VELICHYE I TAINSTVO KAVKAZSKIH GOR

After a huge number of totally ambient-ethnic albums Senmuth returns to the industrial metal of the debut with the opener of this 'Caucasic' album. This song is the most metal thing that he has released since a dozen of albums and the good thing is that he didn't use his distortion kit so the track is quite good in all its aspects.

It's not the same with track two that's totally inconcludent and leading nowhere. Luckily it's the only track on this album to be so poor.

The rest is average with few highlights, but most of all, it's ambient without these strong ethnic elements brought into Senmuth's music by sitar and arabic/indian instruments.

Speaking of highlights, track #5 and #6 feature classical guitar and as usual this is what Senmuth plays better, IMO. It's like guitar acts as a constraint so he has to write consistent music without the annoying and meaningless changes of pitch which sometimes affect his music. Track 6 features mandolins and harmonica (synth or true, who knows?) and this gives it a more "Mediterranean" touch.

Track 9 is close to krautrock. I think to Amon Duul II. It's the most dreamy and hypnotic track of the album. It's a travel by horse or donkey in the high mountains. I hope that sooner or later Senmuth will release a full album of this level.

Track 10 starts as it was Edgar Froese. It's repetitive and made of square waves like the TD of Ricochet. The distorted guitar makes the difference by adding that touch of darkness that can't be missed from a Senmuth's album. This is also the only track which features indian instruments and unfortunately they don't fit too well here.

On the closer we can hear, I think for the first time in a Senmuth's album, an accordion. I think it's synthetic. This track closes the circle. Alanya, a province of Turkey, is in the track titles of the opener, too and even if not very heavy it has a metal flavor.

An average album with some good moments and some weak.