Split (Slow Burn Records)

 Slow Burn Records is another sub-label of the Russian Doom Metal label Solitude Productions, dedicated to most strange-sounding projects that certainly does not fall into the traditional Metal sound (call it Doom, Black, Death Metal), but represent another solid expression of atmospheric and doomish music (call it Post-Rock, Post-Metal or whatever you like)… This split album opens with seven tracks from Fading Waves; this Russian band delivers a soothing and exquisite blend of styles such Post-Rock, Sludge, the seven tracks this first half contains are an introspective journey trough atmospheric and droning passages. The ornate and solid guitar work creates intense auras with its varied performance, consisting in soft lines combined with powerful sluggish metallic riffs, which ranges from the melancholic and melodic to the desolate and powerful sound. The drumming here is simple and accurate, which complemented by a solid bass work create some solid tempos and rhythmic passages, contributing with the whole ethereal yet muscular sound of these seven compositions. The vocal work of Alexey Morgunov (the band’s main vocalist) is certainly bizarre and very hard to appreciate, along this work you will find some guttural growls buried very deep under the instrumentation, which besides of delivering some intensity and obscurity also contributes enormously with the whole atmospheric context of this work… The second half of this split belongs to Starchitect, this Ukrainian duo plays an intense and quite groovy Post-Hardcore, since the opening track you can notice some influence of Nirvana (yes, the Seattle band) in some of the band’s dirty sound and unpolished structures, but you can also found here some hints of bands such Neurosis or Cult Of Luna, specially noticeable at the more complexly structured passages of this work. The guitar work is heavy and obscure, reaching its most intense moments at the more aggressive and doomy parts of this work, such the entire closing track “Things, Happenings, People, Sadness”. The ripping and screaming voice of Zakharievich Nikita is remarkable, his harsh and crude performance is one of the heaviest elements of this work, while the drum work is probable the most straight Rock-sounding elements of these five track… Overall, the music of Starchitect is an impressive blend of heavy and rocking elements with some obscure and progressive/aggressive auras, which results in a quite original and avantgardish proposal. This split album is certainly an interesting release, containing 12 tracks clocked at almost and hour this album will surely catch the attention of the most experimental side of the obscure music audience… So if you like the sound of bands like Pelican, Neurosis, Isis, Cult Of Luna and the likes, you should definitely give this album a try… (AP)