Triptykon –
Melana Chasmata (2014)
Century Media
Review by
Jude Felton
Over the past
three decades the Swiss genius that is Tom Gabriel Warrior has helped create,
shape and influence virtually all facets of extreme metal. From the early days
of the once derided Hellhammer, through the years of the avante garde Celtic
Frost, up until the present day with his current band, Triptykon. It’s not
always been pretty and he is certainly not a man who is afraid to experiment,
but above all he is a true pioneer.
Where
Triptykon, which is a band and not just Warrior with session musicians, succeed
is where so many veteran musicians fail; they push the boundaries of their
music forward. There is no stagnation, it is most definitely not boring and it
is never safe. Some bands, who shall remain nameless, continue farting out
album after album of forgettable material, with fans returning to their early
works, just to remind themselves that they were actually good, once. There is
no such worry with Triptykon which although a relatively new band, with this
being their second full length, there is still that musical legacy of Warrior’s
attached.
Now, it may
sound as though I am hyping up Melana Chasmata, or more specifically Triptykon
and Warrior, but it is for very good reason; this is an outstanding album. With
the old school elite, such as Carcass and Behemoth, delivering incredible
albums over the past few months, I can honestly say that this surpasses both in
terms of quality and sheer scope. That, my filthy friends, is no mean feat as
both Surgical Steel and The Satanist are outstanding albums. Melana Chasmata,
however, is a truly special beast from start to finish.
There is a
wonderful depth to this album that may not be totally apparent on a first
listen, especially with the frenetic intro of the opening track Tree of
Suffocating Souls, but it soon makes itself clear to the listener. I’m not
going to waste time shuffling this album into a safe sub-genre for you;
Triptykon IS a sub-genre and Tom Warrior is the ring-leader of this wild
circus.
Through the
course of nine songs, and almost 70 minutes, there’s aggression, melancholy,
music that cascades through your very soul, and yes, there’s a death grunt or
two. Above all, it is an incredibly dark and personal album, yet strangely
uplifting at the same time. The vocals, both lead and backing, are passionately
sung, shouted, growled, and there’s no denying that Melana Chasmata comes from
the heart, albeit a dark heart.
Where some
bands define their heaviness through speed, both fast and slow, or by how ugly
they can sound, Triptykon don’t have to force it; this is naturally an
incredibly heavy album, even through its more reflective and mellow moments.
And let’s not forget to mention that bass sound. Some musicians manage to
obtain a beautifully low sounding resonance to the four-stringed weapon of mass
destruction. On this album, however, it literally sounds as though it is
digging tunnels; it is that low down and brutal.
As is usually
the case with my reviews, I don’t like to focus too much on individual songs or
give you a blow-by-blow account of the album; that’s for you to enjoy. I much
prefer to absorb an album in its complete form, and this is no exception. There
are wonderful songs here, nine to be precise, and Breathing and the 12 minute
Black Snow are probably my favorites right now, but I implore you to digest
Melana Chasmata in its entire beauty and magnificence. It’s not an album that
you should skip to and fro from, not in my opinion anyway.
With Melana
Chasmata I believe that Tom Gabriel Warrior, along with V. Santura, Norman
Lonhard and Vanja Slajh, have created a musical masterpiece. This is an album
of its time AND of the future, and will make just about every year end list if
there is any justice. I can tell you now that it’s number one on my list,
already, and I cannot see it being dislodged. Yes, it is that damned good.
Tracklist:
1. Tree of Suffocating Souls
2. Boleskine House
3. Altar of Deceit
4. Breathing
5. Aurorae
6. Demon Pact
7. In the Sleep of Death
8. Black Snow
9. Waiting
Melana Chasmata is released by Century Media on April 15th and will be available on CD, Vinyl and Digital.
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