epitimia-facesofinsanity-reviews

Review from Forgotten Path Magazine; Issue 5

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:59:06 +0100

From: Forgotten Path Magazine; Issue 5
Published: November 2013
Magazine Website

Most of the time when I have an encounter with bands from Russia, they have some specific vibe to their music. Probably, the usage of their native language might partly have something to do with that, though this is not the main factor probably. It’s hard to describe it in words. Not that it is very fascinating or appealing, but it’s different. This is especially felt in Black Metal coming from Eastern Europe. It seems as if there is an attempt to create a sort of hypnotic aspect and at the same time trying to drown the listener into melancholy soaked atmosphere. One could probably say this just about any Atmospheric Black Metal band, but I believe Eastern Europeans have their own approach, quite different from let’s say German or French bands for instance. This is the exact case with Epitimia from Saint Petersburg, a relatively young band, presenting their third full-length. Their music could be classified as mildly experimental slow Atmospheric Black Metal, with some moderate Post-Rock influences. And while the music is more or less decent in that matter, though, being a bit too primitive and seemingly underdeveloped in some places, the whole experience is greatly ruined by the unbalanced mix of the record.

“Faces of Insanity” sounds just flat and that’s its main flaw. Given that it is an Atmospheric Metal band, it is rather unjustifiable that there is a lack of room and wideness, which is so required for this sort of music. Everything sounds as if was rendered in mono, except for the drums, and this decision sounds more than strange. Enough said, technical issues sometimes might just diminish the perception of essence and compromise the idea of what the band wants to deliver. Probably this album would have given much more than it did due to this obstacle. Hopefully the guys from Epitimia will consider this aspect to be not so unimportant in their future recordings.

Reviewed by: Skol

Review from Violent Solutions Webzine

Wed, 15 May 2013 21:35:23 +0100

From: Violent Solutions Webzine
Published: May 15, 2013
Original Link
*Google translation of French review

Epitimia is Russian, he practices a BM air quality, let us input. Hosted by the Hypnotic Dirge Records, Faces of insanity is their Third full-length in five years of existence. Upon intro, the foundations are laid. The sound is excellent (for a Russian group ...), deep, hot über organic to wish all the instruments off perfectly, the voice sounds far away in echo, as if carried by the wind. . All sounds very melodic The second title (Epikrisis I: Altered State of Consciousness) is exactly in the same vein except the voice, little black finally, the idea is very melodic, which gives the piece - and the following - a very strong nostalgic charm. Because, in fact, nostalgia is really the theme of this album. Even when the tempo accelerates, melodic lines remain.

Singing in Russian, giving the whole a small side (in spirit) Temnozor / Drudkh dégeu not at all. The musicians are not penguins, music is in place, the song progresses nicely, smoothly, very naturally. BM, the structure has a few little accelerations as the content is closer to an atmospheric / pagan metal or a dark rock / post BM to Agalloch. The third title opens the same on a bright, lead very melancholy, the sound perfect, can fully enjoy before, 54'', intervenes a lovely break that would not have denied the Drudkh of 'Autumn Aurora ... The slave stage has a clear stamp; epitimia brings in new evidence. Early Epikrisis III still sounds very Slavic very Temnozor / Drudkh in mind with closest pagan or post-BM still very progressive structure. The melodic lead dot this title, giving it an even greater nostalgia, low hum, the battery purrs, the song takes confusing paces, almost jazzy around the 4th minute. Then comes the break. From Epikrisis IV: Jamais Vu (fifth title), about the changes. The tempo quickens, the rhythm is almost folk. This time, it's rather old Katatonia time is called, the dark dark rock, crawling, crippled by lead insidious little melancholy arrangements (as Epikrisis VI, also typical of this period). The solos are more numerous, the battery still takes a jazzy hits, all sounds much more rock. Only words in Russian settle a bit, not necessarily in a good way this time ... Some howls are poorly controlled, giving the impression to burst with a Kalashnikov in the Cage aux Folles ... Same with Epikrisis V, where the intro surprise the listener with its jazzy rock appearance, especially in the battery again with the jazzy game is very strong on this title.

About then enriched and leaves on bases much typed BM slave. The set is varied, really pleasant. Only really clashes with its chaotic aspect, deconstructed the eighth title. But from Lethe, the final title, it comes back to nostalgia. This piece is also beautiful, the guitar leads are highly saturated but melodic, strange arrangements dotting the title gives it a special dimension before a schizophrenic sort of parasite's all ... and the only one to beat a heart is heard ... and the sound of the rain ... In the end, a beautiful album, full of variations, perfectly executed, that will satisfy the most demanding (and open) of you.

