Moloch - Misanthropie ist der einzige Weg zur Reinheit [Mistress Dance Records - 2008]“Misanthropie ist der einzige Weg zur Reinheit” is an 2008 album from ambient, slightly experimental and quirky Ukraine based one man Black Metal project Moloch. This album has seen a few releases over the last few years- it original appeared in tape form on Mistress Dance Records in 2008 (which is the edition I’m reviewing), then it appeared on a ltd Moloch box set in 2008, then lastly it appeared in 2009 in cd format on Azermedoth Records (Mexico). The album features 11 tracks that run between just under the minute mark to just over the sixteen minute mark. And on the whole the albums a varied, quirky, rewarding and often surprising ride. The tracks move from dramatic(though a little lo-grade) pomp synth orchestration, onto guttural blacked bays over sweeping ambience that turns into ugly yet memorable mid-paced black metal gallops, through to haunting horn and wind effect broods that suddenly turn wonkily jazzy, onto choral yet gloomy ambient synth dwells that swirl and dart under lo-fi black metal work-outs…..and beyound For an example of the tracks often surprising and rewarding turns take track number five “Meine heidnisch-spirituelle Reise durch die Wälder der Gefallenen”- it starts off with melancholic yet clunky piano playing and storm sound, then moves into mid-pace black metal ambient stomp with layers of raising yet gloomy synth and guttural bays underneath the lurching and slightly haphazard black metal guitar and drums. Then around the mid-way point of the 11 minute, just when you think you have the track pined, it sudden drops into wavering slightly wonky clear guitar mixture of outsider guitar strumming & barren cowboy music with yelping and ye-harrs blacked metal like bays on top- I guess you’d call it lo-fi country black metal, then just before the end it suddenly drops into pomp synth orchestration. Really most of the tracks here nicely switched pace and tact over there length, and often the tracks take U-turns into quite surprising/ quirky places. So in summing if you enjoy ambient black metal that’s memorable yet grim, and often twisted with experimental and quirky musical tones/ elements “Misanthropie ist der einzige Weg zur Reinheit” is certainly for you. Roger Batty
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