Search - Negura Bunget :: Om

Super heavy, atmospheric rock record, with little bits of th

Aquarius Records | San Francisco | 11/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Brand new record from unconventional Romanian black metallers Negura Bunget, who began life as a buzzing Norwegian style shrieking black metal beast, sonically quite reminiscent of legendary SF horde Weakling, but who quickly developed into a super unique, folk flecked avant metal combo, mixing their buzzing blackness, with traditional folk melodies, plenty of ambient drone, and with Romanian lyrical themes well outside the prescribed satanic and evil norms of their black brethren.

On this, their latest record, they spread their wings even further, letting songs and parts of songs, develop slowly, build even more gradually, or bliss out into long stretches of droning buzz.



Following a similar path as Enslaved, the band continue to incorporate more and more distinctly un-black metal elements, in the process becoming more and more proggy, with extended song structures, lengthy convoluted instrumental passages, LOTS of keyboards, multiple vocals and unlikely harmonies, dense rhythmic workouts and thick fuzzy almost-postrock. Quite weird, so much so that it sometimes doesn't feel like a black metal record at all. More of a super heavy, atmospheric rock record, with little bits of thrash and prog and blackness mixed in.



Om is most definitely the most moody and atmospheric of NB's releases. Plenty of time is definitely spent buzzing and blasting blackly, but it feels like more of the record is split between loping midtempo jams, long stretches of ethereal space rock ambience and gorgeous bits of dreamy dronefolk drift.



A few folks we spoke to found the new NB a little too out there, too melodic, and not nearly black enough, but as far as we're concerned, Om is plenty black, it's just surrounded by various shades of grey (even some light blues and browns), which, if you're like us, and you like your black metal unpredictable and confusional, then that's exactly what you want. And need!



Includes a DVD, that has amazing stop motion animation menus, with an old frayed rope, that squirms and slithers depending on your selection. Two videos, the first is a series of gorgeous landscapes, forests and slow moving clouds, intercut with some impossibly mind bending shots of forests and waterfalls, super processed and affected so it almost looks like animation, a sort of dizzying water colored 3-D effect. Or something. So beautiful, but so confusing to your brain it's almost impossible to not look away. The other is quite similar, but a bit more lo-fi, with various shots of the band members in a moonlit forest, back lit trees and thick storm clouds as well as some arty shots of faces superimposed on flowing magma, hands in water, lots of washed out abstract images, all on different film stocks, from super high definition to super grainy 16mm. Three live clips, each super arty, one all smeary and indistinct, washed out colors and artful blurs, the other two are all super distressed black and white, with the film shimmying and shifting along with the music, like some old nickeloddian. Pretty cool.



Extras include an interview with the band, a short promo video with more breathtaking images of the Romanian countryside, a slideshow set to music, as well as another live clip and some appropriately arty credits.



Packaged in a super deluxe 8 panel digipak, with super cool, pagan Wickerman / Jan Svankmyer style artwork."

A BRILLIANT DOCUMENT

D. West | Pittsburgh, PA. | 11/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The new album OM from Negura Bunget. I tell you this, I have been listening to this for 2 weeks, and dare I say, OM is the best brick of Metal for me in the last 5-10 years. The attention to detail is stunning. A tremendous amount of work went into this album. It comes in a cd/dvd package with superb artwork. I would suggest that those who buy this should watch the dvd first and then listen to the cd. This "document" is complex in regard, to Negura Bungets ideaology and spirituality. Pay attention to the interview section of the dvd as to glean an understanding of what they are conveying. Includes English sub-titles. The lyrics and songs are in Romanian(a beautiful language)and the vocals are performed with great passion and emotion. Negura Bunget is "pigeonholed" as a Black Metal band. And while their music is certainly blackmetal based there really is so much more happening. I'll let you hear and determine that. This is one of those records where every note, every beat, every clean and harsh vocal are perfectly placed. This is a record that every band strives to create. In my humble opinion, Negura Bunget have transcended Black metal, taken it to another echelon and have done so masterfully. It will be interesting to see where this record stands in 5,10,20 years. If you like Agalloch, Enslaved, Pink Floyd, I strongly suggest this. Highest recommendation. Peace."

Om is the word

HallofGods | Edgewater, NJ United States | 08/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bands like Negura are so rare, it's a treat when you find them. Negura have, as has been mentioned by the other writers, transcended Black metal to I guess you could call it Ambient Black. Lot's of layers in the music, making the listening a very pleasurable, almost challenging experience. Another thing which is great is that you can actually hear all the instruments and the outcome is awesome. Wow, there's actually a bass line, missing from most traditional black metal. I put this up there with Borknagar's earlier work which combined folk with metal.



Oh and by the way, "Om" is the hindu sound of the universe and creation. Not quite sure how that translates into the transylvannian region, but sounds good,never the less!"