STRANGE IN STEREO

It is truly an experience listening to this record.This Norwegian band rocked out for 8 years before sadly packing it in.The sound of this album is quite heavy, lots of brooding bass lines, deep vocals, pounding drums and guitars aplenty. There is also a female singer Synne Larsen who plays an important role in the bands sound.This their final record does sound more experimental than the others, it's fairly slow paced as they contrast those dark atmospheric sections with the more heavy passages. Their masterpiece "Omnio" is for me an enjoyable, dynamic and exciting listen, while on "Strange In Stereo" they take you to an uncomfortable place and keep you there.

The first song "Closing In" really sets the tone with some amazing programming early followed by a slow, dark and heavy soundscape. Riffs come and go. "Cell" is sung by the Synne and has a real intense mood with violin. "Vanish In The Absence Of Virtue" begins with them singing together (male and female) for 30 seconds rather somberly, then the guitars come in just grinding away. Vocals return but much louder. "Basement Corridors" is slow, spooky and atmospheric, like something out of a horror movie soundtrack. Stange in stereo indeed. More violin as well. "Ion" is a great song, it really kicks in at the 2 minute mark and really from here on in this record is really incredible, it has to be heard to be believed.The best song for me is "Generally More Worried Than Married" with that great guitar sound, it smokes !

"Path Of The Righteous" has intense vocals, well intense everything, the speakers are just reverberating ! Incredibly heavy riffs ! "Dead Mans Creek" is the fourth mind blowing song in a row ! Female vocals, absolutely sonic guitars, now my heads reverberating ! "Titan Transcendence" starts with a cool intro. Great drums and male vocals. Synne comes in after 4 minutes. Amazing sound ! The last song "By The Banks Of Pandemonium" begins with him saying "Let's get this monster rolling", this is followed by a haunting soundscape. It kicks in around 1 1/2 minutes, it's still slow paced but more powerful. They increase that power 3 1/2 minutes in then it calms right down quickly.The guitar comes in sounding excellent. Heavy again after 5 1/2 minutes as vocals return with passion, before it calms down again to end it.

This truly is a journey into a strange, dark and barren place, not a location I like to stay in for a very long time, but if i'm in the right mood it's a good hair-raising place to visit.