Vielikan - A Trapped Way For Wisdom
After several name changes, Vielikan finally settled on something final. Originally formed in 2002, they've spent many years crafting their brand of progressive death metal and finally unleash it on 'A Trapped Way For Wisdom.' Listeners can hear traces of Opeth, My Dying Bride, and Cynic within it, and it is glorious. All the tracks are epic, making this seven track, one hour long album worth every second. The album starts off hard and fast with a rought, 90s death metal feel to it that is similar to bands like Morbid Angel or Incantation with how heavy the atmosphere is. Near the middle is slows down for an even heavier feeling, and the melodic solos that come in sound certainly progressive enough. "A Shelter In The Void" takes some cuts from My Dying Bride and their ability to suddenly just stop churning the sound and going for soft, individual string pickings amongst the percussive beat of the drums. It is eerie, quiet, and suspenseful right before everything explodes again. "Zero Affection" features samples of people screaming (probably in Hell) amongst somewhat jazzy progressive arrangements (this is where the Cynic influence comes in) along with a sci-fi eerie closing. As the album moves onward, more and more tracks will tend to sound like this with tracks like "A Vertiginous Fall" and "A Celestial Autumn" with some classical piano touch.
"A Trapped Way For Wisdom" is the only solid, heavy death metal track on the album. The drumming is over the top with slow, begrudging riffs marching behind it, sounding like a crushing march to inevitable war. This is where 90s death metal fans can sit back and enjoy the fuzzy, heavy glory of the music. It may not sound as pristine as the other tracks, but entire esoteric nature of the album is right here in this song. There are even some murmured, spoken word parts hidden in the music which add to the atmosphere of the music altogether. Eventually a more melodic section comes in reminding more of Opeth's electric style, and track winds down to a shuddering close. What is left is a breathtaking sense of awe and wonder at just how these guys keep everything together without being boring or repetitive. It seems that the 90s death metal sound has been making a huge comeback with groups like Zombie Inc. and Disma, but Vielikan certainly help add to that list. 'A Trapped Way For Wisdom' is an excellent addition to any death metal fan's collection; old fans will be glad the band found some stability and new fans will be glad they found this gem either through friends or other methods.
"A Trapped Way For Wisdom" is the only solid, heavy death metal track on the album. The drumming is over the top with slow, begrudging riffs marching behind it, sounding like a crushing march to inevitable war. This is where 90s death metal fans can sit back and enjoy the fuzzy, heavy glory of the music. It may not sound as pristine as the other tracks, but entire esoteric nature of the album is right here in this song. There are even some murmured, spoken word parts hidden in the music which add to the atmosphere of the music altogether. Eventually a more melodic section comes in reminding more of Opeth's electric style, and track winds down to a shuddering close. What is left is a breathtaking sense of awe and wonder at just how these guys keep everything together without being boring or repetitive. It seems that the 90s death metal sound has been making a huge comeback with groups like Zombie Inc. and Disma, but Vielikan certainly help add to that list. 'A Trapped Way For Wisdom' is an excellent addition to any death metal fan's collection; old fans will be glad the band found some stability and new fans will be glad they found this gem either through friends or other methods.
- The Beginning Of All Remorse
- A Shelter Of Flesh In The Void
- Zero Affection
- Black Marsh
- A Vertiginous Fall
- A Trapped Way For Wisdom
- Celestial Autumn
