Stahlwerk 9
Ante Bellum Civile
Ave Caesar
Rubicon

Cold Fusion
Tesser Arius
Patres
Regia

Rukkanor
Imperium
Alexandria
Idus Martiae

Hot on the heels (not of love because that was a Throbbing Gristle song) from the exquisitely packaged Scontrum Acts 1 - 5 comes another War Office Propaganda exercise in bang to the bucks presentation. Here’s what they say: "Presented in a beautiful wooden box with a gold embroidered velour insert, gold prints and a golden CD - 660 copies in three colours (black, red and grey) - only 220 of each! A fully handmade, hand-numbered and unique release." I’ll take all three!! You take Visa don’t you? Well I would say that if I had any money. Or a credit card come to that. I’ve neither. Any gold encrusted benefactor reading this want to buy me a copy? Any colour. Beggars can’t be choosers. Thought as much. I tried this plea before and it feel on deaf ears. Looks like I’m stuck with their lavish (not) promo copy. Again. For the fucking umpteenth time. $*@%£

"Triumvire" is a nine track release featuring the very talented… and always welcome to Aural Pressure… groups Stahlwerk 9, Cold Fusion and Rukkanor. If you haven’t read any previous reviews from these acts why not do so now. It’ll make reading this a lot easier all round if you do… and a load of fun to boot.

Assuming you’ve done what you’ve been told (good boy / girl…Daddy loves you in every more strange unnatural ways) you’ll now know that these three acts are heavily into the martial / neo-classical musical genres. "Triumvire" is a dark and poetical aural description of the stormy times of the Roman Republic, the civil wars that took place and their Empires. A history lesson in the making. A re-telling of the past brought up to date by these masters of the epic vision. Musically it covers what you would expect it to. Drums all a thrusting. Orchestrations all a blowing. Ambience all a darkening. Vocals all a growling. Emotions all a flowing. Stand out tracks… every fucking one of them all. The usual high expectations from these acts met and gratefully received. The music matching their ambition admirably. Utterly faultless in every respect.

There was a release…sometime back in 2004, out on the Somnambulant Record label titled "X11 Caesars" which was reviewed in AP [read review here], not by me I hasten to add - but which I have a copy of. That release kind of covered the same ground thematically but without the passion that "Triumvire" is blessed with. If you enjoyed that previous release, or any release from the critically acclaimed acts on here, then this becomes a no brainer of a must have. Which kind of goes without saying from the War Office Propaganda record label.

If only I didn’t have this cruddy CDR to sully the memory. ‘Got any spare change for a poor reviewer governor? Any small coinage will suffice. Got an expensive CD collection habit to support.’

ANM