Tristania - Illumination (Europeon Edition)
Illumination is the fifth full length release by Tristania, one of Norway's most prominent gothic metal bands. By now most people know the story; that Veland was responsible for putting them on the map, but decided to leave, causing them to go downhill, etc. While I'm one of those who believes he was the best thing to ever happen to Tristania, I'm also not about to discard their later releases as pure rubbish. No indeed, World of Glass, Ashes, and Illumination all offer something new and different, and all three are quality albums in their own right. With respect to Illumination; however, I feel they had a good idea in mind, but fell just a tad short on execution.
Throughout Illumination's running time it becomes painfully obvious Tristania was not shooting for complexion; instead, all songs have a much more slow, mellow, and simple structure. I'm refraining from the word basic because that is a major misnomer here. The reason behind that is simple; it all boils down to song structure. When approached from that viewpoint, there's nothing basic about the songs present on Illumination. The rhythm-setting drums, guitars, keyboards (What little there are) and bass all meld perfectly together to create simple yet effective melodies in each song. To reinforce this bold statement, I offer any track found at the last half of the album.
Vibeke Stene's vocals excited me most. She, like many other vocalists in the genre, has continued to evolve her voice in such a way that it effectively steers away from that quasi-operatic, choir like voice and actually starts to sing. I loved it dearly, to be sure, but it grows old after awhile, and there's no way in hell her old vocal style would fit with Ashes or Illumination. Songs such as Sanguine Sky, Lotus, and Mercyshide showcase her new style best; that hauntingly sexy voice you'd love to have sing you to sleep. While others, such as Destination Departure and Deadlands, focus more on her classic style of singing; that quasi-operatic voice you could picture... well, I'll spare you the innuendo.
The male vocals, done by Osten Bergoy, are also very well performed. My only disappointment is the lack of growling. Unlike Tristania's previous albums, growling is virtually non existent. The harshest male vocals hover somewhere between high pitched rasping, found on parts of Mercyside and The Ravens. However, I can't complain about the clean sections, especially on Fate, where they're above and beyond.
Both vocalists do their parts very well, but how about the lyrics they're actually singing? They carry the typical bleak and dreary gothic feel, but do they really hold up? I don't think so, at least with the first half of the album, especially on Mercyside, Sanguine Sky, and Open Ground. The verses and chorus' both feel like they're straight out of a b-side movie, no joke. I understand the emotional distress trying to be portrayed, but for Christ's sake ease up on the masochism! On the opposing end exist songs like Fate, Lotus, and Deadlands, which have your usual Tristania bleakness; the appropriate feel.. In fact, we're basically dividing the album in half: The masochistic side and the genuinely bleak side.
Hence why I say Illumination falls ever so short of the regard I hold Tristania in. This would be an exceptional release under your average band, but Tristania have been nothing but above average since their debut. I'm all for a change in style, especially to something slower and more dramatic, but not at the sake of musical perfection. They started out with a good idea, a good goal, but simply didn't make it for whatever reasons. Perhaps they'll nail it with their next release? Every band releases an album not quite up to par at some point, so why should they be any different?
Regardless, Illumination isn't something fans should ignore. Of the eleven songs present, Mercyside, Open Ground, and The Ravens fall below par, while Fate, Lotus, and Sanguine Sky stand out the most. Everything else is average; not amazing, but not as bad as those mentioned. Strangers to Tristania, or gothic metal in general, might want to be wary; this won't convert you to either.
copas from http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Tristania/Illumination/137536/
Tracklist:
01. Mercyside (4:39)
02. Sanguine Sky (3:50)
03. Open Ground (4:40)
04. The Ravens (5:06)
05. Destination Departure (4:35)
06. Down (4:32)
07. Fate (4:59)
08. Lotus (5:09)
09. Sacrilege (4:15)
10. In The Wake (Bonus Track) (4:08)
11. Deadlands (6:39)
TKP
password : bidadariku
0 comments :
Post a Comment