Artist: Ewigkeit
Label: Earache Records
Release Date: 8/24/04
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Title: Radio Ixtlan Artist: Ewigkeit Label: Earache Records Release Date: 8/24/04 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
Hey Pat, I'd like to buy a vowel! Thank you . . . I'm here all week . . . Try the veal . . . Anyway, Ewigkeit is a one-man band consisting of Mr. Fog that makes an attempt to put every style of music in the known universe onto one album. Radio Ixtlan combines black metal, traditional metal, techno, progressive, jazz, Pink Floyd, punk, oh what the hell, just about everything else you can think of as well.
"One word review: Okay." And while the concept in itself is admirable, it isn't exactly new, and I'm not sure how successful it is. It's not that I don't appreciate what's on the disc, it's more like I just don't really care. I could list a lot of things I like about this record, but I don't really want to listen to it. The things I like about this record I can get from the most recent Borknagar, without all of the overreaching pomp attached.
Mr. Fog definitely proves that he is quite a talented person, and I don't think any serious critic could deny that. But the simple fact is that the album impresses more than it entices, and all of the innovation in the world can't prevent it from ending up as a mediocre listen. To put it another way, this album is for musicians more than it is for music fans.
But let us also give credit where credit is due. I can see many people being enamoured by the scope of this record. From the interesting songwriting, to the splicing together of different sounds, there is going to be a small sect that looks upon this record with reverence. I'm just not in that group. One word review: Okay.
Death's Review:
Apparently Ewigeit means "eternity" in German, and is described by their label, Earache, as "the Space-Rock-meets Metal brainchild of the uniquely talented Mr. Fog." I'll simplify the description for you: Ewigkeit has a funny sounding name (at least for Americans) but the album is reasonably solid for what it is trying to acheive. How about breaking it down even further: What do I think Ewigkeit? It's OK. Not really my thing, but it does come across as a nice blend of equal parts Moonspell, Amorphis, and Rammstein/Ministry/Marilyn Manson. There are a lot of Pink Floydian, trippy spoken parts that come off as movie samples, mixed over moody electronic, keyboard or atmospheric sections. They do create a certain feel, but to call this "Dark Side of the Moon for the Death Metal generation" (as is put forth on the back of the promo) is a major stretch. Perhaps if I had the lyrics and took more time to dig in to what this performer was trying to say, my opinion would develop in a more favorable direction.
"It's OK."
Hel's Review:
In theory, I like this record. The first time I put it on, I was expecting – well, I don’t know exactly, but since the “band” name is so wacky, I was prepared for the worst – but when the music began, I was relieved to hear that it was pretty decent. Parts of it are indeed as strange as you might expect based on the unpronounceable moniker, but much of it is a palatable metal product.
"While it is certainly worth checking out, this is merely a good album and nothing to get overly excited about." There are clearly a number of influences at play here, and the songs reflect the plethora of genres Mr. Fog draws upon. Radio Ixtlan ignores any and all musical boundaries on its bizarre journey, using only occasional sound clips as signposts along the way, indicating the direction in which the vision is currently moving. Otherwise, listeners are adrift in a strange sonic landscape, which is pleasant, but not particularly compelling.
In the end, the album’s major flaw is that while it is good, it somehow manages to be rather unremarkable despite all it incorporates. One of the places where the album starts to lose me is the tribal chanting during “Journey to IXTLAN,” but this is certainly not the only spot I encountered difficulty. Unfortunately, there are enough tenuous instances of this sort to downgrade this from “interesting” to “average” to my ears. While it certainly makes for an intriguing initial listen and is executed well, Radio Ixtlan failed to stand up to repeated listens. While it is certainly worth checking out, this is merely a good album and nothing to get overly excited about.
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