Rating: 15/20
Reviewed by: Raziel

Review from Pitchline Zine

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:08:07 +0100

From: Pitchline Zine
Published: April 11, 2013
Original Link
*Google translation of Spanish review

The adventures of this trio russian dating back to 2008, the year from which epitimia has continued to edit and publish new material, made the other, has been pass bill. With three studio albums as relevant material, is with the latter, especially, with whom the band has fallen squarely on the topics and even in the field of emulation. While not a bad album, 'Faces of Insanity' did not get my attention beyond establishing a search to find similarities with artists possessing most notorious works to his credit, that is, is not noticeable on merit. In this paper highlights a number of compositions encompassed under a common conceptual thread and a term: "Epikrisis". Different accumulation of influences can be found in them, from part-time cadences concerning the lineage more atmospheric black metal, similar to the style of Forgotten Tomb, combined with colder tears and strident very punctual and timidly melodies are seduced by nearby corals the field in addition to uncheck gothic with a nod to the Post-Punk. Likewise there is a slope more 'painful' compositional character oriented bands like Xasthur Hypothermia or clear references to the form of vocal expression of Kim Carlsson, without forgetting the reminiscences to Agalloch settled down at the end of the album. To give a recognition to the hard point, mention the modest "Epikrisis V: Rorschach Inkblot", but strong and vehement typical for what is the overall evaluation of LP. aside the pretentious attitude that accompanies the album promotion, ensuring that we have a definitive piece and innovative musical progression epitimia and issuing a verdict on this too unfair 'Faces of Insanity ", I will conclude by saying that despite the constant absence of hook and high doses of drowsiness that run parallel to the music, is a work rooted in fierce Black Metal depressive and although unoriginal, focussed, therefore, very well to the particular style. To taste the colors clear, but a boat soon, can get a taste of that to which it adhere.

Reviewed by: Irrational Gaze

Review from Necromance Webzine

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:49:59 +0100

From: Necromance Webzine

Published: March 27, 2013

Original Link

*Google translation of Spanish review

The music that the Russians epitimia offer us in this "Faces of Insanity" is not black metal, or Doom, or post-rock ... but it also has features of all these styles in his compositions groupedso this is a work that will be difficult to digest input, I recommend you listen if you have the chance because you end up going. 9 are the cuts that compose it and that has been released through Hypnotic Dirge Records and the band explores the darkest corners, sad and gloomy in the extreme music, how do?, Through dark compositions dominated sounds gothic / black supported by some electronic arrangements with a predominance of vocal registers black metal cutting with a tone and an occasional tear sporadic female records besides male phases where records become cleaner. The band uses a combination of cutting passages slow and atmospheric, evolving aftertaste that depressive and guitar melodies combined with where the riffs become more sharp and direct arriving to create compositions that we can remember bands like Katatonia , Swallow the Sun , Negura Bunget and Master's Hammer . Master's Hammer. A work primarily intended for fans who like to experiment with new sounds and more diverse musical offerings.

Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by: David Déniz

Review from Burning Black Webzine

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 01:44:43 +0100

From: Burning Black Webzine
Published: January 16, 2013
Original Link
*Google translation of Spanish review

Russian Epitima is a band formed in 2008, In These four years of existence the band released three albums along with a demo an some splits, "Faces Of Insanity" is an third Their latest work ... Just by checking the album's cover you'll get an idea about the kind of music you'll find in here; epitimia here delivers an emotive and atmospheric form of Black Metal combined with some more traditional aspects of this style, resulting in a not Precisely depressive (but certainly not joyful) blend of Black Metal. The album is balanced Between emotive melodic passages, where subtle guitar lines are the main responsible for the somewhat haunting atmosphere of this record, and some obscure, Sometimes even blasting Black Metal Discharges ... One of the most characteristic elements of this album is the direct voice style of K, Which Consists in a rasping, slightly forced and tortured form of blackish growls, This quite unusual style delivers here a traditional Black Metal aura along with a somewhat decadent and rotten touch to the overall immaculate music, balancing the album's music and Contributing with some interesting variety. The production here is not the finest, Even When the mixing is balanced, the album sounds quite unpolished Which does not fit very well With This particularly style, a clearer production Would certainly Improve the subtle and elegant Proposal delivered at this album. "Faces Of Insanity" Consist 9 tracks clocked in at 52 minutes of melancholic and subtle black metal, Those Which Will certainly delight into The Most introspective side of this multifaceted style. The album Reveals here an interesting proposal, Even When That shows some details to Improve, is still solid, soothing and overall interesting.

