Massen
Gentle Brutality
Sometimes it needs a contradiction to describe art and sometimes art is just contradictory, but does so well as a complete work. MASSEN already proved that extreme music knows no boundaries with their debut "ContrAesthetic". Now, its time to go a step further with their blend of unique melodies, black/death metal intensity and engaging sounds. "Gentle Brutality" takes all its energy from the sheer brutality of shredding guitars, pounding and blasting drums as well as furious grunts in combination with haunting clean sung vocals and highly addictive string instrumentations. The tracks are equally beautiful and loathsome at the same time. While songs like the opener Energy System, Corps De Ballet and Throwing The Stones showcase a strong black metal influence with their fast-paced rhythms and grim atmosphere, MASSEN also knows how to slow down for a moment to create an even more engaging flow for their album. Together Alone and Dym Idzie (Smoke Is Going To The Sky) reduce the instrumentation to focus on the vocals and the words in intimate ballads that never lose touch with the bands signature elements. The intro for Askoma (Sorethroat) tricks the listener with its industrial appeal that leads into a savage melodic death metal inferno, while the closer "Our Melody Is Not Dead" perfectly sums up everything that makes "Gentle Brutality" such a versatile record by living up to the albums title.