:CD Review: Erode – Horizon

Erode – Horizon
Release Date: July 19, 2011
Label: Tympanik Audio
Website: erodemusic.com

Review by: DeVico

It is a gem like this debut album that makes me happy to take blind chances on reviewing others works. Erode is the solo project of Alexander Deitz, also known as the guitarist for the German metal band Heaven Shall Burn. It comes to no surprise to see the album Horizon debuting on the Tympanik Audio label. You get what you expect with cinematic soundscapes that can be played anytime and will adjust your brain waves to fit. What is a nice smack in the head is that it is Mr. Deitz’s first foray into this electronic spectrum and you will have problems sorting him out from the veterans.

The layer complexity is quite stunning. Washes of ambience are spliced and rebuilt with massive percussion that could easily work alone but somehow meld together into beautiful songs that let your mind drift away. Each track has it’s own life and even with their own variations, they all shine bright in their own way. While “10950” is easily described by the beginning of this paragraph, “Detect” starts off, and keeps a strong rhythm that is wrapped in hisses and washes as the piece continues. At one point, so much is going on in “Detect” that you realize you may have forgotten to breath. Erode fades the track off just in time for you to gather yourself off the floor and continue. “Approach” does what the title refers you to. Slow washes swirl over your head until the metallic percussion steps from side to side and gives a new avenue for the washes. Like so many of the other pieces, this track just escalates deeper and richer and it is usually afterward that you realize what just hit you. “Horizon” starts off with sounds of ocean waves lapping onto land as a ambient pad enters into the scenario and lingers for some time till the beat takes you further along. “Overcome” melts from the ending of “Horizon” and burrows into a darker dream. A pulsing low frequency creates the spine as the slight distorted percussion hits in a more minimal style. The ambient pads slowly morph in till after the four-minute mark and with a slight gasp, everything kicks in. With an over eight-minute time for the track, this sweet ear candy is in for the long drive.

“Wither” utilizes more low frequencies and the-mid range washes are not as obvious. The rhythm is a bit thicker with a nice stereo crossfade to wake up those headphones. A very strong piece and one of my favorites. “ -” is the most minimal of the works on the album and deals out washes and ambient pads on the lower end of the spectrum The shortest track at only a bit over the one minute mark, it sets up the next punch with the song “Annoy”. “Annoy” uses an intro of higher end frequencies mixed with a slight use of distortion and/or feedback. Synthetic choir pads smooth over the work till close to the middle mark when sharp electric stabs create the percussive heart beat. This track comes the closest to what could be called glitch at times. After the four-minute mark the beat seems to gather itself and “…wham, bam, thank you mam…” it breaks into a fast pace leg breaking rhythm. The Kadrage remix of “Horizon” takes the natural sounds from the original and electrifies it into a hissing and static white noise. Imagine a forest made of electricity instead of wood, earth and flesh and you will be right on target. The wall of sound grows and encompasses you but a little drowning never hurt anyone. “Brutal Romance (Erode rmx)” ends this fantastic voyage with a wonderful melodic wash. Being a remix of the metal act Deadlock and hearing the original, I am just going to say wow. Female vocals singing “I will cut you a smile from ear to ear…” is damn sweet. The percussion is strong and rumbles well with the guttural of Deadlock’s male vocals. Solid work and offers up that Erode is going to be around for some time.

To end this review I will just quote straight from Erode’s page; “ERODE is the world behind the mirror. It exists.”

Track Listing:
01. 10950
02. Detect
03. Approach
04. Horizon
05. Overcome
06. Wither
07. -
08. Annoy
09. Horizon (Kadrage rmx)
10. Brutal Romance (Erode rmx)

Download Horizon from Amazon MP3

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