Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Livsnekad - Den Sociala Vanförheten (2009)

Livsnekad is a recent project which brings together the members of numerous other Swedish bands (including two members of Shining) to create lengthy, depressive compositions in the mold of melodic black and doom metal. There are five tracks on the debut Den Sociala Vanförheten, but it's an hour long commitment for the total album, and unfortunately it took until the final "Fobisk Sälta" before I started to enjoy it (or to 'not enjoy it', as is the intent with this sort of work).

The first few moments of "Ödesdigrande Slentrian" are promising and atmospheric, but the crawling center of the track started to lose my attention, and even when it picked up with some melodies I was never brought fully back on board (it's over 15 minutes long). The next three tracks weigh in at just under 10 minutes, and of these I liked "Becksvart Logik" most for its blackish energy and acoustic bridge. "Fobisk Sälta" closes the effort with all the best riffing on the album, from the distant guitars churning below its lapping shores, to the great, deep clean vocals which dominate most of the track. Extremely doomy and effective. Den Sociala Vanförheten does sound lavish, with a mix that can entertain both its crushing sorrow and overcast atmosphere. Ultimately, I did not get enough from the album to recommend it, but fans of melodic doomed black (Forgotten Tomb, Shining, etc) may wish to check it out.

Highlights: Ödesdigrande Slentrian, Fobisk Sälta

Verdict: Indifference [6/10]


http://www.livsnekad.com/

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