Triptykon - Melana Chasmata
A complex beast of a record, I had to sit on Melana Chasmata for well over a month and I’m still not sure if I’m completely ready to review it. I spent a couple weeks on the genre tags alone, deciding to settle on Gothic Metal —because those really aren’t dirty words when Tom G. Warrior’s involved— and Doom — because it’s slow and heavy. Really fucking heavy. I’m talking cement shoes heavy. Seriously, each chord stroke on this album sounds like all life ending (especially through headphones). But musically speaking, it’s difficult to sum up in words. The one thing I do know —which Fischer has even acknowledged himself— is that it isn’t always perfect. Anything this guy’s touched since 2006 has received the automatic Lifetime Achievement Award and I’m sick of that shit. He could record his morning piss and get a 10/10 in every publication in the free world. Don’t get me wrong, I worship at the altar of everything from Hellhammer To Mega Therion, but Monotheist is not a flawless record and neither was the first Triptykon. Great albums, not perfect ones. Melana Chasmata is also a great album. I’d even go as far as calling it the best thing TGW’s done since 1990’s criminally underrated Vanity/Nemesis LP (unless you’d like to count that truly awesome rendition of “Babylon Fell” by Apollyon’s Sun from Dwell’s 1996 Celtic Frost tribute). But it isn’t perfect, so don’t tell me it is because you have a man-crush. I’ll prove it to you. Let’s break it down track-by-track:
“Tree of Suffocating Souls” — a wise choice to lead off with; hard-charging, aggressive, big riffs; Warrior sounds pissed; V. Santura’s backing vox are a little too open-mic-night for me; could’ve done without the spoken bits.
“Boleskine House” — slow and moody; bass so heavy I pee a little every time; Fischer’s clean vox not so bad; Santura’s bark a bit more bite here; Simone Vollenweider’s voice is breathtaking; immortal chug; memorable vocal patterns.
“Altar of Deceit” — brutal mid-paced stomper; classic Frosty bends; classic Warrior grunts; “EW!!”; memorable chorus; more “EW!!”; great song.
“Breathing” — at 5:50, it’s this album’s “You Suffer”; a little speed; a little “EW!!”; great lyrics; headbang break; life sucks really bad; this song doesn’t.
“Aurorae” — a scrap from the Monotheist era; probably should’ve stayed a scrap; TGW’s cleanies again solid; just a flat-out boring song; closing solo can’t save it.
“Demon Pact” — big textures; big dynamics; sounds like Fischer is shouting, “INCINERATE MY BALLS!!”; can’t keep a straight face after that.
“In the Sleep of Death” — solid, brooding cut; haunting melodies; immortal chug; TGW moans, “Emily,” like some half-awake valley girl with the flu; momentruiner.
“Black Snow” — sorry, this song’s too long; great chorus/hook alternates with bouts of drifting filler for 12 minutes.
“Waiting” — more of Vollenweider’s angelic pipes; mmmm; very hypnotic closer, albeit a tad redundant.
So there’s your proof. A spectacular effort. An hour-long musical journey with big ups and deep downs. As emotive as it is dark, and bone-chillingly heavy throughout. Just not perfect.
Note: rating upped one-quarter of a point for the Giger artwork… which is perfect.
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