Review by Denis on April 17, 2003.

Good! That's what I said when I finished listening to "Liberation" and that's what I felt! I was actually forcing myself to listen this CD without skipping to the next song before it ends. I guess that every once and while, we reviewers are getting one of these albums that are hard to get through. Looks like I have been lucky so far...

1349 is a new Black Metal outfit from Norway. This is their debut album and lack of experience could be an explanation. First of all, they must fire and hire, since I don't see one mentioned, a producer and a good one! Really folks, the sound on "Liberation" is awful and very offensive to my ol'ears. The fuzzy sounding rhythm guitar is annoying by being way too clear, the bass is too strong, the drum sounds dry and flat and the black vocals too much in the background. This will all result in a bad trip for too many music lovers I'm afraid.

Now apparently, "Liberation" is holding very much to black metal's origin and this might be part of my problem with it and maybe all of you black fanatics will disagree with me on this one. It's ok and it is fine with me if you like this type of noisy experience. I just think that 1349 are pretty good musicians but in need of help to get, let's say, Blood Red Throne's quality for instance. Being a nice guy, I was looking for good parts to point out to and found some on 'Satanic Propaganda' and 'Liberation' in way of melodic intro, clean bass parts, slower doom sections and good industrial samplings. The main guidelines on "Liberation" are: fast, repetitive, aggressive compositions across the board and even if it sounds terrible, these guys are pretty good musicians.

Bottom Line: Looking for a producer?

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 6
Originality: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Production: 3
Overall: 3

Rating: 3.8 out of 10

Review by Denis on April 17, 2003.

Good! That's what I said when I finished listening to "Liberation" and that's what I felt! I was actually forcing myself to listen this CD without skipping to the next song before it ends. I guess that every once and while, we reviewers are getting one of these albums that are hard to get through. Looks like I have been lucky so far...

1349 is a new Black Metal outfit from Norway. This is their debut album and lack of experience could be an explanation. First of all, they must fire and hire, since I don't see one mentioned, a producer and a good one! Really folks, the sound on "Liberation" is awful and very offensive to my ol'ears. The fuzzy sounding rhythm guitar is annoying by being way too clear, the bass is too strong, the drum sounds dry and flat and the black vocals too much in the background. This will all result in a bad trip for too many music lovers I'm afraid.

Now apparently, "Liberation" is holding very much to black metal's origin and this might be part of my problem with it and maybe all of you black fanatics will disagree with me on this one. It's ok and it is fine with me if you like this type of noisy experience. I just think that 1349 are pretty good musicians but in need of help to get, let's say, Blood Red Throne's quality for instance. Being a nice guy, I was looking for good parts to point out to and found some on 'Satanic Propaganda' and 'Liberation' in way of melodic intro, clean bass parts, slower doom sections and good industrial samplings. The main guidelines on "Liberation" are: fast, repetitive, aggressive compositions across the board and even if it sounds terrible, these guys are pretty good musicians.

Bottom Line: Looking for a producer?

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 6
Originality: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Production: 3
Overall: 3

Rating: 3.8 out of 10

Review by Denis on November 26, 2002.

I became very interested with Post Black Metal bands when I first heard The Kovenant' "In Times Before The Light". This was a revelation for me. The story went on with Limbonic Art' "The Ultimate Death Worship". Now the Switzerland answer to this movement is the outstanding debut from Meridian. Thanks to Season of Mist for signing such a good band and giving us the chance to discover these extremely talented musicians. Don't feel bad all of you people and artists from Norway but hey you can't have them all!

To give you an idea of these guys' talents, all it took them to be drafted by Season of Mist is a MCD called "Daydream in the Postdementia Millennium" released in 2000. Being a young band formed in 1999 by M.T Random (drums), Paris (vocals) and Drakon (guitars). The last member to join the team was Arwan (keyboard). “The Seventh Sun” was recorded at the Sound Suite Studio and the producer is no one else than Terje Refnes well known for his work with Tristania and The Sins Of Thy Beloved. A special contribution for the vocals parts were done by Jack D Ripper from Morgul.

This album knocked me out right from the start. The more I listened to it, the better it got. First impression is: good stuff, easily turning to: great and ultimately growing on you to the point of becoming simply: Awsome! I hardly ever heard such a good debut album. You get the feeling that these guys have been playing together for ages and that their machine is tuned up to a perfect sound harmony. The production work is, as always with Mr. Refnes, just perfect. His touch is recognizable and remarkable.

Nine tracks of brilliant Post Black Metal is what this album is made off. While the basic elements of Black Metal remain intact with the fast instruments and precise executions, great riffs, creepy voices and so on, Meridian spiced it up with tasty additions. It can be felt throughout the compositions by way of grandiose keyboard partitions, vocal effects, progressive turns, slower and melodic passages and generally speaking, a magnificent aura sparkling with all its vibrant colors blessing their imaginative musical structures. Add to this walls of guitar partitions, frequent shift of modes and musical directions. Meridian has been able to put together the aggressiveness and raw power of Black Metal standards with the complexity of Progressive arrangements linked by melodic interludes in an overall Avant-garde landscape. Quite a breathtaking sonic experience has been created.

But I think there's a catch to this. These guys must be some old timers re-united and using nicknames to remain undercovered. It's too good to be true. No way this can be from a new band made of unknown new musicians. Maybe somebody out there can help me solve this mystery.

Bottom Line: Old timers or pure young genius minds?

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 9
Originality: 9
Production: 10
Overall: 9.5

Rating: 9.4 out of 10