[stoner/doom/psychedelic/rock/experimental] Ethereal Riffian - Shaman's Visions (2011)

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Несколько лет мы пробовали различные стили, подбирая звуковые вибрации звучащие в унисон с нашим коллективным сознанием и дебютная работа группы - "Shaman's Visions" является результатом этих долгих поисков.
Эта эклектичная музыка сочетает в себе гипнотичность и вязкость стонер/дума, оттенки уносящей сознание вдаль психоделии, пласты убедительного рока с серьезными яйцами и немалую толику экспериментов по сочетанию, на первый взгляд, несочитаемого.

Приятный летний вечер, когда прохлада спустилась на землю, а солнце пускает последние лучи, уступая место ночи.
Костер возле шатра почти затух, оставляя тонкую струйку дыма. В шатре сидел человек.
Судя по шрамам на теле - жизнь он повидал не понаслышке, все испробовал и теперь судьба привела его сюда, в одинокие холмы, последнее пристанище Ищущих.
Мудрые люди говорят, что каждый имеет свой Путь, который никто другой не сможет пройти. Как и где он пролегает - дело индивидуальное. Можно лишь сердцем ощутить путеводную звезду и следовать ей не сворачивая, обходя соблазны и прорываясь сквозь преграды.
И этот человек не был исключением.
Он выбрал свой путь, путь проложенный предками, путь шамана.
И сейчас, раскуривая трубку и глядя на тлеющие угли затухшего костра, он готовился открыть разум и перейти в мир духов.
Он не знал куда попадет, но точно знал что ищет.
Найти смысл, очистить душу и освободиться от оков разума.
В его голове звучали слова предшественника, бородатого юноши, возрастом более 100 лет, не стареющего и вечно молодого. Перед исчезновением он сказал, что настало время идти дальше, а словами напутствия будет совет - "Делай, что должен. Остальное - неважно. События - путь, но не цель. Цель - там, в глубинах космоса. Только поднявшись туда - найдешь себя."
С неба упала звезда - время настало.
Забив трубку, шаман, сделав несколько затяжек, закрыл глаза.
Расслабившись, он сначала ощутил разум.
Бушующий разум в клетке.
Постепенно успокоив его, шаман обратил внимание на тело.
И только после того, как успокоил каждую клеточку, сосредоточился на мире вокруг.
...
Время, как и мир, застыло.
Из шатра дунул слабый ветерок - дымная субстанция, просочившись наружу, постепенно стала подниматься ввысь.
_____________________________
В альбоме предоставлено 5 треков.
Запись на СД сделана без пауз.
На самом деле это 1 трек, разбитый на 5 для лучшего понимания концепции.
"Видения шамана" - это путь человека от беспокойной формы существования и хаоса к внутреннему просветлению и, как следствие, спокойствию.
Альбом заключает в себе как ярость и мощь, так медитацию и созидание.
Мелодика уносит сознание, а тексты направляют мысли по нужному пути.
Сила - в балансе.
Только тот, кто побывал на границах своего сознания знает, где находится золотая середина.
..
Приятного путешествия за Грань.

This is a solid tale about Shaman's journey out of his body and back. He is not young nor old. He feels a wisdom of a hundred-year old man. During the flight Shaman meets different creatures. Some of them are dark and evil, others are kind and light, the rest is ether. The man's rhythmic voice-vibes are bringing spirit into the core of the Universe. He understands a whole truth. Coming down into the body. The silent smile fades above the blown up beard.

Something must be happening in the East European countries right now, some un- diagnosed disease is slowly transforming their Doom scene. For a long time, Ukraine and Russia were just known as worthwhile purveyors of Gothic/Black/Drone/Death/Funeral Doom. For some unknown reason, we're now starting to get albums from Slavic Stoner/Doom bands. No, wait... let me re-type my sentence: we're starting to get good albums from Slavic Stoner/Doom bands. Regular readers of the Reviews section may already have discovered Lord Of Doubts and Talbot, (note of the admin: and others like The Moon Mistress, Without God, Stoned Jesus, etc.). And it's now time for Ethereal Riffian to join the club.
This Kiev based band is one of those little wonders upon which the reviewer occasionaly stumbles while diving in the depths of the Underground. Ethereal Riffian play a very mystical and mesmerizing kind of Stoner/Doom, not unlike UFOmammut, albeit with less heaviness. Their thematics are, as implied by the name of the release, very shamanic; the music follows the same occult vibes. The first track, a 2 minute almost-instrumental, is the perfect rendition of what is yet to come: smoky atmosphere, heavy riffing, suffocating aura, mantra- like vocals and tribal drumming. Just close your eyes, and when you'll open them again you'll discover that you're stuck inside a tent, and part of a ritual to gain insight and visions of the other worlds. The record itself is divided in 5 parts, each one starting right when the previous ends, creating the illusion of a single 30 minute long track, but with so much variations and melodies that you'll never get bored. Somehow, they remind me also of the way Acrimony expand your mind on their sophomore effort ’Tumuli Shroomaroom’: there is the same spacey vibe in Ethereal Riffian, and William Burroughs would have loved that.
It's hard for me to pick up one song over another, as everything on this release is worthy of praise; each one will make you want to light a fat blunt and some strong incense to start meditating and worshipping whatever High Power(s) you believe in. This is Stoner/Doom in its higher and most pure form. What Ethereal Riffian lack in heaviness, they compensate with great songs and melodies easy to grasp; more than once they pay their tribute to the monument that was Kyuss, and even some bits of Hawkwind are scattered along the way. Tripping has never been so good, and the Ukrainian outfit also prove that you don't necessarily need to quote obscure horror movies to bring smoke into psychedelic riffs-drenched lands.
And if the music wasn't already good and mind-expanding enough, the gorgeous artwork would probably send your neurons into outer space just by looking at it. You can download this album for free from their Bandcamp and Myspace pages, but you should also buy it. And you should spread the word around the internet. To see such a talented and devoted band still being unsigned is a shame, and I urge you to give them your support at once! And a burnt offering, while you're at it.

