MËKANÏK

A long-time fan of Norwegian neo-classical, progressive, dark/folk metallers Dismal Euphony, I became aware of Mëkanïk many years ago through featuring said band's drummer Kris Vold in their lineup. 'Dër Mëkanïk Groovës' was actually recorded in 2000 before the unfortunate demise of Dismal Euphony in 2002, and with Mëkanïk remaining enigmatic over the years through relative lack of web-presence (apart from an ephemeral site that has long disappeared, and a MySpace page established in 2006), the eight year old recordings have finally surfaced on Duplicate Records. Featuring Candy Whorehole of Lydia Laska frontman fame (although here playing bass and some guitar) for whom Vold is also sticksman (under the moniker Voldswagen) and Gehenna's Sanrabb amongst others, 'Dër Mëkanïk Groovës' is a lost gem that I had always presumed would never see the light of day. And the four track EP has a double-edged retro essence - in both its pastiche of 70s metal à la early Black Sabbath and the fact that it was recorded eight years ago by a one-off collaboration of talented musicians. Actually, it would be unfair to describe the music on 'Dër Mëkanïk Groovës' as simply 70s style metal, although Black Sabbath are an obvious influence. If you believe the press sheet hype, then 'Blackened Space Doom' is how you should regard Mëkanïk's music which is bizarrely apposite after listening to the four tracks on offer. Opening instrumental number, 'Vöödöö', is an atmospheric piece of music and an effective lead into the EP before proceedings kick off good and proper with 'Devïl's Mass', a lengthy track that combines old school riffs coloured with occasional bursts of quasi-black metal undercurrents, before lapsing into a bastardised fusion of the dissonant tri-tone from 'Black Sabbath' and Ravel's 'Bolero' and, strange as it sounds, it all works so well! The retro-70s flavours are maintained throughout with an effective use of Mellotron, Würlitzer and Moog, and the Sabbath comparisons are inevitable with, to quote from Mëkanïk's MySpace page, "Ozzy Osbourne's lost brother on vocals" (who is actually Briggs from the Black Sabbath cover band Bob's Fried Black Sabbath). With only 1,000 copies pressed, I advise you to snap up this undiscovered minor classic of underground metal immediately, or 'blackened space doom' if you will, while it's available!

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Duplicate Records

EP

DËR MËKANÏK GROOVËS

Review by Mark Holmes

RUNNING TIME:

20:16

RELEASE DATE:

2008

TRACK LISTING

1) Vöödöö
2) Devïl's Mass
3) Predatörs
4) Mïrror Manïa

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Norway

"...snap up this undiscovered minor classic of underground metal immediately..."