SAMMATH NAUR -
POLAND - DEATH BLACK METAL
Here we are to present and review "Limits
were to be broken" the new
double CD release from the Polish death black metal masters Sammath Naur!
Without a doubt they are one of the most creative and dynamic bands on their
genre. This new release unites their two latest albums "Beyond the Limits" [2012]
and "Anhedonia"
[2011]
in a pack full of bonus material, mind-blowing diversity as well as musical
extremity, all
of this with a very own illuminated death black metal aura. Sammath Naur
have upgraded their sound from a technical and yet symphonic / melodic extreme metal into a
more complex blackened death metal. Still technical but allot more powerful and in the same time allot more
aggressive!
Sadly, and without a doubt this is another damn underrated band, they sure have detach
from today's days predictable and monotone extreme metal, the massive work expended
on this both last albums prove that they are without a doubt one of the best bands
in the genre, all this with a damn killer extreme sound!
"Limits were to be broken" is a record not to be missed by any extreme metal
fan, a must for fans of bands like Hate, Decapitated, Behemoth, Morbid Angel,
Vader, etc. or even Limbonic Art, Arcturus, Vesania, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir,
Fleshgod Apocalypse etc. on their
"Anhedonia" stage!
Beyond the limits you will achieve your goals and explore fields you would never
thought to be real... unleash yourself and expand your own self!
NeKronos Promotion HELL
Here is the Tracklist for
the 2CD:
SAMMATH NAUR
- "Limits
were to be broken" - CD 2013
CD 1 : Beyond the limits [2012] :
01. Limits Are to Broken
02. The Endless Cycle
03. Ecstasy in Pain
04. Grudzień
05. Harm
06. The Pit
07. The Koor-Seth Tribe
08. Król-Duch
09. The Sinister Manifest of Power
10. Beyond the Limits
Total Time: 42:01
CD 2 : Anhedonia [2011] :
01. Drowned - Intro
02. Grand Liberation
03. Comedy on Earth
04. The Anhedony Domain
05. Pyrrhic Beat 01:42
06. Let Them Die 05:55
07. Eleven XXIII 07:03
08. Melody of Eleven Lives 04:41
09. Mother North (Satyricon cover) (Bonus Track)
Total Time: 42:27
Recording Line-up - SAMMATH NAUR:
CD1 + CD2 Tracks 06 to 09:
Maro - Vocals
Sigmar - Guitar and synth
Valeo - Guitar, orchestration and keys
Tas - Bass
Lucass - Drums
CD2 - Tracks 01 to 05:
Lestath -
Vocals and drums
Sigmar -
Guitars (rhythm) and synth
Valeo - Guitars (lead), orchestral and keys
Tas -
Bass
SAMMATH NAUR - 2CD
- “Limits were to be broken” - 2013 -
Warheart Records -
Red Stream (North
America)
Genre:
Death black metal [2012] / Symphonic death black metal [2011]
"(...)Limits are to be broken
Will you take that one step beyond?
Limits are to be broken
Will u take a glance over edge?
Will you take that one step too far?
Would you really want to jump from this edge?(...)" Limits are to be
broken - Limits were to be
broken
The band:
SAMMATH NAUR Polish death black metal masters have unleashed their 2 latest
releases in a special 2CD package by the title of "Limits were to be broken",
for those unfamiliar with this smashing extreme metal band, let me tell you a
bit more about them:
Sammath Naur name for the curious ones, has been adapted from JRR
Tolkien's work and means "Chambers of Fire", the only place where the "One
Ring"
could be destroyed! As for the band itself, it has been formed in 1999 in Poland
and till now their only remaining founding member is Sigmar (guitar).
Since the foundation the band has developed their sound from a melodic / symphonic
death black metal into an allot more technical and dynamic form of extreme metal,
combining the best elements of death and black metal and taking them to the
limits. With this, the band produces their own sound and own identity, proving to
be allot more than just another
Polish death black metal band! This has allowed them to tour and participate on
loads of concerts and festivals with bands like Hate, Vesania, Crionics,
Sceptic, etc.
The new album musically and lyrically:
On "Limits were to be broken" the band presents you two different
formulas of the Sammath Naur identity, on the first CD (Beyond the
limits) you have the renewed and most updated sound that sure is a more
aggressive, technical and dynamic form of blackened death metal, in the other hand
on the second CD (Anhedonia) you have their best melodic / symphonic
compositions ever built, two faces for the same outstanding band, proving that
their will to upgrade and genius to create new sound is the essence of the band,
always ready to surprise you with a blasting new opus with renewed and refreshed
new elements taken to the limits!
While the "Beyond the limits" sound shall please fans of
extremer and more technical bands such as
Hate, Decapitated,
Behemoth, Morbid Angel, Vader. On the other hand the "Anhedonia" sound shall please the
fans of avant-garde and symphonic bands likes Limbonic Art, Arcturus, Vesania, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir,
Fleshgod Apocalypse for example.
In both forms the band keeps the demanding and damn top-skill elite technical
sound constant, proving that the core of the band is the one who gives their
solid identity and sound!
The lyrics on this release mostly done by Sigmar and Maro are mind
liberating and against any human blinding religions or beliefs, beliefs that
shall make you
limited and lesser human! Defying lyricism, always pushing you to think and act by
your own self! Damn worth reading, inspired as well as illuminated!
