Firefrost
Arcanum
[Empire Records]
From the dark forests of Poland comes this symphonic blackened/death quintet with a familiar and welcomed sound. Vesania have finally released their first full-length, Firefrost Arcanum, and although it is all too unoriginal, it is still a winner in my book.
Featuring a huge, epic, and symphonic sound much like early/mid Emperor or early Old Man's Child, Vesania add a few death metal touches (a few growly vocals, slower grooving parts) to give them a bit of an identity apart from their obvious influences. I like the way they utilize keyboards (very much like Emperor), not so much for melodic content, but for atmosphere. They also use a few choice sound effects to create a soundscape/theatrical effect. There are really only six actual songs, as the other four tracks are intros and/or instrumentals. The songs are quite long (an average of about eight minutes), so don't think you're getting gypped. This is an album that should be heard in its entirety, as not one track really stands out. Aside from the aforementioned death metal touches, this is unmistakeably black metal, 90's style. From fast blasts to more mid-tempo thrashy parts, there is plenty of variety to keep even the most ADD-afflicted metal fan interested. The band is super-tight, and a solid production helps quite a bit. The only main complaint is that the band needs to develop its own identity, as the Emperor resemblance is quite evident.
The production on Firefrost Arcanum is fairly solid, providing the band with a clean and tight sound in which to maneuver. The overall sound is straight out of the mid 90's, with a dry and mid-rangey tone. The drums are well recorded (something I find lacking in many black metal recordings), but the guitars could use a boost in the lower frequencies, as well as in the mix. Keyboards are nicely mixed in the background, able to be heard but not too intrusive. All this being said, this IS black metal, and the mix and recording are perfect for this style.
If you're an old-schooler like me, then you will certainly enjoy Vesania's sound. I hope they can grow a bit as a band and create their own sound eventually, but this is a very good start to what hopes to be a bright future.
[Empire Records]
From the dark forests of Poland comes this symphonic blackened/death quintet with a familiar and welcomed sound. Vesania have finally released their first full-length, Firefrost Arcanum, and although it is all too unoriginal, it is still a winner in my book.
Featuring a huge, epic, and symphonic sound much like early/mid Emperor or early Old Man's Child, Vesania add a few death metal touches (a few growly vocals, slower grooving parts) to give them a bit of an identity apart from their obvious influences. I like the way they utilize keyboards (very much like Emperor), not so much for melodic content, but for atmosphere. They also use a few choice sound effects to create a soundscape/theatrical effect. There are really only six actual songs, as the other four tracks are intros and/or instrumentals. The songs are quite long (an average of about eight minutes), so don't think you're getting gypped. This is an album that should be heard in its entirety, as not one track really stands out. Aside from the aforementioned death metal touches, this is unmistakeably black metal, 90's style. From fast blasts to more mid-tempo thrashy parts, there is plenty of variety to keep even the most ADD-afflicted metal fan interested. The band is super-tight, and a solid production helps quite a bit. The only main complaint is that the band needs to develop its own identity, as the Emperor resemblance is quite evident.
The production on Firefrost Arcanum is fairly solid, providing the band with a clean and tight sound in which to maneuver. The overall sound is straight out of the mid 90's, with a dry and mid-rangey tone. The drums are well recorded (something I find lacking in many black metal recordings), but the guitars could use a boost in the lower frequencies, as well as in the mix. Keyboards are nicely mixed in the background, able to be heard but not too intrusive. All this being said, this IS black metal, and the mix and recording are perfect for this style.
If you're an old-schooler like me, then you will certainly enjoy Vesania's sound. I hope they can grow a bit as a band and create their own sound eventually, but this is a very good start to what hopes to be a bright future.
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| Tracklist: 01. Mystherion.Crystaleyes 02. Introit Algor 03. Nova Persei 04. Algorfocus Nefas 05. Marduke's Mazemerising 06. Moonthrone.Dawn Broken 07. Introit Focus 08. Daemoonion Act II 09. Introit Nefas 10. Dukedoom Black |
| Rating: 7.5/10 |
| Release Date: 2003 |
| Length: 57:34 |
| Review By: Chris Paul |
| Total Reviews: (1) |
| Bands Website: Go Here |
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