Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Condemnatio Cristi
Label: On Parole Productions
Release: year_month
Duration: 45:00
Rating: 3/5
Black metal has always had two extremes: one brutal, dark, raw and primitive, the other sometimes almost over-the-top pompous, symphonic and orchestral. Few bands have managed to truly fuse these two seemingly incompatible extremes – late Emperor, mid-era Dimmu Borgir, Carach Angren and our very own Dekadent (!) – and Ljubljana’s Condemnatio Cristi are trying to pull off something similar on their new record. They’re back with the album Soundtracks, two years after their debut Incest.
The album’s title alone points to the direction the band has taken, one that’s supposedly rooted deep in film music. I wasn’t totally sure how that would sound, and honestly, that’s exactly how the album sounds. Like a schizophrenic whose many personalities have no idea the others exist, the band lays out a wide spectrum of genres on this record. The core of Soundtracks is a pairing of black metal and orchestral film music, but sadly the two almost completely shut each other out and never really work as a whole. What defines the record is a stark duality: on one side, purely black metal tracks, and on the other, purely “soundtrack” pieces that are meant to act as a kind of connecting bridge.
But the whole thing just doesn’t work the way it should, because Soundtracks sounds confused, scattered and incoherent, and mashing together so many genres in the “metal” tracks does nothing to help the bigger picture. In just a few minutes, Condemnatio Cristi can string together and blend some black metal, a bit of death metal, dirty Motörhead-style rock ‘n’roll (Black Water Part 2), thrash metal, gothic metal (most obvious in the title track, mainly thanks to the mix of deep male vocals and a delicate female voice), a heavy metal solo (Deathmarch) and even Eastern-sounding elements (Japan). Sounds bewildering? Absolutely. The already excessive genre range is supposed to be held together by the conceptually linked film excursions, which each sound very solid on their own and could easily find a place on some proper, serious film music record, but precisely because of the sheer variety, this musical excursion through Soundtrack never manages to find its common thread.
But even if the metal side of the album doesn’t quite hit the highest standards, the orchestral pieces deserve praise. They’re mighty and convincing enough, and sensual enough, that it wouldn’t be bad to see them paired with actual film footage, which, judging by what I heard, would mostly depict the power of nature and stunning landscapes. Maybe that’s another reason Condemnatio Cristi would be better off picking just one musical direction in the future, sticking with it and building on it. It would also make sense to pick just one producer, because you can clearly hear who did what on the record. Given the album’s already (too) varied musical identity, that’s all the more noticeable. Still, go ahead and treat yourself to a CC shot without worrying. It won’t be the best whiskey you’ve ever tasted, but even if it burns a little, it’ll go down the throat without much trouble.
Lineup
Denis Mauko – vocals, guitar
Gal Vogrič – guitar
Jan Kregar – bass
Samo Peterka – keyboards
Tine Horvat – drums
Production
Condemnation Cristi, Žiga Zmazek & Jan Švigelj, Robert Ristič & Damir Grginič
Track list
1. Dreamside Trancing
2. Black Water Part 1
3. Cross For the Masses
4. The Opening
5. Deathmarch
6. Eastern Stepp
7. Japan
8. Soundtrack
9. I Have Seen the Otherworld
10. Black Water Part 2
11. Frontline Symphony
12. Oceans And Land
