Douglas Hernandez | 09/04/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"PECCATUM,known for its bizarre experimentation,has made a record that
isn't easy to digest.It will take more than a listen to fully absorb
the uniqueness of the material within.Several styles are incorporated
here,from trip-hop to darkwave and industrial,and at first it might not
sound like the best combination.However,Ihsahn and Ihriel manage to make
it all work,mixing moody harmonies with dark atmospherics and some heavy
moments here and there.Some songs have a strong jazz-feel to them,while
others are too isolated to even be called Metal.Actually,a couple of songs
can be easily recognizable for their EMPEROR-like heaviness,but in the
end it's obvious that this isn't a Metal record.It's a journey into a
land of bombastic sounds,climatic melodies,and weird musical arrangements,
making it a challenging listening experience.PECCATUM have matured as
musicians and individuals,and the talent and sincere desire to create
something original with this work is very plausible and admirable.
"
Inside the Bodiless Heart
S. Esin | New York, USA | 03/27/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album marks Peccatum's most suberb work to date. I will get to the reasons, but let me start with a fair warning that it may not be everyone's cup of tea. It is a new kind of music as far as "music" goes, and its black metal-influenced passages may take some getting used to for someone who is not a black metal fan.
Now, onto the good sides, and there are a lot. First off, this is NOT your average melancholic/atmospheric/experimental album. The album is an experiment in and of itself. The album's styles include, but are not limited to; ambient/black metal/trip hop/classical/jazz. Overall, what unites these styles are the melancholy that they inevitably carry. The music is done above good, as a new definition of perfection. The mood of the songs tend to swing back and forth, but overall, never letting go of their initial setting.
Lyrically, this album is very hard to understand. It is not your straightforward lyricism, it isn't even your average metaphorical writing. This album is beyond all that, and offers puzzles instead of lyrics or messages.
The vocals of Ihsahn and Ihriel are amazing, be that separate or combined. Ihsahn's brutal vocals are, in accordance with this album's overall work, outside the mainstream grunts and growls, which sometimes (in my opinion) gives him the image of a choking man.
Overall, this is one the few perfect albums I have encountered in my few years; it flows through perfectly, doesn't let up on its style, never disturbs the flow with an out-of-place song (which, unfortunately, is the main problem with a surprising number of albums) and it is art for art's sake. What more can you possibly want?"
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1