The stoner-doom scene in the Ukraine and Russia was once the home for goth-doom bands but over the last couple of years, these countries have woken up to the joys of traditional and stoner-doom metal. What kills me is these new bands emerging from there playing this style are among the very best in the world. Without God, Stoned Jesus, Lord Of Doubts and The Moon Mistress are the bands leading the charge but that is only the beginning, there is many more bands about to be unleashed. It is so great and exciting to see this new scene emerging. Another new band is Ethereal Riffian and this album titled 'Shaman's Visions' is an album that simply had to be made and they have done it. Much like when Sleep released the 'Jerusalem' album, this album comes along as a breath of exciting smoke-filled air. While the style has been done many times before, there is something fresh about this that makes this one of the most interesting releases of 2011 and they are giving it away for free if you can live with just a download, check the links at the end of this review for details.
This Kiev based band has put together an amazing CD package so I don't see how anyone would be happy with just a download of this album. The artwork and packaging is stunning, if only every band would put this much work into how their albums are presented, maybe people wouldn't be so obsessed with just stealing a download. This is the most gorgeous package I have seen all year with only the limited-edition Orchid coming anywhere close to being this spectacular. But if the packaging sends your mind into orgasmic overload, wait till you hear the music. Ethereal Riffian play a mesmerizing, hypnotic brand of stoner-doom that is mystical, spiritual and infectious. They are not as 'heavy' as you might expect, this is more your meditative kind of stoner-doom, something to let your brain float away with and take you on a little voyage into the cosmos. They are part Sleep, Kyuss, Ufomammut, with a healthy dose of Hawkwind on the side but it is bundled up with something that sounds truly fresh. The album is split into five parts and I guess it could be called a 'concept' kind of album with each part having its own unique vibe.
The short, mostly instrumental 'Part I Whispering of the Ancients (The Awakening)' begins the album and you are immediately thrown into what sounds like a kind of ancient ritual ceremony. The smoke-filled atmosphere, heavy riffing and primitive, hypnotic drumming and the LSD tinged melodies are truly mesmerizing and that doesn't really change throughout the next thirty minutes. While 'Shaman's Visions' is made up of five unique parts, they bleed into each other giving the impression this is long epic track and it is easy to lose track of where you are in the album's running order. The album is so mesmerizing that it usually ends without realizing the five parts have all be done with and then you have no choice but to play it again and again. There is many variations and changes that are sometimes obvious but usually very subtle, 'Part II Beyond (The Search)' is one of the sections that is a highlight along with the closing piece 'Part V Light of Self (The Truth)' but the album as a whole is really a highlight. It is almost impossible to single out one part as a favorite track, the entire album from start to finish is totally engaging.
Like I already mentioned, the band is more about psychedelic stoner-doom that is hypnotic and melodic than just being heavy for the sake of it. There is truly great riffing on the album but it is the atmosphere on the recording that ultimately wins you over. This is one of the most tripped-out albums released in recent years and you will feel like you are on a psychoactive drug while listening to 'Shaman's Visions' as the music really does alter your cognition and perception of everything around you. It is so easy to lose yourself in tracks like 'Part III Yax Imix Che (The Path)' for example. This is the début album of the year so far in my opinion, essential listening. Download it for free but I am sure you will want the CD after you soaked up the psychedelic, mesmerizing sounds of Ethereal Riffian. .....9.5/10

Состав:
Stonezilla (Валера) - guitar/vocal/lyric
SAF (Саша) - bass/beard/pillcrushery
Southman (Макс) - guitar /sonic alchemy
В записи "Shaman's Visions" поучаствовали:
Nikita (Uprising Fomalhaut) - drums (shaman's heart)
Olga (Cloud Jam) - flute, vocal (shaman's voice)
Bookvarique - percussion (shaman's wand)
Max Poops - mixing & mastering (shaman's spirit)
...за что им всем огромное спасибо.
Follow the shaman!