Finnugor
Fame et Morte ()
Wydane przez Finsterniis RecordsRok wydania Kraj Hungary/SwedenNapisał Wouter5
On their sixth record Hungarian-Finnish symphonic black metal combo Finnugor go back to the roots after 2004's ambitious "Darkness Needs Us" - which featured no less than 10 guest vocalists - and a side-step into industrial with 2007's "My Sick Files". "Fame et Morte" once again prominently features pompous, bombastic keyboards and synthesizers that take the riff - and lead function from the guitars and drums. With the guitars and drums being subordinate to the domination of the synthesizers "Fame et Morte" lacks the much needed punch, bite and overall hatefulness that is usually associated with the greats of the symphonic black metal genre as proven by genre pillars as Carpe Tenebrum, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor or Old Man's Child. The wide array of vocals and lush keyboards by main composer Gabriel Wolf complement each other well, but the overall lack of aggression and direction of the compositions make the record sound inert and longer than it actually is. The majority of the material plods by at midtempo with the rare excursion into faster sections but these are usually executed on the poor side. The production puts much emphasis on the symphonic instruments giving the synthesizers the majority of the space available with the bass coming a close second. As a result the guitars and drum computer are reduced to holding down the rhythm section and have no second function whatsoever. The spectacular artwork, design and lay-out are the best Finnugor have had to date. Overall, "Fame et Morte" is the strongest Finnugor album to date, yet it is still too steeped in general mediocrity to truly call it a diamond in the rough.
www.finnugor.com
