Bilskirnir/Szalasi
Split
[Regimental]
This is a split 7" featuring Bilskirnir, a German band playing raw NSBM,
and Szalasi, a Hungarian band playing nationalistic synth-black-noise.
The Bilskirnir side of this split consists of a rather epic song, given recording on 4-track. The highly appropriate production gives this side of the split a somewhat obscure feel, and makes the guitar sound into a rough buzz-saw. The drums on this song are, for the most part, barely audible, though this is more than made up for by the keyboard work, which is prominently displayed at the front of the mix. The vocals are also great, probably some of the best this band has recorded. All in all, this song is a solid addition to Bilskirnir's work.
The Szalasi side of the split combines bombastic synth work with a blasting drum machine. There's some guitar here, too, though it takes a back seat to the synthetic work. When it appears, it is tuned high, and seems to slice through the oppressive background, only to be buried under it once more. Vocals are heavily distorted shouts/screams. The atmosphere created by this band is one of simultaneous discomfort and fascination, one of the strangest and most effective sounds I've heard in recent years.
This is an interesting release - two bands with totally different styles, yet the finished product works quite well as a whole. The Bilskirnir side is an excellent song, but as much as I admire that band's work, I like the Szalasi side of this split even more. Most people who hear this will either hate it or love it, because Szalasi has an bizarrely unique sound. Based on this alone, this split 7" is more than worth hearing.
© 2003 vorfeed
The Bilskirnir side of this split consists of a rather epic song, given recording on 4-track. The highly appropriate production gives this side of the split a somewhat obscure feel, and makes the guitar sound into a rough buzz-saw. The drums on this song are, for the most part, barely audible, though this is more than made up for by the keyboard work, which is prominently displayed at the front of the mix. The vocals are also great, probably some of the best this band has recorded. All in all, this song is a solid addition to Bilskirnir's work.
The Szalasi side of the split combines bombastic synth work with a blasting drum machine. There's some guitar here, too, though it takes a back seat to the synthetic work. When it appears, it is tuned high, and seems to slice through the oppressive background, only to be buried under it once more. Vocals are heavily distorted shouts/screams. The atmosphere created by this band is one of simultaneous discomfort and fascination, one of the strangest and most effective sounds I've heard in recent years.
This is an interesting release - two bands with totally different styles, yet the finished product works quite well as a whole. The Bilskirnir side is an excellent song, but as much as I admire that band's work, I like the Szalasi side of this split even more. Most people who hear this will either hate it or love it, because Szalasi has an bizarrely unique sound. Based on this alone, this split 7" is more than worth hearing.
© 2003 vorfeed