Manes
Vilosophe

Not really bad at all, this album by the Norwegian band Manes.
The young and courageous Code 666 label, which is also highly skilled in scouting talents like Aghora, Atrox, or Ephel Duat, presents us once again with a product that will certainly raise the eyebrows of purists of the genre but will not displease those seeking a bit of innovation in the music they listen to daily.

Manes have been active since 1994 as a cult band of the underground black metal scene and have released three demos and an album for Hammerheart (“Under ein blodraud maane” 1998). However, I think Vilosophe could be categorized by any genre except black metal.
So, don’t expect satanic pandas here because you certainly won’t find them. In a supreme act of generosity to aid the poor reviewer, they describe themselves as a hybrid between Katatonia (especially the latest period, so forget the doom masterpieces of their early days), Radiohead, and indeed the vocal parts are very similar to those of Thom Yorke, all thrown into a melting pot of various influences, ranging from jazz-fusion to the most academic industrial.

The CD opens with Nodamnbrakes, a track where the distinctly more Katatonia side of the band is revealed, being one of the most immediate and easy-listening songs on the album. It continues with Diving With Your Hands Bound, characterized by a very slow crescendo that lasts for nine minutes and then ends abruptly, leaving the listener amazed and again surprised when after a few seconds the song resumes its slow progress through an electronic rendition of the main theme. Really not bad at all, I must say.
The following two tracks are very melancholic ballads, with the exception of Terminus A Quo / Terminus Ad Quem where a saxophone also appears, introducing the first sporadic jazz/fusion influences that we will also find in the subsequent and splendid Ende.

Ultimately, a complex album, for which a track-by-track description would be impossible, yet at the same time easily assimilated, that I absolutely recommend to anyone in search of something new, and to those tired of listening to Mourning Palace for the thirtieth time. It is nevertheless advisable to listen before purchasing.
Oh, a little side note for the artwork: once again, Code 666 demonstrates care for the image of their groups as well as the content, always offering us splendid digipacks (also because they usually cost less to produce ;))) that would not look out of place in any CD collection.