Nekrasov - Into the No-Mans-Sphere of the Ancient Days (Independent, 2007)

After a few spins of this lugubrious piece of music, it begs the question: why reinvent the wheel? Notwithstanding the fact that the sounds of black/noise are not particularly en vogue nowadays, much of this release's aesthetic luster has been done before -- especially in the likes of Belketre, Mutiilation and other denizens of the infamous Les Légions Noires. But unfortunately where the former succeeded, in that endearing commingling of noise and distorted melody, this particular release doesn't quite make the mark. And this remains the case even if it does -- more than -- successfully borrow a page or two from Abruptum's latter ambient work in hypnotic soundscapes. The tattered wall of noise pervading this album, although appealing, is not quite as precociously depraved as the artist might've wished for in this particular effort. Mind you, ItNMSotAD is a convincing testament to its predecessors, since it grips you with its acid-dipped sound and acerbic negativity, but for any old habitué of the genre this might come as little more than self-absorbed drollery. Even when juxtaposed against the sublimely depressive backdrop which has become the calling card of recent American black metal acts such as Xasthur, Leviathan and the like, the album falls short in delivering what one should anticipate in this very much worn post-post-Burzum era in terms of originality. Coming to think about it, as a general remark, it really becomes ridiculous when you consider that for a genre notorious for its prolific recalcitrance back in its early days, it has essentially become the proverbial example of hackneyed banality in the metal genre in recent years. Anyway, if your musical proclivities are of a likewise nature, approach ye faithful; otherwise, well... meh. 


Contact: http://nekrasov.cjb.net/

(originally written for Chronicles of Chaos - 2/12/2007)