'Perfectly Defect'
OMNIPRESENCE PRODUCTIONS
OMNIPRESENCE PRODUCTIONS
With Mortiis' scathing
last outing 'The Great Deceiver' having run it's promotional course
the man behind the troll, Håvard Ellefsen, has been in a nostalgic
mood it seems with a big re-evaluation and revisiting of the 'Era I'
section of his discography, but also in the re-release of the
download-only album 'Perfectly Defect' that was released before the
band's short hiatus.
Unlike the 'Era I' material which has been receiving a lot of well-overdue praise and attention especially for it's influence in what has come to be known as Dungeon Synth music, 'Perfectly Defect' at the time of it's release received a mixed reception. Stylistically it's a continuation of the 'Era III' sound that included 'The Grudge', but many viewed it as a purely stop-gap effort. However in this revised and expanded version, the album becomes a more rounded affair that warrants another listen.
Unlike the 'Era I' material which has been receiving a lot of well-overdue praise and attention especially for it's influence in what has come to be known as Dungeon Synth music, 'Perfectly Defect' at the time of it's release received a mixed reception. Stylistically it's a continuation of the 'Era III' sound that included 'The Grudge', but many viewed it as a purely stop-gap effort. However in this revised and expanded version, the album becomes a more rounded affair that warrants another listen.
Tracks such as 'Closer
To The End', 'Perfectly Defect', 'Sensation Of Guilt', 'Thieving
Bastards', and 'This Absolution' from the original release power the
track list along, and see the industrial rock of 'Era III' reach a
mournful and downbeat conclusion. The vocals more pained and
twisted, and the atmospheres more claustrophobic, and the menacing
yet ambient industrial sounds are pushed to the fore.
The new additions to the track list 'The Sphere', 'The Punished', 'Hermaphro Superior', and 'Contrition' are primarily instrumentals (with 'The Punished' featuring vocals towards the end) and while many criticisms levelled at the album in the past were that there were too many instrumental and remix sounding tracks, the inclusion of these four shifts the balance and gives the album a more soundtrack-like feel. This may not be to everyone's taste and while initially sceptical of 'This Absolution' no longer rounding off the album, the light airy strains of 'Contrition' is arguably more effective.
There are some great tracks in the original release of 'Perfectly Defect' and the new inclusions sit well within the original framework. It's hard to understand why all of these tracks weren't used on the original release, but thankfully they're included now. Still a bit of an oddity in the Mortiis back catalogue, especially considering 'The Grudge' and 'The Great Deceiver' sit alongside it, but definitely one worthy of listening too again.
The new additions to the track list 'The Sphere', 'The Punished', 'Hermaphro Superior', and 'Contrition' are primarily instrumentals (with 'The Punished' featuring vocals towards the end) and while many criticisms levelled at the album in the past were that there were too many instrumental and remix sounding tracks, the inclusion of these four shifts the balance and gives the album a more soundtrack-like feel. This may not be to everyone's taste and while initially sceptical of 'This Absolution' no longer rounding off the album, the light airy strains of 'Contrition' is arguably more effective.
There are some great tracks in the original release of 'Perfectly Defect' and the new inclusions sit well within the original framework. It's hard to understand why all of these tracks weren't used on the original release, but thankfully they're included now. Still a bit of an oddity in the Mortiis back catalogue, especially considering 'The Grudge' and 'The Great Deceiver' sit alongside it, but definitely one worthy of listening too again.
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