Review by Felix on May 22, 2019.

Unpure's debut was released in 1995 and swam with the black metal movement. So, time was on its side, but we all know the old story of leaders and followers, of trailblazers and imitators, of good and of mediocre songs. The guitar lines of the opener create one of the most miserable melodies in the history of Swedish black metal and gives us a first hint that there could be a significant mismatch between the playtime of 48 minutes and the creative potential. The very fast drums are played without rhyme or reason as well, while the average vocals deliver the usual screaming. Maybe the band should rather concentrate on slow-moving pieces?

The next track, "Ashes with the Wind", gives the answer. No, they should not. Apart from its quite excessive length which stands in contrast to the song's improvable substance, the song begins very lame and boring. It grows due to a pretty malicious guitar line that carries the number through the second half, but in comparison with other genre records from Sweden, the song definitely does not boast with artistic boundlessness. And things don't get significantly better. More or less cheap and ineffective melodies appear again and again on this album. There exist some melancholic, relatively convincing sequences as well, but it is a fact that Unpure never reach the quality of bands such as Marduk, Setherial, Thy Primordial or further compatriots. Hellhammer has obviously been a great influence for the debutants, but their morbidity remains unique. The sometimes very stoically marching compositions of this self-titled work lack atmosphere and intensity. Not to mention any kind of unique selling points. Finally, the dudes neglect the value of catchiness in a very questionable manner. Of course, black metal is no style for conformists, but a certain degree of recognition value is always helpful.

If one is waiting for the train, for dinner or for the end of this album, 48 minutes can be a very long time. So I have more than enough time to focus on the production, but, to be honest, there is nothing special to report. It avoids major deficiencies, it has a dark flair and that's it. Everything wallows in mediocrity and cynical minds might say that this sound matches the quality of the songs perfectly. Sad but true, the longer the album lasts, the more the riffs fail to impress. The fact that the unripe horde repeats its mediocre lines again and again does not make things better, too. The same goes for the absolute absence of surprising twists and turns. But the worst is that great parts of the album lack aggression. Few tracks such as "Journey Inside" with its provocative riff after roughly one minute are just the exceptions that confirm the norm. Too little, too late. Unpure's debut will remain largely ignored.

Rating: 3.7 out of 10

Review by Alex Grindor on March 2, 2021.

Chaotic, ever-changing, twisted, somber, and many more ways I could call this EP would not suffice. International duo Turris Eburnea's debut EP is a maelstrom of sonic dissonance, twisting at every way possible yet maintaining a coherent union throughout.

Dark melodies entwine once in a while amidst the hurricane of horror unleashed through this 4-track EP. From hammering, crawling doom riffage to mid-paced headbanging breaks to outright frenzied outbursts, this little record has more than enough to satisfy everyone. The drums pound with an adequate amount of reverb, delivering fills and executing abrupt changes in mere seconds. Guitars are very dissonant, intertwining with each other, sometimes complementing others sometimes going in their own way and then converging in chaotic moments that resolve suddenly. Bass goes along with the guitars, though it actually stands out in the mix, which it's something I truly appreciate. It also has its own shining moments throughout the record. Vocals are really well done, with your standard low-growl and high-shrieks delivered in equal measure, with some moments where vocals actually do some spoken verses. Intertwined in the midst of all of this are some clean guitar melodies, which just add more to the overall dark tone of the EP. 

The songs have quite a lot of variety, with many twists and turns, dissonant melodies and crushing riffs. My only gripe would be track 3, as it's an over-extended instrumental that could've been a bit shorter without compromising the EP. Still, with just 4 tracks Turris Eburnea has showcased an outstanding musicianship, molding death and doom to their will. Fans of Deathspell Omega, Pyrrhon and similar bands will have quite a treat here but it's a record that I recommend to all fans of extreme music.

Rating: 8.9 out of 10

Review by Adam M on April 13, 2011.

"The Monochromatic Era" is Industrialized Melodic Death Metal that tries to be memorable and catchy. The music here is very accessible in nature with an almost candy-coated sound. The vocals are a mixture of hardcore screams and clean singing that are probably one of the weakest aspects of the album. They bring forth a commercial vibe to the mix that doesn’t really belong in the Melodic Death metal genre.

The music has slightly more aggression to maintain your interest, but there is still a streamlined approach that makes the band somewhat unappealing. Compared to a band like Dark Tranquility, Breach The Void’s sound has too much sweetness and not enough grit. The music doesn’t maintain enough of a sustained impact, but merely rolls along in a very glossy manner. This is okay if the listener is looking for something easy to digest, but don’t expect anything that will make you overly exert your mental energy. Breach The Void’s music is about as straightforward as it gets, even within the Melodic Death Metal genre. A few electronic bleeps make their presence known from time to time, but add very little to the overall dimensions of the band.

