A defective divine form sounds like the stuff of nightmares as would have been receiving a batch of discs from Solitude Productions which did not include at least one Russian funeral doom band. Luckily amidst the treasures that they sent, this was the one that I immediately felt drawn to and its stygian depths have brought gloom and doom in ways that deserve to be truly treasured. Putting this on you have to be aware that the light is going to go out for the next 64 minutes as the six tracks including a Skepticism cover unfold and drown you in their depths.
I am not sure why this sort of music feels like drowning and the vibe of treading watery depths comes to mind when I play it but that is exactly what I get as the title track slowly yet melodiously takes hold. Memories of Evoken are very much evoked here musically and you find yourself drifting off before being somewhat surprised as the rough and craggy deep growls of singer A.K. inject an angry ferocity into things. Once these calm down the music gets languid before a real surprise is delivered in the form of a dour brass passage suddenly invading. It is like a circus of clowns all shedding tears and it really catches you out making you wonder if you have gone insane and really heard it. Although the brass never takes such drastic centre stage again it is there within the music at times throughout the album, making me think of this lot as a funeral doom version of Sear Bliss. It certainly adds a uniqueness to a familiar style as do some elongated Godfleshian guitar pitches and a sorrowful tinge of strings in the underlying parts. A lot is cloaked in darkness under the layers, listen carefully and you will be rewarded with the siren cry of a female choral from deep below the surface too. Naturally this is all on just the first epic number. Reverting to Russian language for lyrics and title on second number does no harm as the wretched and contempt fuelled vocals convey the same message in any language. Keyboard passages and effects again play a central part the contribution of I Stellarghost really makes the music bristle with atmospheric horror and with the guitars making flurrying noises it is as though something with many tentacles is rising to the surface. It will be greeted with devotion as some harmonic clean vocals now are added giving things yet another dimension. Considering the music is really repetitive there is so much happening but you do have to work to find it and that is what has made listening to this with almost religious conviction so rewarding.
By the time an instrumental with skewed harmonics adds ‘Leaden Dysthymia’ the passage of time has passed to an extent that when vocals do finally return (ironically) on ‘Prism Of Muteness’ you had almost forgotten of their existence. The tempo has upped a bit now with some beastly growls but clean vocals and austere sounding organ brings back the worshipful feel. It’s impossible not to think of old gods returning to reclaim what was theirs and reading the lyrics just adds to this but it is a place where from destruction blooms great new wonders.
This is one of the best albums I have heard of its ilk in some time and it does not surprise me to read that Abstract Spirit are regarded as one of the best Russian funeral doom bands. This should certainly have consolidated that position and if they were not how would they even dare to finish the album off with a Skepticism cover, as for which ‘March October’ sounds glorious. With three albums prior to this I shall certainly be looking at tracking down the previous work of Abstract Spirit and no doubt playing this one till I get tired of it or until the sun goes out which is the more likely option.
(8.5/10 Pete Woods)
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