Brilliant Coldness – Poisoned Reality
Brilliant Coldness, of Ukrainian origin, plays an insistent sound. Insistent Metal is a new descriptor as far as I know. I use it because Brilliant Coldness uses a form of amazing repetition and motif that forms a particularly strong type of death metal. It’s weird because the CD, POISONED REALITY, called, “Kingdom of the Dead,” a title which sounds like a proper death metal track name. But the open sounds are of traffic –sounds such as car engines and honking. Then the first music is a bass rev-up that strikes a little too close for comfort to some tune by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But those bass plucks ring for maybe two measures before the guitar chimes in and the band links itself together in style.
This style uses a structure that is simple yet heavy and repetitive yet non-monotonous. Brilliant Coldness achieves this slight paradox by drafting new motifs on top of older ones every 8 or so measures. This structure gives the band freedom to play heavy, change rhythms semi-consistently, and return to previously used motifs if needs be. If you know my reviews at all, you have noted that I am very much in favour of bands that deliberately alter rhythm patterns. Now, Brilliant Coldness is not as playful with their rhythm freedom on POISONED REALITY as, say, Satyricon, but they are good at it for sure. Case in point, the organization of one of the CD’s center tracks, “In Power Of Horror” (great title). It starts with a haunting bass segment followed by a Cannibal Corpse groove-kill-riff. But as the vocals come in so perfectly timed, the band takes off immediately in a new direction by letting the lead guitar throw in some whining notes over a reaching rhythm section that is not even close to the pounding box-cutting at the start. But that comes in again and then as the vocals start up once more, the band jets out into even newer territory with lead riffing but not the same whiny notes as before. This time, the mix is lower and the band is more unified in its screech.
To me, the effect is intentional. Of course, that seems the case for all bands. But because each section of POISONED REALITY so clearly transitions from one to the next and the vocals are growled in a precise rhythm - as if counted to mark time specifically - I label the band insistent metal. I rank this CD high in my charts and I say we follow suit by making intentional steps to purchase it.
This style uses a structure that is simple yet heavy and repetitive yet non-monotonous. Brilliant Coldness achieves this slight paradox by drafting new motifs on top of older ones every 8 or so measures. This structure gives the band freedom to play heavy, change rhythms semi-consistently, and return to previously used motifs if needs be. If you know my reviews at all, you have noted that I am very much in favour of bands that deliberately alter rhythm patterns. Now, Brilliant Coldness is not as playful with their rhythm freedom on POISONED REALITY as, say, Satyricon, but they are good at it for sure. Case in point, the organization of one of the CD’s center tracks, “In Power Of Horror” (great title). It starts with a haunting bass segment followed by a Cannibal Corpse groove-kill-riff. But as the vocals come in so perfectly timed, the band takes off immediately in a new direction by letting the lead guitar throw in some whining notes over a reaching rhythm section that is not even close to the pounding box-cutting at the start. But that comes in again and then as the vocals start up once more, the band jets out into even newer territory with lead riffing but not the same whiny notes as before. This time, the mix is lower and the band is more unified in its screech.
To me, the effect is intentional. Of course, that seems the case for all bands. But because each section of POISONED REALITY so clearly transitions from one to the next and the vocals are growled in a precise rhythm - as if counted to mark time specifically - I label the band insistent metal. I rank this CD high in my charts and I say we follow suit by making intentional steps to purchase it.
1. Kingdom Of The Dead
2. Post-Mortem Reality
3. Lords Of The World
4. Return To Unbeingness
5. In Power Of Horror
6. Cobweb Of Self-Destruction
7. Program Annihilated
8. Paradox Of Madness
9. Cannibal Rules
Apollon Records
Reviewer: Jesse
Dec 11, 2009
Dec 11, 2009
Next review:
Resurrecturis - Non Voglio Morire
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