The music here is sufficient, but not interesting enough to really pull the listener in. I imagine that people with less demanding musical tastes will be drawn towards this more than others. If I had to pick a standout track, perhaps 'Digital Structure' has enough chops to attract more attention than anything else on the disc. There are moments in tracks like this one that have an appealing melodic nature combined with aggression reasonable amounts, but they are few and far between. "The Monochromatic Era" is a very average release.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 6.5
Atmosphere: 6
Production: 7.5
Originality: 6.5
Overall: 6.7

Rating: 6.7 out of 10

Review by Adam M on April 13, 2011.

"The Monochromatic Era" is Industrialized Melodic Death Metal that tries to be memorable and catchy. The music here is very accessible in nature with an almost candy-coated sound. The vocals are a mixture of hardcore screams and clean singing that are probably one of the weakest aspects of the album. They bring forth a commercial vibe to the mix that doesn’t really belong in the Melodic Death metal genre.

The music has slightly more aggression to maintain your interest, but there is still a streamlined approach that makes the band somewhat unappealing. Compared to a band like Dark Tranquility, Breach The Void’s sound has too much sweetness and not enough grit. The music doesn’t maintain enough of a sustained impact, but merely rolls along in a very glossy manner. This is okay if the listener is looking for something easy to digest, but don’t expect anything that will make you overly exert your mental energy. Breach The Void’s music is about as straightforward as it gets, even within the Melodic Death Metal genre. A few electronic bleeps make their presence known from time to time, but add very little to the overall dimensions of the band.

The music here is sufficient, but not interesting enough to really pull the listener in. I imagine that people with less demanding musical tastes will be drawn towards this more than others. If I had to pick a standout track, perhaps 'Digital Structure' has enough chops to attract more attention than anything else on the disc. There are moments in tracks like this one that have an appealing melodic nature combined with aggression reasonable amounts, but they are few and far between. "The Monochromatic Era" is a very average release.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 6.5
Atmosphere: 6
Production: 7.5
Originality: 6.5
Overall: 6.7

Rating: 6.7 out of 10

Review by Adam M on April 13, 2011.

"The Monochromatic Era" is Industrialized Melodic Death Metal that tries to be memorable and catchy. The music here is very accessible in nature with an almost candy-coated sound. The vocals are a mixture of hardcore screams and clean singing that are probably one of the weakest aspects of the album. They bring forth a commercial vibe to the mix that doesn’t really belong in the Melodic Death metal genre.

The music has slightly more aggression to maintain your interest, but there is still a streamlined approach that makes the band somewhat unappealing. Compared to a band like Dark Tranquility, Breach The Void’s sound has too much sweetness and not enough grit. The music doesn’t maintain enough of a sustained impact, but merely rolls along in a very glossy manner. This is okay if the listener is looking for something easy to digest, but don’t expect anything that will make you overly exert your mental energy. Breach The Void’s music is about as straightforward as it gets, even within the Melodic Death Metal genre. A few electronic bleeps make their presence known from time to time, but add very little to the overall dimensions of the band.

The music here is sufficient, but not interesting enough to really pull the listener in. I imagine that people with less demanding musical tastes will be drawn towards this more than others. If I had to pick a standout track, perhaps 'Digital Structure' has enough chops to attract more attention than anything else on the disc. There are moments in tracks like this one that have an appealing melodic nature combined with aggression reasonable amounts, but they are few and far between. "The Monochromatic Era" is a very average release.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 6.5
Atmosphere: 6
Production: 7.5
Originality: 6.5
Overall: 6.7

Rating: 6.7 out of 10

Review by Adam M on April 13, 2011.

"The Monochromatic Era" is Industrialized Melodic Death Metal that tries to be memorable and catchy. The music here is very accessible in nature with an almost candy-coated sound. The vocals are a mixture of hardcore screams and clean singing that are probably one of the weakest aspects of the album. They bring forth a commercial vibe to the mix that doesn’t really belong in the Melodic Death metal genre.

The music has slightly more aggression to maintain your interest, but there is still a streamlined approach that makes the band somewhat unappealing. Compared to a band like Dark Tranquility, Breach The Void’s sound has too much sweetness and not enough grit. The music doesn’t maintain enough of a sustained impact, but merely rolls along in a very glossy manner. This is okay if the listener is looking for something easy to digest, but don’t expect anything that will make you overly exert your mental energy. Breach The Void’s music is about as straightforward as it gets, even within the Melodic Death Metal genre. A few electronic bleeps make their presence known from time to time, but add very little to the overall dimensions of the band.

The music here is sufficient, but not interesting enough to really pull the listener in. I imagine that people with less demanding musical tastes will be drawn towards this more than others. If I had to pick a standout track, perhaps 'Digital Structure' has enough chops to attract more attention than anything else on the disc. There are moments in tracks like this one that have an appealing melodic nature combined with aggression reasonable amounts, but they are few and far between. "The Monochromatic Era" is a very average release.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 6.5
Atmosphere: 6
Production: 7.5
Originality: 6.5
Overall: 6.7

Rating: 6.7 out of 10