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Megaton Leviathan - Past 21 Beyond The Arctic Cell review




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Reviewer:
7.6

6 users:
7.17
Band: Megaton Leviathan
Album: Past 21 Beyond The Arctic Cell
Style: Drone doom metal
Release date: September 2014


01. Past 21
02. The Foolish Man
03. Arctic Cell
04. Here Come The Tears

Have you ever been entranced by those nature films with no dialogue - just rolling landscape, panoramic shots? Dumb question - of course you have, everyone watches public access television at 3A.M. Have you ever thought to yourself "this is nice and hypnotic, but they really oughtta choose a better soundtrack?" Well folks, Megaton Leviathan is the perfect soundtrack.

Not just for any landscape, mind you. Pretty much exclusively for those aerial shots of the arctic tundra. It's cold, deep and desolate, and to focus too long leaves you in a catatonic state. That's Past 21 Beyond The Arctic Cell. A hypnotic drone-doom album with all the creepy riffs, spacey keyboards, cavernous drums, and underlying droning vocals you could ask for. Picture the bottomless drums from Ahab's Call Of The Wretched Sea, and put them underneath some Fields Of The Nephilim slowed down to a glacial pace.

It's a deceptively busy album. The layering and production is incredibly detailed, making the whole picture meld together perfectly. The keys and various surprise instruments, like violin and sitar, offer such a wide array of color which make Past 21... a really cinematic listen.

The problem with an album like this is, it's only good for as long as it can keep you in its trance-inducing grip. By the latter half of the album, any new, subtle details pretty much cease, losing its captivating appeal, thus its appeal in general. You've heard all the tricks, and as you start to come out of the haze, you're left with fourteen minutes of what is a pretty dry, boring album.

Megaton Leviathan have created something really easy to sink into with Past 21..., with future releases, it would be nice to hear something that will keep you sunk.





Written on 03.09.2014 by Former EIC. Now just a reviewer guy.


Comments

Comments: 3   Visited by: 103 users
03.09.2014 - 18:38
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Pretty much agree with everything here, although I'd score it a few points higher. I especially like your nature film comparison, indeed, both the artwork, the album title, and the music all somewhat make me feel like I'm watching the sun set in Antarctica or something. Pretty satisfied with this one, I guess now I should check out the debut?
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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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03.09.2014 - 23:12
Rating: 8
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Written by Auntie Sahar on 03.09.2014 at 18:38

Pretty much agree with everything here, although I'd score it a few points higher.

Had it maintained its growth and quality, instead of just sort of meandering around in the latter half, I surely would have. The first 2.5 tracks are quite remarkable.
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"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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15.10.2018 - 01:00
nikarg

Written by Doc G. on 03.09.2014 at 23:12

Had it maintained its growth and quality, instead of just sort of meandering around in the latter half, I surely would have. The first 2.5 tracks are quite remarkable.

I think the cover of "Here Come The Tears" is brilliant. I love the song and ML did a fantastic job with it.
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