SCHAMMASCH "Hearts of No Light"

SCHAMMASCH

"Hearts of No Light"

The thunderous piano movement that begins "Winds That Pierce The Silence" rivals the best of any classical performer. This dramatic musical darkness heralds the challenging sound of SCHAMMASCH, a mysterious Swiss covenant that has been attracting steady attention the last few years. Swiss bands have always had an aura of eccentricity....think of CORONER, SAMAEL, CALHOUN CONQUER and of course a little band named CELTIC FROST...and SCHAMMASCH is no different. They play a kind of dark mystical metal that is very progressive and orchestrated. "Hearts of No Light" takes more than one listen to really absorb.

"Winds That Pierce The Silence" sets the stage and then the more metallic side of the band arises with "Ego Sum Omega". It's pretty obvious from the get go that SCHAMMASCH is not a band that relies on simple riffs and easy hooks. This track is driving, and heavy and requires a lot of concentration. I think the album really kicks into gear with "Qadmon's Heir", which features an onslaught of choral voices and complex themes. Heady stuff. "Rays Like Razors" and "I Burn From Within" are shorter and have melodies that are almost like a Gregorian version of BLUE OYSTER CULT, if you can believe it. But the real capstone of the album  is "The Paradigm of Beauty"...words are inadequate to describe how lush and exotic this sounds, with an amazing variety of vocal styles. It's a true masterpiece of progressive metal that takes more than one listen to appreciate.

"Katabasis" starts slowly and quietly and builds finally into an impressive climax. This is really the song that should have ended the album, but for some reason, SCHAMMASCH found it necessary to end the album with 15 minutes  plus of restrained ambiance called "Innermost Lowermost Abyss". I kept waiting in vain for this to ramp up to something more substantial but it never happened. Time wasted and the one real drawback to the album.

This is no album for headbangers or war metal enthusiasts. Fans of OPETH and even KING CRIMSON might find a lot to explore here and you have to admire the ambition of SCHAMMASCH.

PROSTHETIC RECORDS

SCHAMMASCH