Chaos Echoes are an intriguing prospect; experimental, esoteric doom/death with members from brutallists Bloody Sign. It’s probably not a coincidence that the band’s name is the same as the very last Bloody Sign release… This band is, however, a completely different prospect altogether. Heavy, intense and crushing it is indeed, but following a path as divergent from brutal black/death metal as it is possible to get.
It almost makes no sense to wax lyrical about such things as `songs’ or even riffs on this opus, as Chaos Echoes create music which drifts beguilingly around the ears like a creeping, gaseous entity. Most of the numbers on this album run seamlessly into each other, like a huge, multi-faceted serpent slowly slithering through your mind, but each segment is unique in its own way.
There hints of more typical, crushing funeral doom here; throbbing, hypnotic, monotone riffs, drenched in feedback and misery. There are all sorts of other unusual elements to be found here though; all of them succeed in evoking a trance-like state and a feeling of otherworldliness. Occasionally there are bursts of manic speed, but they seem to be almost random, like a balloon caught by the wind bouncing against sharp, pointy objects. Some of the tracks are basically seven-minute-long drones, with other elements drifting in and out. There are touches of vocals here and there; some demented, black-metal style screaming, some vast vocal harmonies and some lower, tortured growling, but `Transient’ is mostly instrumental.
There are hints of keyboard here and there, mostly used to extremely dramatic effect. As with the other instruments, it is used mostly for atmosphere rather than to hammer out riffs. There are some especially spine-chilling moments on tracks like `Advent of my Genesis’, where the keyboard practically plays one note over the top of some very eerie dissonance.
In the right frame of mind, this could be a fantastic experience; like drifting into outer space – it’s definitely headphone music rather than the sort of thing you would crank up to eleven and head-bang around the house to. Their almost perpetual use of dissonance and complete lack of anything resembling a memorable riff could either attract or repel the listener depending on their mood. I’m still not sure whether I’ve enjoyed listening to it or not, but I can say that it has been an experience!
For those of you who love the esoteric, experimental, hypnotic side of extreme doom, you may indeed find things about this that you absolutely love. If you prefer your metal with riffs in, this may not be for you, and you might even describe this as rather self-indulgent.
(6.5/10 Jon Butlin)
https://www.facebook.com/chaosechoes
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