Reviewed by: Alvaro Pacheco

Review from Don't count on it Reviews

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 22:23:19 +0100

From: Don't count on it Reviews
Published: December 25, 2012
Original Link

My relationship with Russian bands has really decreased in the last year. When I first started this blog, I remember that I covered a lot of really bad Russian one-man groups and last year I covered a handful as well, this year I don't think I've covered all that many. With Hypnotic Dirge releasing this album though, I did have faith that this would be worth hearing though.
Honestly, I wasn't quite sold on this album when I first listened to it. Maybe it was my prejudices towards Mother Russia or something, but it just didn't strike me as a group that was doing anything interesting. At the point where I am now, several listens later, I have to say that I'm pretty much in the same general area in terms of how I feel about this record. It certainly has it's good points, but there wasn't anything on here that ever connected with me, or even made me want to return for follow-up listens to be honest. These songs just didn't do anything I ever found all that interesting, and it's never a good sign if a listener's attention fades from the music, and my attention drifted quite a few times when I listened to this. It just felt so unoriginal and lifeless to me, the melodies were very uninspired, in my opinion, and I didn't care all that much for the vocals at all. I know this is coming off extremely negative, and I really wish I could be more positive, because I really wanted to like this album, but it just did not do anything for me and really only made me incredibly depressed while listening to it. I don't mean depressed in the sense that the music had power over me though, depressed that the music never took me anywhere I haven't already been to many times before.
The band's fusion of black metal with post-rock and classical melodies is well executed, but often leaves a lot to be desired in the realms of actual interest. Like I said above, I found my mind wandering many times while listening to this album, which is a shame since a melody like the one in Epikrisis IV: Jamais Vu is actually very good, it's just a shame that the majority of the song didn't actually go anywhere. The intro to Epikrisis V: Rorschach Inkblot, I thought, showed some promise and demonstrated a bit more of a strangeness to the group that I thought the track would embrace, but it really didn't do much with those ideas after the real track kicked in. With the concept that this album is said to embrace and explore I really thought it would have been a lot darker or more interesting, but in the end all I found was an album of pretty by-the-book post-black metal. It was not until DS: Shizophrenia where I found myself engaged with this album. The nine-minute long piece features some nice bass lines and guitar work, and is the most interesting piece on here. I still wasn't completely sold on the vocals on the track, but it stood out as the clear highlight of the disc.
Personally, I was really not into this record all that much, and I am disappointed by that. I can't vouch for a release I don't believe in but I can hope that those of you who listen to this record do find some connection with it. If you like post-black metal in any way, check it out.

Rating: 6/10

Review from Pest Webzine

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 21:27:05 +0100

From: Pest Webzine/Slowly We Rot Issue 3
Published: December 20, 2012
Original Link

I remember 2 years ago I have reviewed Epitimia's debut album but this is already their third full-length so the Russian trio seems pretty productive. And luckily enough in their case productive doesn't mean lack of quality, in fact this third album is much better than their debut, they have developed from a Depressive Black Metal with good potential to an almost mature Ambient Black Metal outfit with solid compositions. "Faces of Insanity"s main achievement in my opinion is the flow; the album flows so naturally you don't even notice when you reach its end, and we're talking about a more than 50 minutes in length album. After a couple of spins I can say they now have the potential to develop their music on Epic Black Metal grounds which would actually suit them well even though I don't understand their Russian written lyrics. Regarding sound, I'm not satisfied about the drums sound, but at least they are real drums; other than that it's a well recorded material, you won't have problems with it. All in all Epitimia shows real progress and this album will make your day if you're into Ambient, Melodic, Depressive, Epic or such types of Black Metal.

Rating: 9/10
Reviewed by: Adrian

Review from Ave Noctum

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:27:40 +0100

From: Ave Noctum
Published: November 6, 2012
Original Link

Epitimia is an odd boundary-testing band but one which is also strangely accessible. Nothing I’ve read so far has been quite able to place a finger on their sound. It mixes together elements of the black metal spectrum, particularly the vocals and tremolo guitars, with a bit of catchy doom guitar soloing spliced in and the obligatory use of the word ‘post’ in there somewhere to explain the more free flipping between genres and more ambient passages. Add to that cursory approach to production and it should pretty much be as impenetrable and desperate as it gets. It shouldn’t work. But it does. In fact it works so well that it’s, in parts, ridiculously addictive.

