Leviathan:
The Stormwind's Return
As The Bells Die (revisiting the clocktower)
The Unattainable Object (leviathan's all hope is lost mix)
Grimbergen:
Entering the Painfields (grimbergen remix)
Exit Release
Is This The Place?
There
comes a time when a person has to admit that maybe, just maybe, they may
have been too harsh to cast judgement on a fellow man. That time has arrived
for me. I admit, in fact I was quite proud, to slag off the previous demos
that I had been sent and forced to listen to by the artist Grimbergen.
The music of Grimboy, as I renamed him, was so pretentious and dull that
having my bollocks stapled to a table was a more worthwhile alternative
than having to sit through any more of his shit. Alas I now reluctantly
have to, for the moment anyway, give Grimboy his due and say that the
tracks he’s contributed to this split CD are not bad. Oh…ok
then…pretty fucking good. But I’m stating this through gritted
teeth. I’ll come back to massaging the ego of Grimboy later after
discussing the, at first only reason, I would have touched this recording
in the first place. Leviathan is the name.
One of the great unknown and unsung new artists, with a suitably daft
name, whose recordings on the Monkeyhouse label have helped redefine the
black ambient genre. I bullshit you not. Gaendaal (see what I mean about
the name) over the last few years has put out the classics "The Throne
of Bones", "Shrouded by Fog" and "Machinery of Hell"
to rave reviews. From myself included. This guy is something special.
Of the two original tracks he contributes here (the third being a rewrite
of a Grimboy track), he explores once more the dark depths of sonic bleakness
encapsulated in his own unique sound. The lush waves of dense foreboding
sound that permeates throughout are occasionally broken up as fragments
of a melancholy melody tries to break free through into the light before
being surrounded and crushed underfoot by the oppressive darkness. Although
fairly impressive stuff…but then again I didn’t expect otherwise
from this artist whose earlier work you really should have in your collection…the
sound is not the best clarity wise. The clean cut swathes usually associated
with his work is slightly subdued and muggy in comparison and in places
the pieces have a rushed feel about them.
Grimboy on the other hand was a bolt from the blue. Gone was the airy
fairy man of old to be replaced by someone who has fully turned to the
dark side. I don’t know if working with Gaendaal was the spur he
needed to explore a different musical path or if some of Gaendaals magic
accidentally rubbed off onto him but ‘fuck me’ if he hasn’t
released three corking tracks of black ambient with a similar feel to
Leviathan. If anything separates the artists its Grimboy’s way of
being slightly less bleak in outlook with a more redemptive feel to the
music. No pits of despair to be lost in here. No lost souls wandering
a lonely path. At the same time it’s no happy camper picnic either.
The music is a midway point between Heaven and Hell, neither falling one
way or the other, and is a more distinctive, albeit simpler, approach
that works so well within the context of his music. Take a pat on the
back with these tracks Grimboy. You’ve proved me wrong…for
once.
If you’ve never heard any of Leviathan’s output then this
split CD will act as a suitable, though not the best, introduction to
his music...his previous recordings are a lot meatier as he’s sharing
the stage with no-one. It still manages to comes whole heartedly recommended.
Nuff said.