ASGAARD - POLAND - TRANSGRESSIVE POST - METAL
Here we are to present and review "Stairs to Nowhere", the newest album of Polish Transgressive post - Metallers Asgaard! These is without a doubt and album for adepts of experimental progressive and elaborated music. Extremely dynamic, yet and above all, without musical limitations! Floating from extreme metal into some jazz, gothic, classical or atmospheric music and then back again. A delightful pleasure to the eloquent ears, an album that shall probably please the fans ofArcturus, or the most experimental sides of Metal colossus such as Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Samael, Moonspell, Opeth, Katatonia to mention just few! A avant-garde piece of art made from musical geniality born in Polish lands!
NeKronos Promotion HELL
Asgaard - Stairs to Nowhere - 2012 - Icaros Records
Genre: Transgressive Post - Metal
"(...)I'm climbing up the stairs
Yet it seems my journey has no end
I'm leaving all behind
As the day turns into night(...)" Stairs to Nowhere - Stairs to Nowhere
Asgaard are named by the critics worldwide as one of the genre’s visionary, the band has been around for almost 20 years now with each of their albums being a huge, conscious and provocative stand up against what the metal scene has had to offer at the particular period of time. Asgaard through the years since 1994 has shared stages with bands like Moonspell, Enslaved, Morbid Angel, Dark Tranquility, Rotting Christ, etc. Since the addition of Quazarre (also on Devilish Impressions, Crionics,etc.) vocals in 1999, the band sure has reached new musical horizons, his outstanding versatile vocals can reach a wide variety of phantasmagorical forms and patterns, without a doubt he has one of the best vocals on the scene, can remind many of you of ICS Vortex (Arcturus, Borknagar,ex-Dimmu Borgir). "Stairs to Nowhere" is another step forwards on Asgaard career, once we compare this work with the previous we can say that they always knew where to go and how to grow, stage by stage into something unique and own, combining a dark sound with some folk, atmospheric elements, all in a progressive avant-garde daring way, dynamic and experimental. Indeed a great work that shall please the fans of Arcturus or the most experimental sides of Metal colossus such as Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Samael, Moonspell, Opeth, Katatonia to mention just few!
"Stairs to Nowhere" is a musical genial art that may be too complex for the most conservative metal adepts, but in the other hand it shall please all those who like progressive/experimental music. The sound ignites from a usual Polish extreme metal into a doom, folk, classical, atmospheric or even jazz music and then back into it's quintessence of avant-garde experimentation, back into what the band defined as their own Transgressive Post - Metal. "Stairs to Nowhere" is a long dark trip into the unknown worlds of human knowledge and existence. Innovative and dynamic, yet so frightening and haunted, full of unconventional arrangements and brutal passages in a symphonic and yet sometimes theatrical way. "Stairs to Nowhere" is in fact an album of defiance, musically and lyrically speaking!
"Stairs to Nowhere" is another piece of art to come out of the well knownHertz Studios of Slawek & Wojtek Wieslawscy (Vader,Behemoth, Decapitated, etc.), the mixing and mastering have been POLISHed in all it's majesty, so you can listen to all the musical elements within all it's shinny glory, delightful to say the least. The artwork and album design has been done by Michal ‘Xaay’ Loranc (Nile, Vader, Behemoth, Necorphagist etc.), who has illustrated such phantasmagorical haunting art in perfection, a perfect match with the musical and lyrical transgressive art done by the illuminated and defiant Quazarre, that are once again created a work of genial art, taking you through a trip in your own conscience, making you realize of your own Human essence and all the poisonous venom wishing to infect our minds with hopes of Heaven burnt in Hell! Liberating and eye opening lyricism of the best kind!
Asgaard dynamic, progressive/experimental art is work of great performers. Flumens unconventional synth, piano, orchestrations and effects are in fact an highlight through all the album, refined and yet defiant musical structures who give the darkest haunted atmospheres that may yet give you chills through your spine. Hetzer guitar work is another great match to such "out-of-these-world" music, from the classical to the most heavy and progressive elements... he is always there shining with his work! To illuminate such theatrical atmosphere we couldn't have better vocals to fit it all than with the ones of Quazarre! Deviant, wicked, heart-felt, clean and delightful or vociferated and wild, he has it all to haunt you with such talent and geniality! As guests on these album we have the work of Ivy and Hal who sure put some bass pulse into the tracks and then the outstanding drum work by Icanraz (Devilish Impressions, ex-Abused Majesty,ex-Hermh,etc.), he is one of the best and most versatile Polish drummers of today's days so couldn't be a better choice for this haunting scenario!
"Stairs to Nowhere" is a experimental journey that you will take and like it more in each new listening, it's hard to mention highlights on such uniform quality release but some tracks may catch your attention first, tracks like "Labyrinth"the first epic and powerful deviant creation of these album. "God of the 3rd Millenium"is a slower and deeper experimental track that shall make you escape beyond realms of conscience. "Marionettes" will make you travle into a psychotic theatrical world, a song with a crescent intensity with the add of some middle-eastern musical spice into. The title track "Stairs to Nowhere" is another epic strong track with enchanting melodies that can easly catch your ears attention. "Cry of Moribund Butterflies" ignited with a classical music aura this is another defiant experimental strong track. Yet the release ends up with the oustanding heart-felt epic song "Within the Eyes of Angels", probably the best track on this great release.
In all "Stairs to Nowhere"is a wickedly defiant piece of art, darkly twisted with all it's extreme progressive/experimental sound! An album for adepts of this genre, reminding bands like Diabolical Masquerade, Vesania, Arcturus for example! With this mature defiant work Asgaard have reached a quite high level on their own. A labyrinth of Madness beyond conscience. An epic experience through an endless liberating journey for the listeners within this avant-garde phantasmagorical musical art!
RüPä - NeKronos Promotion HELL
RATE: 8/10
Here is the Tracklist for the album:
ASGAARD - "Stairs to Nowhere" - CD 2012
01 - Labyrinth
02 - Of Pawn and King
03 - God of the 3rd Millenium
04 - Irradiance
05 - Marionettes
06 - Stairs to Nowhere
07 - Cry of Moribund Butterflies
08 - Within the Eyes of Angels
Total playing time = 40m
Recording Line-up:
Hetzer – lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars/ additional bass guitar
Flumen – synthesizers/ orchestrations/ fx/ drums programming
Quazarre – vocals
Ivy (Serpentia) - Session Bass
Icanraz - Session Drums
Hal - Guest Baa
For further Information check:
OFFICIAL SITE : http://www.asgaard.pl/
FACEBOOK PROFILE : http://www.facebook.com/AsgaardOfficial
MYSPACE : http://pl.myspace.com/asgaardofficial
YOUTUBE CHANNEL : http://www.youtube.com/user/AsgaardOfficial
TWITTER : https://twitter.com/#!/AsgaardBand
Label Webstore - http://www.icarosrecords.com/webstore
CONTACT : asgaard@asgaard.pl