Schwermetall – Der Film , the first German Hard´N´Heavy documentary, filmed in 2008 + 2009 on 90 Festivals and stages all over Germany, featuring the underground as well as big names (Summer Breeze, Bang Your Head), more than 250 German and international artists and stars, is now hitting the screens. Besides Interviews, Outtakes, Live-Clips and Fanshots you can experience festivals from backstage or VIP areas and find out about different Metal styles: www.schwermetall-der-film.de. Sabaton-Cruise: Who wants more of Metal on a cruise ship should consider this one on December 2, 2010, with Sabaton, Raubtier, Steelwing, Prey, Mary Fay etc, Infos here . Sweden Rock Cruise will be a tribute to Ronnie James Dio (R.I.P.) and will take place on Oct 7, 2010. Details at our tourdates.
No, Monumentum aren´t back and they haven´t released a new record, "In Absentia Christi" is a re-release of the highly acclaimed record from 1995. It´s Avangarde Doom and still considered to be "the most obscure album created on Italian land ever"and groundbreaking for this very genre. However that might be understood, this atmosphere of suffering and depression catches you right away. If not already during the two instrumental pieces "Battesimo: Nero Opaco" and "Thousand Breathing Crosses" at the beginning, then at the latest, when vocals start during "Consuming Jerusalem". The vocals sound, like there´s someone suffering great pain, both mentally and physically, fitting the whole sound pretty well. "In Absentia Christi" is for sure no CD, that´s easy to digest. You really have to be into this whole Doom thing, else you´ll simply give up with those slow-paced material. Track four, being a darker version of Visage´s "Fade To Grey", changes the atmosphere, featuring female vocals, that alter beetween lower singing, operatic parts and speaking, definitely a less doomy track, almost kinda darkwave. Some songs are reinterpretations of poems by Terchetti and Leopardi. The way the songs are linked and fade into each other etc, make it almost appear like some kind of concept album ,whereas it is none. Apart from the songs that have been on the original, a re-issue bonus track "In Misery Front Row" has been added and the artwork has been redone completely.
Since it´s a re-release, no rating - however, the (Avantgarde)Doom Fans, that couldn´t get hold of this piece back in the 90s have another chance right here to grab it. One thing is for sure, this is probably some of the darkest stuff I´ve hard from Italy.
