IDMEN

Loud and belligerent, this is little more than a muddy assault on the ears. Understanding anything is completely out of the question because the vocals are uncompromisingly aggressive. It's unfortunate, really, because the band has talent and almost each track shows some degree of promise. Frankly, if there's one album for 2009 I could safely say I won't be hearing again, it's this one.

"Sansara" A slaughter of noise begins this opener, which has the drums extremely loud alongside an almost equally loud bathing of overdriven guitar. The violin has a unique sound to it, in that, while it's smothered by the other instruments, it almost has a woodwind tone to it. Almost six minutes into it is when it really gets enjoyable though, with gorgeous twelve-string guitar, thudding bass, more respectable (read: quieter) drums, and exquisite violin.

"Tusan Homichi Tuvota" I simply can't fault the tense twelve-string acoustic guitar and the extremely creative and expressive composition of the music. It's the vocals that ruin it, unfortunately. They don't fit the music at all, and sound like a drunk old man imitating a ghoul in some dank catacombs, with an equally drunk friend carrying on beside him with a giddy falsetto. The silly growling sounds like the vocalist is unsuccessfully trying to dislodge a half-pound load of phlegm from his throat.

"Sunken Bell" This instrumental interlude sounds like cinematic music for a gritty movie set in the humid jungles of some godforsaken tribal land.

"And who's the God now?!..." Heavy tribal drumming and ritualistic, hissed chants make me think Indiana Jones will come whipping his way across my living room any moment. Once again, the vocals are over-aggressive and unpleasant, which is similarly true for the guitars. There's a little bit of dynamics here, but for the most part, it's just a barrage of noise that doesn't sit well with me. The ending is an incomprehensible and brutally awful wave of nonsense, yodeling, screeching, feedback, and chanting.

"Indukted" This should appeal to anyone who likes his metal mindless and noisy. From the beginning, it's nothing but horrible-sounding guitars, clunking drums, and hideous synthetic noises. The intriguing work at the very end can't make up for it.

"Aemaet" Dreadfully high-pitched guitar cuts through more thrash- I hesitate to use the term "music." Mercifully, the piece gets quiet, and, using light cymbals, synthesizer and easygoing bass, the band paints a hypnotic and decent segment.

"Nemesis Voices" One of the more creative pieces, this opens with three distinct guitars playing different lines that weave in and out of one another. Surprisingly, the vocals are understandable, if only just. This is a far more enjoyable composition comparatively speaking, especially with the guitar, bass, and violin interplay in the final moments.

"Ninth Wave" Gloomily atmospheric in the beginning, the longest track on the album is a real relief, particularly with the lovely (did I just use that adjective in describing this album?) acoustic guitar and trumpet in the distance. The drummer shows some praiseworthy restraint in the beginning, but that is short-lived, as he gradually begins to drown out the other instruments. Very soon, it's back to the onslaught of brutal metal, although the calm exquisiteness of the opening few minutes is eventually revisited.