With "Limits were to be broken" Sammath Naur have affirmed
themselves as one of the most creative and ever-growing forces deep in the
Polish extreme metal scene! With this album the band has set another mark
of quality, extremity, technical as well as virtuosity deep into metal music!
The band members and album production:
Just like the title of the album inspires ("Limits were to be broken"),
the band members skills and talent are stretched to their limits on this opus!
Sigmar (see also Mala Herba) is the heart and soul of the band, his
work (guitar, synth and lyrics) is giving the essence to Sammath Naur
identity. Valeo (see also Vesania) work on both last releases is
about brilliant, his delightful virtuous guitar leads and orchestrations (Anhedonia)
are simply outstanding and genius!
Lucass (see also GNIDA, Crionics, Thy Disease, etc.) is already a
well known drummer on the Polish extreme metal scene, his dynamism and skills
are way above the average allowing him to produce some of the most brilliant,
demanding and elite drum work like on his whole album participation! Maro (see also Lost
Soul, Mala Herba) has done the best vocal work across this dynamic release. Tas has also contributed with a smashing pounding bass
work to this extreme technical album!
Lestath (see also Darzamat, Esqarial,
etc) vocals and drums worked pretty well on the bands previous endeavours on a more symphonic /
melodic approach, he sure has put the right dose of aggressive vocals to balance
things up there! As guest vocals the band invited the well known Polish
metal titan Orion (see also Behemoth, Vesania,etc.) who
contributed with some vocal lines.
As for the production on both albums we have a great work done and goals
achieved. Yet even the recordings done over Yacob Records Studio
were damn good, on Invent Sound Studio (Beyond the Limits) the band
pushed things further, deep into an absolute new level and reached "the perfect
extreme metal elite sound"! I must say that the recordings over there as well as
the mix and mastering for both albums done on the famous Hertz Studio (Hate,
Vader, Behemoth, etc...) couldn't simply be better!
The album
highlights:
Both releases contained on this "Limits were to be broken" piece are
quite working as whole and revealing the best of the band but yet I would like
to mention some highlights on both of them:
"Beyond the limits":
Ignited by "Limits Are to Broken"
track the new sound of the band is presented at it's best. A damn outstanding
and powerful track that welcomes you to a new realm of extreme metal music where
limits were made to be broken! The brutally technical sound keeps on invading
your ears in tracks like "The Endless Cycle"
or "Ecstasy in Pain",
pure musical architecture built up by death black metal geniality... damn, those solos by
Valeo will surely keep your ears captive! "Grudzień"
and "Król-Duch" tracks, the last sung in Polish, reveal a new and powerful formula
of dynamic extreme metal crescendo, outstanding how the band unleashes such
strength on those tracks! "Harm" is another great track that has given form to a
video clip.
Two more tracks shall catch your attention, songs like "The
Sinister Manifest of Power" and "Beyond the Limits"
that ends these Cd with a true epic aura, an extreme music hell unleashed in a
tight and complex format, pushing music beyond its limits!
"Anhedonia":
Tracks like "Grand Liberation", "Comedy on Earth" or "The Anhedony
Domain" shows the bands essence at that stage to the best, all this with a
killer combo of technical melody mixed with outstanding astral symphonic
orchestrations, a true delight to the ears. The outstanding solos by Valeo,
the
avant-garde musical structures and the ever-present orchestral-work for sure push things to a
transcendental level! In the other hand tracks like "Let Them Die" or
"Eleven XXIII" approach the band to today's days updated sound, allot
more aggressive and brutal and lesser dependant of melodic orchestrations, in a
a way this tracks are allot more straight forwards and "in-your-face"!
One of my favourite tracks here is "Melody of Eleven Lives", it combines at
best the most aggressive and symphonic sides of the band at this stage, simply
outstanding and delightful. To finish, we have another must-listen cover bonus
track, Satyricons "Mother North",
simply one of the best Satyricon covers I heard so far, damn brutal!
The Epilog:
In all "Limits were to be broken" as the title inspires, presents
the best work ever done by the band Sammath Naur, top skilled musicians
creating top quality extreme metal. This is some of the best releases of Polish extreme
metal for 2013 year. A release with an elite symphonic death black metal side
and a more technical and aggressive death black metal approach on the other!
This is a release not to be missed by any death black metal adept with a special
taste for Poland products of quality! A black pearl in any extreme metal fan
collection and a must have release if you are already a fan of the band, without
a doubt this release combines the two best pieces that
this band build to the date! All of this wrapped up with two bonus clips ("HARM"
and "On the Altar of Mars") as well some smashing artwork build by
Piotr Szafraniec (Crionics, Thy Disease,etc). Limits have surely been
broken by such innovative excellence in form of extreme metal!
Unleash yourself and expand your horizons, your goals lay beyond the limits on
yet unexplored fields, learn to fly and reach a world you thought not to be unreal!
RüPä -
NeKronos Promotion HELL
RATE: 8,5/10
Check out the "Limits were to be broken" Teaser : HERE :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jj6LHsS2aI
Check out the videoclip for "HARM" : HERE :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e53EiompCGE
MORE ABOUT THE BANDS @ LINKS:
OFFICIAL WEBSITE : HTTP://WWW.SAMMATHNAUR.PL
FACEBOOK PROFILE:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sammath-Naur/100618219981790
MYSPACE SITE:
HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/SAMMATHNAUR
GENERAL/BOOKING CONTACT:
SIGMAR@SAMMATHNAUR.PL
