BLEEDING

Transport Aerian is a one man project which's leader Hamlet is a multi-instrumentalist that certainly dislikes the stylistic limits to his personal spiritual courses. Since the foundation of his project in 2007, Hamlet released three albums until now, with different line ups, composing unconventional, ambient music, with slow, almost funeral tempos which includes elements of doom, progressive rock/metal to electronic pop and jazz tunes.

Darkness, introversion, psychedelism and poetry, are the basic material of "Bleeding"'s creation. Essentially, it doesn't abstain so much of the Anathema' s touching songwriting (emotionally though, I am not talking about the technical part of the music), giving the main role for the pianos, the ethereal guitar melodies and the Hamlet's fragile voice. Surely one wouldn't expect here the usual refrains neither easy-sounding catchy phrases.

"Bleeding" introduces itself with the first seconds of "Mortals" and its guitar fuzzes. The emerging atmosphere reminded me, the 3rd And The Mortal's debut album aura, is an icy introductive theme that balancing between recitation and melody.

Technically, the music isn't so impressive. Simple guitar riffs, background piano chords and few keyboards, supporting the compositions, is not the stuff that you should sweat your brain on to understand.

As I mentioned before, tempos are low in the majority of the songs that "Bleeding" consists of, although a little surprise is shown on, for instance, "Edges", which opens up as a noisy doom / death elegy, probably the heaviest song, with the hardest guitar riffs.

Hamlet's performance is natural, with no pretending. Even the flaws that you could detect in his expression, become charming, giving brutality or bitterness in moments, but the expression always remains passionate. There are no soprano attempts, if you try to connect them with the usual modern gothic patterns that reign the music industry, but when a song demands some more energy, as for example in "Winter", Hamlet doesn't avoid to liberate his voice. By the first listening, a song that impressed me, was "Inspire". Ten minutes long, I'm convinced that is the most reprehensive sample of Transport Aerian music that Hamlet offers us.

Even if on the tracks' powerful points, drumming sounds strong and heavy, their general contribution in the arrangements is low, percussion sounds distanced relatively of the rest of the instruments, but this fact isn't annoying , besides the songs have no need in large amounts of strength. The production is clean, compact, and all melodic lines are easy distinguished.

"Bleeding", finally, is a beautiful, special album, built by darkness and melancholy. Highly recommended to the supporters of Anathema, Antimatter as well as primitive persons, attracted by ripped sludge / post / doom music or simply a bit weirder minds, will be immensely touched.