By: Richard Maw
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 26/4/2013
Label:
Cyclone Empire
If
you are interested in instrumental metal/post metal and/or fancy a change from
the last Dragged Into Sunlight record this album could be what you are looking
for. A strong album from a powerhouse musical trio.
“Shakhtyor” CD//DD//LP tracklisting:
1. E. Jasper (08:55)
2. Handschuhmann (07:38)
3. Паук Риба (13:18)
4. K.I. (11:02)
The Review:
Shakhytor play sludge/doom/post
metal etc. They are from Germany
“Handschuhmann” follows with a muffled
drum intro that gradually fades in along with guitars that conjure up images of
grey industrial skies and windswept countryside alike. The rhythm section
rumbles effectively before an unorthodox riff passage takes hold. The bass has
a nicely distorted tone that acts as a well produced bridge to the clean
sounding drums and dirty guitar tones (Luke warm water to their fire and ice!).
The riffing takes a more doomy turn at the midpoint with some Sabbath
and more modern doom inflections present. The track draws to a creepy close and
“K.I.” buzzes into earshot.
The
track is perhaps more slow burning and the riffing doesn't really start until
two minutes in or so, but when it does the music is interesting and never
sticks in one place too long. The tracks kind of evolve or mutate rather than
running cyclically. This is a fine approach for this type of record. String
refrains are fine and do surface occasionally here but mostly the tracks move
forwards; this adds a sense of momentum to the record. There are some quieter
passages that allow the pace to slow down a little and thus give the track room
to breathe a little.
“Паук
Риба” opens starkly and then the thirteen minute opus
builds up slowly with layered guitar. Six minutes pass and the noise is
building up, the bass lines fluid and drums hammering away dynamically. It all
breaks down again and crashes again- the wave returning to shore. Some sound
effects can be heard at the nine minute mark as the music again twists towards
a build up. The final two and half minutes carry the wave of sound forwards
towards the albums conclusion as the guitar becomes more frenetic and the
rhythm section underpins
skilfully. A superb riffing passage closes things out
and the album is over.
If
you are interested in instrumental metal/post metal and/or fancy a change from
the last Dragged
Into Sunlight record this album could be what you are looking for. A
strong album from a powerhouse musical trio.
