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The Portal Tapes |
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Review by Jack on August 3, 2002.
To say that that I wasn’t expecting anything as anywhere near as serene and tranquil as “The Forgotten Belief” would be a huge understatement. Soothing and acoustic, Carved In Stone is the sole project of Swawa, who some of you may recognize from Dark Intention, Paimon and another Schwardorn Production band in Taunusheim.
Basically in a nutshell, Carved In Stone is a moody folk world music band that one would expect to find playing in a village pub within Ireland or maybe on the soundtrack to the critically acclaimed film, Braveheart. Apparently, Swawa formed Carved In Stone to serve as a portal or link between her fascination with nature, mythology and ballads/fables of long forgotten ears through time.
“The Forgotten Belief” is an album that is very strongly akin to the sedate and placid textures that the Finnish folk band, Tenhi have gone about, except instead of the dark and mystical chants of male singers, we are presented with enchanting female vocals. The lyrics are primeval and invoke thoughts of the forest and similar thoughts to what one would think listening to the Vintersorg album; “Ödemarkens Son”.
This is a pretty solid first effort from Swawa, but my main problem with “The Forgotten Belief” is that it suffers from a pitfall that other bands hurt from at the other end of the scales of things. In our day and age many acts are trying to over-include element after and element and sample after sample in an effort to make a different and unique record. For Carved In Stone, Swawa is stuck at the opposite side. She gives the songs too much room to breathe by not including a more layered album which would perhaps raise “The Forgotten Belief” to dizzying heights unheard of in folk metal. Swawa definitely has the talent, but it would not hurt to make the next album a bit denser in its composition.
Bottom Line: Recommended for the fans of ambient acts such as Dargaard, as well as those into the Finnish folk band, Tenhi. Carved In Stone is solid folk metal, but Swawa needs to perhaps introduce a little more diversity and depth to her song compositions.
Categorical Rating Breakdown
Musicianship: 6
Atmosphere: 7
Production: 7
Originality: 6
Overall: 5
Rating: 6.2 out of 10
Review by JD on May 30, 2012.
Musicianship is one of the backbones of metal, and is the thing that makes the music so amazing but good playing can have the effect of confusing the shit out of me, and I have played for many years as a guitarist/bassist and keyboardist. Too much of a good thing can be exactly that.
Cynic as a band, I fell in love with. Their 2009 release "Traced In Air" (I gave it a 9.7) was a Prog Metal masterpiece that I still put on from time to time because it is such a strong and well written slab of music. Their side project turned new Cynic album "The Portal Tapes" has been released - and I was stoked. Hearing this album though, it was a letdown worse than Metallica’s very badly conceived "St. Anger". This album is boring, over indulgent and lyrically laughable at best. The band that I thought would be the best Prog band ever has turned into a smug shadow of what they were, and turned into Muzak fodder.
I will not go through song for song here, as it would be so repetitive and stupid as hell to say what a let down this is that many times. Most songs are so heavily over-arranged with artificial sounding riffs and boring passages that have limp vocals to go along with it, that it comes so confusing and loses the power. Where was the catchy, heavy yet so very thought inducing music that oozed with a butt-load of talent? Apparently it was replaced with a band that it’s over inflated ego and not the music was now the main reason for being together.
Cynic has turned into a tired quagmire group spinning songs that only a few might be able to enjoy... music teachers and that is about it. Technically it is brilliant but it has lost its heart and power. It vis sort of like a music lesson only not even close to being fun. Computer generated music from the 80's would have more heart than this album does. Hope they get their collective heads out of their asses, and remember music is suppose to be fun, not animatronic and rigid with no soul.
Disappointed? Fuck yeah, I am.
Categorical Rating Breakdown
Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 2
Production: 6
Originality: 6
Overall: 3.5
Rating: 5.5 out of 10