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The muted sound of acoustic guitars, the soft voice and then suddenly piercing. It is the new project of the duo David Csicsely and Clayton Cushman that sends shivers with every listen, thanks precisely to the characteristics mentioned earlier. Born in 2008 in Colorado, these two musicians, already members of the black metal band Acheronian Dirge, have decided to create something absolutely original in the metallic U.S. scene and beyond.
Pinning down the music proposed by Cushman and Csicsely to a precise genre is rather complicated, and it would be limiting to label it instead of exploring the mutable and manifold mood tendencies of the band’s sound. Already quite unique is the choice to address Norse traditional themes (as the band's name highlights) alongside a sound that, in the dusty tones of the acoustic six strings, evokes the American desert and its boundless prairies. A predominantly Western style of playing to describe lyrics and situations of completely different origins: a combination that might raise eyebrows but listening to the CD, it works wonderfully. This is the main characteristic of "Essence of Nine," their third studio album: within it, glimpses of the "lost" black metal of the two members can be found, the guitar weavings of an atypical and mystical folk/southern, and some passages where doom and stoner peek through. A melancholic ensemble of Arbouretum, Black Cobra, and Colour Haze. These first impressions are evident right from the start of "Transcendence": first dreamy and melancholic, then softened by the acoustic guitar, subsequently aggressive in the stoner/black marriage, and finally transformed into a transcendental prayer. A recurring element in this song, as in many others, is the constant presence of light acoustic interludes, almost reminiscent of early Opeth.
"Essence of Nine" proves to be a CD of exceedingly high quality amidst the ever-growing mediocrity usually heard in the current metal scene. This album is a succession of dreamy and fierce tracks, with a complex songwriting that never tires the listener (quite a virtue) but, above all, musical solutions that haven’t been heard with such effectiveness for a long time. The post-apocalyptic opening of "Upon This Path We Tread", as well as perfect compositions like "A Thousand Stones", "Nine Worlds", and the splendid psychedelic ballad "The Seer in White", present us with a band of absolute value and harbingers of an original proposal.
There is personality in "Essence of Nine" and it is felt from the beginning: this is a work that deserves attention purely for Cushman and Csicsely’s compositional ability and their bravery. An important and distinct release in an increasingly congested market. As far as I'm concerned, one of the most beautiful surprises of 2011. Kudos to them.
1. "Transcendence" (5:10)
2. "Upon This Path We Tread" (5:33)
3. "A Thousand Stones" (3:43)
4. "As The Ashes Rise (The Embrace Of Dusk)" (3:59)
5. "Nine Worlds" (7:31)
6. "The Seer In White" (4:30)
7. "As Cinders Burn (The Wake Of Dawn)" (1:34)
8. "The Serpent Ring" (5:32)
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