Band: Seagulls Insane and Swans Deceased Mining Out the Void
Album: Seagulls Insane and Swans Deceased Mining Out the Void
Genre: post-black metal | drone
Year: 2011
Label: Witching Hour Productions
Seagulls Insane and Swans Deceased Mining Out the Void is a black metal band from the Silesian region of Poland. The masterminds of this beast are the established Polish metal purveyors Havoc (ex-Behemoth) and Nihil (Furia, Cssaba). With this particular project, they play black metal wrought with industrial and drone influences, blanketed in an atmosphere of anguish and mystery.
The album is not composed of songs so much as it is split into five distinct parts that flow together, labeled I-V (how convenient). The compositions are littered with droning feedback and haunting melodies. Keyboards and electronic effects expand on the textures created by the guitars and grinding bass. The drums have a stark, mechanical feel to them, which I feel melds well with the overall sound. For the most part, the band trudges along at a slow pace, but the tempo occasionally picks up, like on the midsection of the first track.
The vocals are performed by Nihil and take the form of a gruff snarl. Unlike some of his other projects, the lyrics are entirely in English (he often writes in his mother-tongue). The vocals stand out the most on "II" when the line "Only to animate the dead world again / With a maniac ritual of inspiration" is chanted over and over in rhythm with the steady drum beat.
Other stand-out moments include the swirling, eerie melody that pops up on "III" and the plodding drone of the album closer. The Polish duo successfully, as they put it, "voyage into limitless abyss and emptiness." I really hope these guys put out a followup to this release, but it seems they prefer to keep their activities under wraps (at least on this project). Give this album a listen and experience the crushing gloom for yourself here.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Top Tracks:
III
II
No comments:
Post a Comment