Review Summary: BRUTAL TECHNO FOR THE WIN!
Genre blending is at an all time high in music nowadays. There are bands/artists mixing together all types of eccentric types of music that should really have no business being mixed. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Violent Magic Orchestra is a project consisting of Paul Régimbeau (Mondkopf, Extreme Precautions, Autrenoir), Japanese black metal band Vampillia and Pete Swanson (ex-Yellow Swans). Does that sound like a strange combination? Yes? That's because it is.
Violent Magic Orchestra's core sound can be described as extremely fast paced and horror-esque techno but once you dig below the surface you unpack much more.
Death Rave adds in an almost death metal brutality with the drum programming at times and horribly distorted black metal shrieks. Did Mayhem decide to take some acid and start partying all night long while shouting at the devil? That's what it seems like to me (considering Atilla makes an appearance on Song for the Moon) . The more traditional techno parts that dominate most of this album are frantic yet very danceable. I'm no techno expert but these guys take the genre to new extremes. None of that minimal *** here. This brand of techno is loud, chaotic and 100% in your face with lightning fast beats and headbangable synth work. Is techno noise a thing? If so then that's exactly what I would call it.
Death Rave is about 67 minutes in length but you never feel like it drags. The schizophrenic paces of each song are entirely engaging at every turn. It's almost like a soundtrack for a Satanic version of Megaman. Very sci-fi oriented in a "black hole" kind of way.
The thing that has me truly floored about this album is just how natural sounding it is. With all of the different influnences whirling around one would think it would sound sloppy. That couldn't be farther from the truth honestly. The way these guys seamlessly go from trippy techno soundscapes to abysmal screeching noise and dark ambient bits to ice cold industrial passages to atmospheric black metal is honestly something to behold. Violent Magic Orchestra is a band I will be keeping an eye on and I suggest the rest of my Sput bros do the same.
Death Rave has things for electronic and metal music lovers both to enjoy. It's heavy, it's atmospheric, its groovy and (most importantly) it's a downright fun time.
