Year of Release: 2005
Label: independent
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 71:44:00
Few will argue against the fact that, with certain exceptions here and there, rock is a genre of music that relies rather strongly on percussive elements, otherwise known as drums for the vast majority of bands out there. No punch, no rock. Roz Vitalis, a progressive rock quintet from Russia, would have you believe otherwise though. With programmed drums on only a couple of its latest album's tracks, meandering hodgepodges of synthesizer chord progressions, and veritable tons of recorder, clarinet, and Peruvian flute swirls, these guys are certainly not your typical rock band. And five will get you ten that they don't want to be either. But should you agree with them?
Well, judging from Enigmarden, not really. After all, the best tracks seem to be the ones with programmed drums on them, such as the playful-turned-belligerent "The Battle." Or maybe not quite the best tracks, but rather the most listenable. See, Roz Vitalis has the slight problem that its music, or rather, its individual compositions, simply lack direction. Ivan Rozmainsky, helped by the keyboards of Vladimir Polyakov and Nadezhda Regentova, has some perfectly excellent melodic and harmonic ideas spread out across the duration of the entire record, but the thing is that a) they're not connected properly and b) they tend to not go anywhere and c) dammit, pay attention! This is important!
Anyway, the point is that, although there are a number of individual keyboard riffs with plenty of potential throughout the course of Enigmarden, there really aren't too many coherent tracks into which to dig. Even the highlight of the proceedings, the quirky "Lovechoes," gets lost every now and then and often seems on the verge of a senseless precipice before managing to make it back alive, but not unscathed. Moreover, by the time the seemingly endless "Be Aware Of Strangers" is over, chances are the listener will have his head somewhere else entirely, allowing one to ignore the annoyingly flat vocals of Regentova and Klara Metelkova, as well as the incessantly moaning and equally pointless clarinet work of Yuri Verba. And don't even get me started on the recorders.
Perhaps Rozmainsky and his cohorts will develop their approach in the future in a way that will appropriately exploit the good ideas that are obviously there, or perhaps Roz Vitalis might even get a drummer that will one day help the band achieve a sense of direction and flow. In the meantime, however, much is still lacking from this Russian band. Sure, its members are willing to take chances, but they just weren't the right ones this time around.
Similar artists: Blazing Bronze
Tracklisting:
Destiny Dethroned (4:44) / The Battle (3:20) / Breath Of Leaves - Accepting Ground (4:20) / Ah Ty, Nochenka (3:38) / Stress Of Tenderness (2:23) / Heartcrying (3:09) / Humilitas (6:33) / Lovechoes (7:38) / Charitas (4:43) / Enigmarden (6:15) / Looking For Hidden Stars (4:18) / Gentle Spring Of Spring (3:39) / Precautionary Motive (4:09) / Be Aware Of Strangers (12:55)
Musicians:
Klara Metelkova - recorders, Peruvian flute, vocals, harmonica
Vladimir Polyakov - keyboards
Nadezhda Regentova - keyboards, vocals
Ivan Rozmainsky - keyboards, programming, metallophone, recorders, vocals
Yuri Verba - dlarinets
Discography:
L'Ascensione (2002)
Painsadist (ep) (2003)
Lazarus (2003)
The Threesunny Light Power (ep) (2004)
Das Licht Der Menschen (2004)
Enigmarden (2005)
Live Autumn '05 IN The Ad Lucem Studio (2005)
Genre: Progressive Rock
Origin RU
