆs hand in the creative way of pushing his trademark :: :: atmosphere. Tyranni, in that respect, was no exception on that :: :: tried and tested formula. :: :: :: :: One could argue that Svartpest/Swartadau■uz keeps a bit too :: :: many bands and projects and in his never-ending stream of :: :: releases he too loses it a little. Simply put: sometimes it :: :: feels like the emphasis is more on quantity than on quality. In :: :: one of my previous reviews on his work I once dropped the idea :: :: that working alone it might be the case he misses the input of :: :: others and, more specifically, the breaks and filter of others. :: :: Prime example is the large output of Bekδth Nexδhmⁿ in a rather :: :: short period, which altogether in fact could have been drilled :: :: down to more or less two great records. :: :: :: :: Alright, enough of the side-babbling, but it actually serves a :: :: purpose. Tyranni operates as a three-piece and in a :: :: significantly slower pace, consequently making æDrΣnkt Av :: :: Livets SekretÆ a much more coherent and overall more exciting :: :: release than most of SvartpestÆs other recent work. Musically, :: :: the album is a clear continuation from 2019Æs æBaron Af :: :: Avoghetens SmΣrtaÆ, so with only a few minimal changes they :: :: once again managed to stick to their steady musical direction. :: :: Compared to the previous recordings, there is even more focus :: :: on atmosphere, with a ælighterÆ sound and more allowance for :: :: keyboards. :: :: :: :: As said, almost all of the Svartpest/Swartadau■uz-related bands :: :: have a strong sense for a moody spirit, but the keyboards in :: :: Tyranni are definitely on a different level. An almost Abysmal :: :: Grief like gloomy atmosphere gives the music a far more :: :: haunting ambiance than any of this other bands. Although I :: :: donÆt remember where IÆve seen it, but someone said it reminded :: :: him on the current Belgian scene of the likes of Moenen Of :: :: Xezbeth, Perverted Ceremony and Forbidden Temple and that :: :: actually is not much of a far-fetched idea. Tyranni bears an :: :: evident resemblance in the sense of wearing the same sort :: :: occult sounding melodies and a deepfelt ancient ambiance. :: :: :: :: But while those Belgians bands clearly fall in the category of :: :: bands that are seemingly influenced by the likes of early :: :: Barathrum, Necromantia, Mortuary Drape and Samael, Tyranni :: :: touches on this only shallowly. Because besides their obvious :: :: Second Wave Black Metal roots and this ôancientö feeling and :: :: use of ditto keyboards, Tyranni is built on the fundamentals of :: :: (Dark) Wave and Post-Punk bands of the 80Æs. While that has :: :: been part of æBaron Af Avoghetens SmΣrtaÆ as well, this is an :: :: element of the band that has significantly progressed on this :: :: newest album. In a few tracks there is a nice and crisp up-beat :: :: tempo as well as recognizable ôWaveö-melody, but especially in :: :: the albumÆs closing track, æVid ─ttestupans KallÆ an :: :: unmistakable parallel with Echo & The Bunnymen or even Joy :: :: Division is easily drawn. Or, if youÆd place it in a more :: :: contemporary setting, comparisons with acts such as Agnes :: :: Circle and Drab Majesty are spot on. :: :: :: :: This all makes æDrΣnkt Av Livets SekretÆ a more than :: :: interesting and intriguing record that saves a lot of the :: :: previous elements and the overall Tyranni musical DNA, but adds :: :: more than a compelling extra ingredient. In a strangely :: :: hypnotising way, the album sounds both conservative and :: :: adventurous, though all captured in a modest fashion. So, :: :: indeed, those willing to take this deeper dive will find a very :: :: solid Atmospheric Black Metal record. :: :: :: :: . _ _ . :: \: :. \\ ___________ . ___________ // .: :/ __\____ :: ____ ___\ _ / BERC : 2024 \ _ /___ ____ :: ____/__ \\\f3! :: \\\ __ _/_________i_________\ /___/ /// :: cRO/// \ :: :\-\___________\_ ___ / _ _/___________/-/: :: / :: | . . _ _ _/ __/ . \_ _ _ . . | :: : :::::::: | | \\\\\/ _______\____|\ \///// | | :::::::: : :: | | -\-\/____/-------------\____\/-/- | | :: :: | | \ :|: / | | :: : : | . ` ::: ' . | : : . . | : ::: : | . . | :::....:::....::: | : ::::::::::::::::: : . :::''``:::''``::: . : ::: : . ::: . .:. :