Lux Occulta - Kołysanki review
| Band: | Lux Occulta |
| Album: | Kołysanki |
| Style: | Extreme avantgarde metal |
| Release date: | March 2014 |
01. Dymy
02. Samuel Wraca Do Domu
03. Mieczów Siedem
04. Serca Tu Mają Tylko Dzwony
05. Sen Jest Lżejszy Od Powietrza
06. Karawanem Fiat
07. Bieluń I Chryzantemy
08. Bądź Miłościw
It's curious to see what long absences from the music scene can do to bands when they finally hop back into it, either resulting in them losing momentum and slowly crumbling, or, on rarer occasions, being reborn into a completely different, though just as potent entity. This year, with Kołysanki, Lux Occulta are giving us quite a stunning example of the latter case.
If someone had told you in 1996 that 18 years later Lux Occulta would be playing a surreal form of electronic Avantgarde metal, you probably would've looked at them like they were from Nibiru. Yet nonetheless, here they are after a 13 year period of silence, doing just that. A few of the ideas Lux Occulta left off with on The Mother And The Enemy are still present, but for the most part they've been thrown out the window, and what's left has been taken to an entirely different level. Right from the start with "Dymy," Kołysanki establishes ground in a heavy synth atmosphere, with very groovy beats and rhythms (accentuated by an excellent choice in percussion), and vocals (in Polish this time!) that dance between charismatic singing and interesting spoken word, utilizing both to great effect.
There's really a lot going on here musically, and even though Kołysanki more or less sits in this pseudo-techno metal core, it's still very difficult to put an exact label on it because of the large degree of sound variation both within and amongst its tracks. "Samuel Wraca Do Domu," for example, with its use of sax, double bass, and organ, sounds more like a jazz piece from the early 1900s than anything else, and when the metal elements creep into it, it becomes even more bizarre. Other tracks, such as the amazing "Karawanem Fiat," take a bit of a neoclassical approach, with acoustic guitar work that would delight even the most seasoned of flamenco listeners.
Kołysanki is definitely not easy listening, and you probably won't entirely "get it" on your first, or even your second listen. With this album, Lux Occulta have crafted something truly original and majestic: a blend of personalities, a haze of influences, where the album's eccentricity is part of what makes it so alluring, and its multi-layered atmosphere is part of what will attract listeners to wanting to understand it more. This is quite possibly my favorite release of the year thus far, for most if not all of the reasons listed above. It's structured and it's chaotic, it's jazzy and it's electronic, it's simple, but it's also complex, in a series of musical paradoxes that make it both an extremely intriguing but also an extremely challenging album to digest. And that's exactly what makes it so beautiful.
Surrender to the madness!
 | Written on 30.03.2014 by Metal Storm’s own Babalao. Comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable since 2013. |
Comments
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Comments: 45
Visited by: 236 users
| Hex_Omega Gem Seeker Posts: 1178 |
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| Gothmog_Motsham Posts: 665  |
Man I still cannot believe they are back! Will be getting the record very soon and your review got me even more excited. Thank you! 
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress elite Posts: 5938  |
Written by Hex_Omega on 30.03.2014 at 23:24 Nothing better than translations from a native! Thanks man, I'll try to add this as Additional Info 
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| PocketMetal Posts: 750 |
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| Daniell _爱情_ elite Posts: 6061  |
Actually 05. Sen Jest Lżejszy Od Powietrza = Sleep Is Lighter Than Air 06. Karawanem Fiat = Fiat As A Hearse
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress elite Posts: 5938 |
Written by Daniell on 31.03.2014 at 00:10 Duly noted, translations now on album page
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| R'Vannith ghedengi elite Posts: 3099  |
Agreed that it's the sort of album where pinning it down to one genre is futile really, it's a diverse listen for sure. Seems to have a much looser hold on metal than I remember from their previous material. The accordion use really makes this album for me, gives it a certain character alongside those Polish vocals and spoken word. Rhythmically speaking it's really captivating, as much as it is in the more ambient bits. I also love that jazzy piece!  My favourite is probably the longer one, "Karawanem Fiat." ^ Or "Fiat As A Hearse" as the Polish folks have been kindly translating for us.
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress elite Posts: 5938 |
Written by R'Vannith on 31.03.2014 at 05:59 Agreed, it creates this real "old European" type of feel, which I think is something along the lines of what they were going for here.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| R'Vannith ghedengi elite Posts: 3099 |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 31.03.2014 at 06:11 I'm not sure what "Beskid borderland folklore" means, as described on the bandcamp there, but I'm guessing that has something to do with what we're talking about. I assume that there's some folk elements in here that are particular to that area of Poland or something.
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress elite Posts: 5938 |
Written by R'Vannith on 31.03.2014 at 06:19 Probably, almost makes me wanna do some research into some Polish folk, if it's anything like this!
