Colin Kauffman
FANTASTIC German atmospheric black metal with violins. Excellent songwriting, one of the best albums of 2018.
Favorite track: Nacht Verweil.
WolfGolem
Infectious, artfully constructed songs with incredible attention to detail. Feels like an epic adventure that ends to soon, forcing me to put the last 40 minutes of my life on continuous repeat.
Firtan are one of Germany's most uprising extreme metal acts, delivering their very own mixture of styles to fans all over Europe since 2010. Having supported Rotting Christ, Imperium Dekadenz, and Der Weg einer Freiheit and played festivals like Summer Breeze and Metaldays, their sound originates from black metal involving atmospheric and progressive elements alongside intense vocal performances and accentuating ambient sounds. Firtan known for their intensive live shows, which, to date, they have delivered to ten European countries.
Now, after two EPs and one full-length, Firtan hereby present their strongest work, Okeanos. Inspired by avant-garde intellectuals like Nietzsche and Lovecraft, Okeanos is a dazzling display of epic black metal grandeur, suffused with autumnal atmosphere and winding-yet-captivating compositions. But, although deeply rooted in black metal, the overt muscle Firtan display here - not to mention the panoramic approach to songwriting, daring and boundless - helps Okeanos elude easy categorization. It's an immediately captivating experience, expanding the listener's consciousness whilst whisking the listener away to worlds yet unexplored. And its soundfield is as robust as it is majestic, which is no surprise considering it was recorded at the esteemed studio Klangschmiede E with Markus Stock of The Vision Bleak/Empyrium. At six songs in 40 breathtaking minutes, Okeanos is the album by which Firtan enter into the elite.
credits
released July 13, 2018
All music except violins and choirs composed and arranged by Phillip Thienger & Firtan.
Drums & vocals recorded during winter 2017 at Klangschmiede Studio E with Markus Stock. Guitars recorded by Florian Hein, bass & violin recorded by Oliver König and choirs recorded by André Groschopp.
Mix & Master: Markus Stock
Samples: Markus Stock, Mario Hann & Firtan
Cover artwork: Denis Forkas
Layout & design: Oliver König & David Kempf
Guests contributions:
Klara Bachmair: Violins on 'Nacht verweil' & 'Purpur'
André 'Agordas' Groschopp: Choir voice on 'Seegang', 'Uferlos' & 'Siebente letzte Einsamkeit'
2nd Guitar played by Marius Zeinhofer
Vicious, sharp album that whacks you down with it's million accurate knife stabs. It packs such unexplained concentrated heaviness inside that it's not even funny. This record will swipe your smile off and take the command inside your brains. Unique and marvelous record that is hard to unwrap. It just works perfectly. 𝙅𝙤𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙡
“Iris” is one of those albums that pulls out all the stops and when it isn’t blurring the lines of multiple genres, it’s setting down stalwart ramparts firmly within one or another. An album that plays out like The Heroes Journey- an arc of inner turmoil, exterior conflict, a test of mettle on all fronts as you make your way in the world toward your one true destiny and stand at the gates with an open heart and all of the world at your back. justanoldgod
Plenty of what made Futility Report such an impressive album remains on Love Exchange Failure, further expanded upon and with new elements added on top.
Full review: http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=15195 starvynth