ZONE SIX/VESPERO
Okay, so it’s not the most imaginative of album titles but with their heads far beyond the confines of this mortal coil, Russia’s Vespero and Germany’s Zone Six have no time for such earthly quibbles. Nope, they are far too concerned with answering calls from other planets and taking messages from beings that the most imaginative Sci-fi (or should that be SF?) writer wishes they could conjure up.
Over Vespero’s hypnotic repetitive rhythms, the synths wind and find their way through the cosmos, the atmospheric, psychedelic space jams are as captivating as they are innovative. ‘Nüllus’ is led by the synths and driven by the kind of intense drumming and bass line that would blow the mind of even the most seasoned veteran of the drug-fuelled 60s psychedelic scene. ‘Clouds’ quickly spirals to the same intense level, this time the guitar taking the lead and winding its way through the synth atmospherics and mesmerizing drums. The intro to ‘Lifeless Pillars’ is haunting, the void slowly opening up as the trance-inducing, seductive rhythms emerge. Partway through, the drums drop out and the keys paint an elaborate portrait of the cosmos before the full band return for deeper exploration of the vast panorama they have created. Sharing a few similarities with Vespero’s sound, Zone Six have a distinct sound all of their own. As if letting the music play itself, ‘Babapapatantramanta’ (maybe this should have been the album title?) soars into timbres, territories, and tonal patterns, shifts, and spheres to make for a fantastic journey to some far off fantastic planet outside the realms of inner and outer space. The bass and drums groove their entrancing grooves, the guitars sear, the synths coil around the outer reaches, and the track throbs and pulses throughout.
This is most certainly one of the better pairings for a split release. Both bands complement each other perfectly. Sonically stunning, Vespero’s three tracks are reason enough to buy this. That Zone Six’s one twenty four-minute track is equally as good makes the purchase of this “split thing” mandatory. Set the controls, strap yourself in and go get it.
Over Vespero’s hypnotic repetitive rhythms, the synths wind and find their way through the cosmos, the atmospheric, psychedelic space jams are as captivating as they are innovative. ‘Nüllus’ is led by the synths and driven by the kind of intense drumming and bass line that would blow the mind of even the most seasoned veteran of the drug-fuelled 60s psychedelic scene. ‘Clouds’ quickly spirals to the same intense level, this time the guitar taking the lead and winding its way through the synth atmospherics and mesmerizing drums. The intro to ‘Lifeless Pillars’ is haunting, the void slowly opening up as the trance-inducing, seductive rhythms emerge. Partway through, the drums drop out and the keys paint an elaborate portrait of the cosmos before the full band return for deeper exploration of the vast panorama they have created. Sharing a few similarities with Vespero’s sound, Zone Six have a distinct sound all of their own. As if letting the music play itself, ‘Babapapatantramanta’ (maybe this should have been the album title?) soars into timbres, territories, and tonal patterns, shifts, and spheres to make for a fantastic journey to some far off fantastic planet outside the realms of inner and outer space. The bass and drums groove their entrancing grooves, the guitars sear, the synths coil around the outer reaches, and the track throbs and pulses throughout.
This is most certainly one of the better pairings for a split release. Both bands complement each other perfectly. Sonically stunning, Vespero’s three tracks are reason enough to buy this. That Zone Six’s one twenty four-minute track is equally as good makes the purchase of this “split thing” mandatory. Set the controls, strap yourself in and go get it.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Transubstans Records
Album
THE SPLIT THING
Review by Jason Guest
RUNNING TIME:
48:44
RELEASE DATE:
18th April 2012
TRACK LISTING
1) Nüllus
2) Clouds
3) Lifeless Pillars
4) Babapapatantramanta
2) Clouds
3) Lifeless Pillars
4) Babapapatantramanta
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
DE/RU
"Over Vespero’s hypnotic repetitive rhythms, the synths wind and find their way through the cosmos, the atmospheric, psychedelic space jams are as captivating as they are innovative."