My best shot at drumming up a similar band would be the great but now defunct Lifelover or perhaps ‘post’ black metal bands but that would be to ignore a lot of what Epitimia are up to. One of the elements that I think has the biggest impact is perhaps the most subtle. There is an unmistakably rock influence, particularly in the drums and snares, that serves to calm the whole sound down. For example track six, Epikrisis V: Rorschach Inkblot, sounds as close as anything I’ve come across to a black metal ballad while at the other, more intensely black-meets-doom end, the second track, Epikrisis I: Altered State of Consciousness, has been rattling round in my head since I first heard it (to a whistling down the street level of catchiness). Soaring, ecstatic, funeral doom guitar work and the occasional drifting passage of ambient or choral sounds all shed a bit of light in between the darker elements.

I’m not suggesting that this is revolutionary and I suspect most extreme metal fans will listen to this and draw the same conclusions as I have. But what is impressive is that the diverse forces at work come together so well and you even get some actual songs and varied textures in the deal, albeit in the fairly limited but distinctive range that defines the Epitimia sound. Perhaps the only thing I struggled with was in deciding whether the lo-fi approach to production was born of bravery or from a clinging attachment to the old school of black metal. I had difficulty deciding whether it was really necessary and whether the whole thing may benefit from a finer touch to the process. I suppose my conclusion was that it all comes together despite that and so who am I to argue. The only other issue is that some of the later tracks don’t really move things on either but if you have fallen for the sound by then I don’t think that will matter too much.

I suppose it all comes together under the broad banner of post-black metal but don’t let that put you off if you are already bored to tedium by such dawdlings. This is a much rawer, from the hip experience that doesn’t seem to be trying to live up to genre stereo-types highly recommended for anyone that wants to dip into something that doesn’t fly off the scale in to introspective nonsense but which is a bit more left field than most.

Rating: 7.5/10
Reviewed by: Reverend Darkstanley

Review from Metal Delirium

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 19:26:45 +0100

From: Metal Delirium
Published: November 1, 2012
Original Link

Epitimia’s Faces Of Insanity is just the kind of music I enjoy listening to as the seasons change and the weather begins to get colder. It’s dark, atmospheric black metal that just fits it well. The first track, the instrumental “Reminiscentia,” sets the tone for the album. It features frenzied screams behind ice cold melody that carries a somber tone. Although the lyrics aren’t in English, the mood and atmosphere help convey the feeling and story extremely well. The story being that of someone suffering from a mental disease. “Epikrisis I: Altered State Of Conciousness” comes rearing in showing off the blackened side of things with a dash of post-rock. There’s also a bit of haunting clean vocals that will stick with you long after the song has ended regardless of whether or not you actually understand what they’re saying.

The melancholy and rage are really well crafted on Faces Of Insanity. You can feel the pain in each track. As each one wanders on there’s a sadness that still bears a sense of beauty that draws you into the world Epitimia has created. The faces of insanity really begin to reveal themselves on “Epikrisis III: Megalomania” in the form of some of the most depraved vocals I have ever heard. It’s that level of uniqueness that makes this album so interesting. I highly recommend Faces Of Insanity to any fans of post-atmospheric black metal. It really is a hidden gem.

Rating: 9/10
Reviewed by: Justin Angel

Review from Midwinter Fires Webzine

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 19:23:21 +0100

From: Midwinter Fires Webzine
Published: October 25, 2012
Original Link

Epitimia managed to capture immediately my full attention, since the first time I approached “Faces of Insanity”. When I started listening to the first notes of “Reminescentia” I felt instantaneously took away towards a black hole of profound, emotional tunes. Before going on I preferred to enjoy that beautiful sensation several times, to fully enter Epitimia’s universe. A good idea, I must say. I crossed the black hole, and “Epikrisis I – Altered state of consciousness” the following track, keeps that impression, with its deep, emotional feeling, well developed within the main gothic/black structure (but note that it’s not so simple to define Epitimia’s music), where some experimental electronic sounds are also used. Vocals are mainly harsh, enriched sometimes with fascinating female vocals. All songs are well arranged with a personal touch, and they manage to keep the listener attention through the whole album, even with some “surprising” passage as in the beginning of “Epikrisis V – Rorschach Inkblot”, something that reveals the band’s ability to manipulate its own creativity. That very song I like a lot, nice progression and fine tunes, with good melodic solutions and interesting sounds again. Another remarkable episode? “DS – Shizophrenia”, experimental touch, original solutions and again, good melodic feeling, elements which are all part of Epitimia’s trademark. The travel is approaching the end, but “Lethe” is able to take you back, into the black hole again, no return this time. Another fine, singular release from Hypnotic Dirge Records, a passionate label which manage to enrich the underground world, giving talented people the chance to share their fascinating music. A black hole of seducing music…I’m still there.

Rating: 8/10

Reviewed by: Emilliano