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/:: Artist :: Tyranni ::\
:: Album :: DrΣnkt av Livets Sekret ::
:: Year :: 2024 ::
:: __ _ _ __ ::
-:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:-
:: \ / ::
:: . Genre :: Black Metal Source :: CD . ::
:: Label :: New Era Productions R.date :: 2024-12-21 ::
_::__ Cat.nr. :: S.date :: 2024-10-11 __::_
::// \\::
::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\::
:: ::
/: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\
..: Bitrate :: avg. 278kbps :..
. Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Joint Stereo .
. Size :: 90.90 MB .
. .
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: 1. Dunklets ÷ppning 1:30 ::
:: 2. Ett liv i ruin 7:48 ::
:: 3. Bortom bortgl÷mda skogar 7:39 ::
:: 4. Vargarna Σr samlade 5:44 ::
:: 5. Gravens boning... 1:58 ::
:: 6. Undergσngens liklykta 7:38 ::
:: 7. Vid Σttestupans kall 8:20 ::
:: 8. DrΣnkt av livets sekret 2:04 ::
:: ::
:: ::
:: ------- ::
.. >> 42:41 ..
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: ::
:: Tyranni came to my attention somewhere during the summer of ::
:: 2019 with the 3-track æBaron Av Avoghetens SmΣrtaÆ-promo tape, ::
:: which ultimately led to the debut full-length a few months ::
:: later in the winter months of the same year. That promo tape ::
:: was clearly an appetizer of what was to come, as not only the ::
:: three tracks also appeared in a slightly updated form, at least ::
:: sound-wise, on the full-length album even the title got that ::
:: slight update: æBaron Af Avoghetens SmΣrtaÆ. In hindsight, that ::
:: one letter difference seemed to be symbolic for the what ::
:: Tyranni stood for: a rather steady force of moody, atmospheric ::
:: Black Metal. Yet, for the one willing to take a deeper dive, ::
:: there is a lot going on here on this long-awaited sophomore ::
:: album of the Swedes. ::
:: ::
:: Driving force behind Tyranni is someone called Svartpest, while ::
:: that might not immediately rings a bell with everyone, his ::
:: other pseudonym Swartadau■uz will definitely sounds much more ::
:: familiar. With bands such as Gnipahσlan, Mystik, Greve, Bekδth ::
:: Nexδhmⁿ, Trolldom and Azelisassath he has found his way to many ::
:: a collection of Black Metal fanatics around the world. The ::
:: great common denominator in almost all of his work is his sense ::
:: for a gloomy atmosphere, while the more Death Metal-driven ::
:: bands such as Musmahhu might sound different at first blush, ::
:: the careful listener will definitely be able to hear this ::
:: musicianÆs hand in the creative way of pushing his trademark ::
:: atmosphere. Tyranni, in that respect, was no exception on that ::
:: tried and tested formula. ::
:: ::
:: One could argue that Svartpest/Swartadau■uz keeps a bit too ::
:: many bands and projects and in his never-ending stream of ::
:: releases he too loses it a little. Simply put: sometimes it ::
:: feels like the emphasis is more on quantity than on quality. In ::
:: one of my previous reviews on his work I once dropped the idea ::
:: that working alone it might be the case he misses the input of ::
:: others and, more specifically, the breaks and filter of others. ::
:: Prime example is the large output of Bekδth Nexδhmⁿ in a rather ::
:: short period, which altogether in fact could have been drilled ::
:: down to more or less two great records. ::
:: ::
:: Alright, enough of the side-babbling, but it actually serves a ::
:: purpose. Tyranni operates as a three-piece and in a ::
:: significantly slower pace, consequently making æDrΣnkt Av ::
:: Livets SekretÆ a much more coherent and overall more exciting ::
:: release than most of SvartpestÆs other recent work. Musically, ::
:: the album is a clear continuation from 2019Æs æBaron Af ::
:: Avoghetens SmΣrtaÆ, so with only a few minimal changes they ::
:: once again managed to stick to their steady musical direction. ::
:: Compared to the previous recordings, there is even more focus ::
:: on atmosphere, with a ælighterÆ sound and more allowance for ::
:: keyboards. ::
:: ::
:: As said, almost all of the Svartpest/Swartadau■uz-related bands ::
:: have a strong sense for a moody spirit, but the keyboards in ::
:: Tyranni are definitely on a different level. An almost Abysmal ::
:: Grief like gloomy atmosphere gives the music a far more ::
:: haunting ambiance than any of this other bands. Although I ::
:: donÆt remember where IÆve seen it, but someone said it reminded ::
:: him on the current Belgian scene of the likes of Moenen Of ::
:: Xezbeth, Perverted Ceremony and Forbidden Temple and that ::
:: actually is not much of a far-fetched idea. Tyranni bears an ::
:: evident resemblance in the sense of wearing the same sort ::
:: occult sounding melodies and a deepfelt ancient ambiance. ::
:: ::
:: But while those Belgians bands clearly fall in the category of ::
:: bands that are seemingly influenced by the likes of early ::
:: Barathrum, Necromantia, Mortuary Drape and Samael, Tyranni ::
:: touches on this only shallowly. Because besides their obvious ::
:: Second Wave Black Metal roots and this ôancientö feeling and ::
:: use of ditto keyboards, Tyranni is built on the fundamentals of ::
:: (Dark) Wave and Post-Punk bands of the 80Æs. While that has ::
:: been part of æBaron Af Avoghetens SmΣrtaÆ as well, this is an ::
:: element of the band that has significantly progressed on this ::
:: newest album. In a few tracks there is a nice and crisp up-beat ::
:: tempo as well as recognizable ôWaveö-melody, but especially in ::
:: the albumÆs closing track, æVid ─ttestupans KallÆ an ::
:: unmistakable parallel with Echo & The Bunnymen or even Joy ::
:: Division is easily drawn. Or, if youÆd place it in a more ::
:: contemporary setting, comparisons with acts such as Agnes ::
:: Circle and Drab Majesty are spot on. ::
:: ::
:: This all makes æDrΣnkt Av Livets SekretÆ a more than ::
:: interesting and intriguing record that saves a lot of the ::
:: previous elements and the overall Tyranni musical DNA, but adds ::
:: more than a compelling extra ingredient. In a strangely ::
:: hypnotising way, the album sounds both conservative and ::
:: adventurous, though all captured in a modest fashion. So, ::
:: indeed, those willing to take this deeper dive will find a very ::
:: solid Atmospheric Black Metal record. ::
:: ::
:: . _ _ . ::
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