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Hex_Omega Gem Seeker Posts: 1178 |
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| Daniell _爱情_ elite Posts: 6061 |
Written by Hex_Omega on 31.03.2014 at 10:54 I agree, especially about the first title. But the other is quite clear to me. "Karawanem Fiat" is a fancy way to say "Fiat jest karawanem" or "Fiat służy jako karawan", so "Fiat As A Hearse" makes sense.
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| Hex_Omega Gem Seeker Posts: 1178 |
Written by Daniell on 31.03.2014 at 11:00 Ok, clear to me now 
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| mz Posts: 4773  |
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| Daniell _爱情_ elite Posts: 6061 |
Written by Hex_Omega on 30.03.2014 at 23:24 I made sure I was right before posting this, I checked with a native speaker of English. "Smoke" in plural form is unusual and sounds bad. So 01. Dymy = Smoke In Polish "dym" is countable, hence plural in the title.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist staff Posts: 21306  |
Written by Daniell on 02.04.2014 at 10:15 The only time I've heard smoke used in its plural form is when someone asks you for smokes (cigarettes).
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Daniell _爱情_ elite Posts: 6061 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 02.04.2014 at 15:40 Yes, I agree, but it's a different use. Polish "dymy" means "smoke" in plural form. For some reason this obviously uncountable noun is countable in Polish 
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| psykometal A staff guy... elite Posts: 6101  |
"Smokes" doesn't necessarily mean plural (countable). It could be verb usage, "the engine smokes all the time", "he smokes out back", "that car smokes all the competition". I don't know the lyrics so I have no clue, but do they make better sense when considering the word as a verb instead of a noun? Or is "dymy" only a noun, and smokes as a verb is a different words in Polish? Edit: Also, smoke can be counted, but in English it wouldn't be worded as "smokes", it would be worded as "types/kinds of smoke" - "there are many different types/kinds of smoke, some naturally created (wood burning), others artificially created (mixing chemicals)". English can be such a vastly more complicated language than others. *shrug*
---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~ 
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by psykometal on 02.04.2014 at 17:14 I think what Daniel's saying is that it's the plural version in this instance, not the verb.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| psykometal A staff guy... elite Posts: 6101 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 02.04.2014 at 17:17 Yea, that dawned on me after. So I added on the edit.
---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress elite Posts: 5938 |
Written by psykometal on 02.04.2014 at 17:14 I think this debate over title interpretation says a lot about the album
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| psykometal A staff guy... elite Posts: 6101 |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 03.04.2014 at 00:07 I still haven't even listened to this yet. I was already planning to, but now I'm definitely obligated.
---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress elite Posts: 5938 |
Written by psykometal on 03.04.2014 at 00:12 It's..... something. I'm still not even entirely sure what, and I've already given it a solid 3 playthroughs. But I think if you liked that Dreadnought debut you'll appreciate this. Not musically alike at all, but same overall principle: lots of stuff going on on an instrumental level, and a very diverse listen.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Vombatus Potorro Posts: 2355  |
Messy and incoherent most of the times coz of the variations and structures, which also makes it charming. I hear very little metal in this, even at the core, but the melodies are great. The electro bits are my favorite (like second half of Dymy and middle of Karawanem Fiat). Thanks for review that made me check this out 
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress elite Posts: 5938 |
Written by Vombatus on 05.04.2014 at 18:09 Indeed, this album actually reminds me a lot of the recent Pensées Nocturnes album last year, which also has a big folk/neoclassical influence going on. A bit sloppy because of all the instrumentation, but somehow with an underlying unity of sound and theme that holds it all together.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Darkside Momo Retired elite Posts: 9087  |
Oh, by the way, there's not only Polish in there, but French too ("Dymy", "Sen jest lżejszy od powietrza")
---- My Author's Blog (in French)  "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you" "I've lost too many years now I'm stealing back my soul I am awake"
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| Ivor Staff staff Posts: 5290  |
Written by Hex_Omega on 30.03.2014 at 23:24 Since you translated the titles, do you happen to be in the know of what are the lyrical topics of this album? I like the album but I think to really put it into perspective one would need to take a look at the lyrics. I.
---- No friends for playing games No foes who scorn my name Computerized machines of steel and rust /---/ No friends in my house on Mars No foes in my house on Mars I was born in my house on Mars I will die in my house on Mars -- Ayreon - My House on Mars
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| Hex_Omega Gem Seeker Posts: 1178 |
Written by Ivor on 03.02.2015 at 23:58 Wish I could find the lyrics. But I may try to do this through listening. And I will have obvious problems with French 
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| Ivor Staff staff Posts: 5290 |
Written by Hex_Omega on 04.02.2015 at 11:57 Well, that's one problem less than I have. I.
---- No friends for playing games No foes who scorn my name Computerized machines of steel and rust /---/ No friends in my house on Mars No foes in my house on Mars I was born in my house on Mars I will die in my house on Mars -- Ayreon - My House on Mars
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| Ilham Giant robot Posts: 5161  |
Written by Ivor on 04.02.2015 at 12:03 I could rid you of that problem too.
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