 | Tracklist:
1. Fekete mezok
2. Keleti szel
3. Trilobita
4. Ko koppan
5. Vashegyek
6. Holdkomp
7. Kek ingem lobogo
8. Az eso, az eso, az eso
9. Tar gallyak vegul
10. Minden test fu
Release Date: 11/11/2011 | |
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On 6 Lists
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| Summary: For this writer at least, it's the metal album of the year. |
Sometimes an album can give you what you want so perfectly that it makes you feel like the band have access to your brain. I mean, are Thy Catafalque regular readers of my Twitter feed? Obviously I'm joking, but the coincidence is a little creepy; Rengeteg could not possibly be a better response to my thoughts on the masterful Róka Hasa Rádió if it tried. I can even use direct quotes that I've posted online in the past to show it.
Criticisms like 'unsurprisingly, the band are at their weakest when they stray too far from metal' are dealt with by simply not straying away from metal. The album doesn't really get weird in any sense until it's almost half an hour into its running time; up until then, it's just straight-up metal, albiet Thy Catafalque's own particular brand of it. If you loved the heavier sections of Róka Hasa Rádió, you'll love this too, because they've kept all the things that made them so good (like 'folky tunes so completely bathed in Nordic passion that I couldn't even imagine singing along to them without having at least 4 tankards of mead first', or 'never neglect[ing] melody, texture, or rhythm in pursuit of atmosphere or rawness'). The influences they're drawing in from other metal bands is perfectly chosen too; the 14 minute "Vashegyek" echoes Agalloch's Ashes Against the Grain in its heavier sections, and that's never a bad thing to be compared to.
It does get weird eventually, though. And yet, when it does, it feels a lot more tasteful that the more unusual touches on their last outing. There's no more saxophone, for one thing; instead there's a ballad in "Kő koppan" that mixes the sounds of the post-metal Ulver albums with folky strings (hardly 'weird' in a broader sense, admittedly, but a change at least), and the instrumental "Holdkomp" is a minimal, glitchy slice of IDM that eventually introduces a skittering electronic beat, live drums, and some keyboards that sound like Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. "Az eső, az eső, az eső", one of the album's highlights, is built on dark layers of reverb-heavy synth pads and a clipped, echoing guitar part that sounds like early U2. The heaviness is never too far away though, as the breakneck closer "Minden test fű" proves - it's the heaviest song I've heard by them yet.
Literally everything I asked for and more, Rengeteg is a properly jaw-droppingly brilliant album; metal just doesn't get better than this in 2011, just like it didn't get better than Róka Hasa Rádió in 2009. They will have to fuck up spectacularly on their next couple of albums if I'm not going to permanently consider them one of my favourite ever metal bands.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 4
Can't pretend I'm completely happy with this review, but I had to post it because this record needs one. Can't believe a metal album this good only has 12 ratings on Sputnik, and only one of them a 5 at that.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Sounds good, have to check it out in a bit.
Edit: Will admit review reads strange sometimes, but the passion comes across well.
Digging: Lemuria (BE) - Tales, Ale, and Fire Digging: Lemuria (BE) - Tales, Ale, and Fire | | |
Great album. Having come to metal by way of sludge metal by way of drone metal by way of pure drone by way of harsh noise, I'm not a metal purist by a long shot and quite like when metal albums get a little experimental. If anyone else has recommendations in this vein, I'm open to them.
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What are some tracks you recommend most?
Digging: Dead Sara - Dead Sara Digging: Dead Sara - Dead Sara
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in the first line you say "what you what" haha
| | | Album Rating: 3
Nick you're a champion
Digging: John Talabot - Fin | | |
Heard it when it was released, it's very catchy but bad imo. I'll honestly never understand your
taste.
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Haven't listened to this band before, but Ashes in the recs means I'll definitely check this out. cool review.
Digging: Sonata Arctica - Stones Grow Her Name Digging: Sonata Arctica - Stones Grow Her Name
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"Fekete mezok" sounds fucking incredible! Thanks for reviewing this Nick! Will absolutely check this out.
| | | Album Rating: 3
This is both cheesy and evil. I don't know how to interpret it.
| | | Album Rating: 4
in the first line you say "what you what" haha
D'oh.
What are some tracks you recommend most?
"Az eső, az eső, az eső" and "Vashegyek", probably.
Heard it when it was released, it's very catchy but bad imo. I'll honestly never understand your taste.
Hmm. Of all the good qualities it has, not sure I'd say it was catchy to be honest. It's less catchy than Roka Hasa Radio if anything.
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cant get that into these guys
Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
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this is probably beyond awful
Digging: Florence & The Machine - Split Digging: Florence & The Machine - Split
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Well, I hate this so you will most likely hate it too. We have the same taste after all.
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metal just doesn't get better than this in 2011,
Except for like 20 other albums.
Digging: Gride - Zaskuby Chaosu Digging: Gride - Zaskuby Chaosu
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
If you're referring to your dig then lulz
Digging: Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself | | |
i think imma trust baseline's opinion on this and pass.
sorry iai.
Digging: Mount Eerie - Clear Moon Digging: Mount Eerie - Clear Moon
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haha funny I literally just listened to this about half an hour ago. It's alright but not good enough
for me to wanna dl it.
Digging: Encoffination - O Hell, Shine In Thy Whited Sepulchres Digging: Encoffination - O Hell, Shine In Thy Whited Sepulchres
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whoa
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yes, this is good metal. not best of the year, but it still kicks ass.
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