| CD REVIEW Aiumeen Basoa |
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Band: Aiumeen Basoa First of all: Erzsebet Records… Honestly, I had not heard of this label before, but named after one of my favourite mythological figures, it cannot be but interesting… Hail Elisabeth Bathori! But it does not matter… Here it is all about a musical experience, a musical journey. Aiumeen Basoa is a Basque formation that started more than fifteen years ago. At the end of last century, the band recorded a three-tracker, which got released as a split with two other Basque bands, Adhur and Ilbeltz. After some line-up problems, however, Aiumeen Basoa -which means ‘forest of screams’, by the way, in Basque language- the band split up, yet not that long. Because of the interest, coming from both some members as well as the audience, the resurrection was a fact shortly after the break, and the members soon started writing new material. But still it took many years, yet now it is a fact: the debut album is available finally! Iraganeko Bide Malkartsutik comes with Basque lyrics (Euskara, for the purists amongst us), which deal with Basque mythology, folklore and history (as you probably know, the Basque identity is a strong, semi-nationalistic one, yet don’t expect any ETA-propaganda), and the album combines rhythmic and up-tempo Black Metal with, indeed, Basque Folk-elements. More specific the album can be considered a symbiosis of melodic and epic Viking-oriented Black Metal and traditional Pagan-Folk, including some traditional elements, epic choirs and female vocals. The blackish pieces come with a Nordic approach in the vein of some Scandinavian, Welch / Irish / Caledonian and Baltic bands. Besides, the whole is extremely varying. Every track differs from another, and the long tracks (the six songs last for about fifty five minutes) are varying whole the time, bringing different moods, atmospheres and feelings. Sometimes the whole sounds rather natural, then again it is fierce and glorious, more symphonic and so on. Keyboards, (semi-) acoustic parts, modestly blasting eruptions versus emotional soberness, Doom-injected parts (can’t I hear some My Dying Bride in “Ekaitzaren Begitik”?), Iraganeko … has a lot to offer. Brings us to the quality… It isn’t that obvious, but Aiumeen Basoa does a wonderful job with this debut full length. Nowadays we get overloaded with Folk-oriented (Black) Metal releases with a Nordic or Baltic approach, and most of the time it bores me enormously; or it doesn’t bring anything interesting, brave enough to distinct themselves from the pale grey masses. Yet in this band’s case it is a bull’s eye hitter! With surety I dare to pretend: Iraganeko Bide Malkartsutik is one of the most impressing Pagan/ Folk recordings since the beginning of the new millennium! 90/100 Ivan Tibos. |