Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Brutart
Label: On Parole Productions
Release: 2008
The Jesenice/Bled band Brutart got people’s attention with their very first official recording, the Arab Dream demo (2003), which shot these Gorenjska lads straight into the ranks of the most unique metal bands on our turf. After a few lineup changes the band settled down and recently put out their long-awaited debut album. Mimic blows you away the moment you first pick it up, because it comes in a special A5 digibook format, decked out with simple but effective and outstanding illustrations by Vesna Rodman, who also took care of the artful, hand-written lyrics. I’ve honestly never seen a nicer CD package. It’s definitely a design standout, both at home and abroad, and, true to Brutart logic, a product that refuses to bow to any set design standards.
Brutart don’t make compromises in the music itself either. It’s so distinctive that after just a few seconds of a track you can easily tell it could only be Brutart. But Brutart are not an easy listen. Heavy riffs, broken rhythms, a gloomy atmosphere and vocals caught in agony only lodge themselves in your ears over time. The songs seem simple on the surface, but are actually built from lots of rhythms and different tempos locked into a dynamic, complex structure – in that respect you could even call Brutart a little bit progressive. Brutart don’t bow to the generally drawn guidelines of musical genres. Even the band’s name comes from the term l’art brut, with which Jean Dubuffet described, in 1945, works made by those immune to artistic culture, in which imitation plays no role. And truly, no matter how much I think about it, I can’t find a single band that could be compared to Brutart. Their essence is anchored in dark metal with a hint of death and doom. The guitars are mighty and smeared with grime, while the melodies are simple but incredibly effective. Watching over them is the raw vocal of Blaž Kelbl, aggressive and mighty but not brutal, at moments similar to the voice of Jan-Chris De Koeijer (Gorefest). The vocal is suffering, yet at the same time distinct, clear and understandable. The delivery of the excellent, deep, “thoughtprovoking” lyrics is emotional, though perhaps slightly monotonous in places. But no matter, once you hear the chilling chorus of the track Delirium with its mighty “Father, I’m Sorry”, you won’t forget it any time soon. The punchy opener Fade throws you into a seemingly chaotic whirlwind of war, but the very first moments reveal that every second is thought out, nothing is superfluous and nothing is missing. Blaž sounds like a dictator addressing a blind populace from a podium, and Sebastjan behind the kit like a supreme general dictating uncompromising blitzkriegs. Drum-wise, Mimic is a real standout. Sebastjan is a true octopus behind the kit, he never runs out of ideas, the transitions are inventive, and the cymbals are used to their fullest. A minor criticism goes to the sometimes excessive similarity between songs, especially their openings, since they all start with an immediate vocal attack. But once you spin the album a few times, every single track works like a proper blitzkrieg in which tank shells thunder at every step and hundreds of tank treads roll over you. Brutart are completely one of a kind, and we can be glad that, at a time when metal is on the rise again on our turf, we have such a good and unique band.
Mimic is an album that isn’t easily digested. It needs time to mature, like a good wine. But in the end, the point of good music is that every new listen peels back its secrets and uncovers new beauties. And that’s exactly what Mimic is!
Lineup
Blaž – vocals, guitar
Andrej – guitar
Sebastjan – drums, vocals
Erik – bass
Production
Brutart and Dali Sterniša
Tracklist
1. Fade
2. Termites
3. Immigrant
4. Delirium
5. Fabric of Illumination
6. Rebellion
7. Materia
8. The Verge
9. Marionette
10. Fiends of Sympathy
11. Desert
