| CD REVIEW Way To End |
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Band: Way To End Way To End are a French quartet, debuting with Desecrated Internal Journey, a ‘refreshing’ album that lasts for thirty eight minutes, and which was recorded at the Echoes Studios. Desecrated Internal Journey isn’t a ‘common’ release. The title reveals an extraordinary approach, and indeed, that stands for the musical direction too. Reasons are legio. The avant-garde approach may not be that unusual in France, but in this band’s case it certainly is something special. Avant-garde does not mean ‘ultra-modern’ or ‘neo-progressive’; it means that the compositions are rather unusual, interspersed with contradictorious riffs, unconventional rhythms and somewhat complex structures. And what about the few unexpected yet original injections, like the semi-acoustics or epic chants?! The sound too is apart. Some might consider it too ‘hollow’, yet the meaning behind it is to create a morbid, haunting, mesmerizing, freezing concept. And it works! This also goes for the atmosphere: dense, hypnotic, terrifying. The whole is veiled within a winterly and somewhat depressive cloud of grimness, and the way Way To End deal with such an uncomfortable approach is ingenious. Besides, there’s enough variation to stay interesting whole the time, even though Desecrated Internal Journey isn’t an easy-to-digest recording. This album isn’t average stuff and even open-minded Black Metal heads will need time and energy to get through this massive piece of Dark Art. But it certainly is worth trying! Mastered at Stage One Studios (Belphegor, Scratched Surface, Disbelief, Legion Of The Damned etc). Line-up: Hazard (lead vocals, guitars, music and lyrics), Rust (guitars and backing vocals), Decay (drums, vocals and lyrics) and Hzxllprkwx (bass, backing vox). 85/100 Ivan Tibos. |