.: 024 - ORGANIUM - THE RAGE :.

Organium's debut brings over 65 minutes of Organ sounds, from harsh, distorted, almost black-metal like over clean to ghostly and droning ambient in one dynamic album. Price (without p&p) : 6 euro (go to our store) Details : 11 tracks : 1 - creation, 2 - kill, 3 - emerge, 4 - the rage, 5 - invoke, 6 - dread ways, 7 - amber sun, 8 - can can (offenbach), 9 - hungarian dance no 5 (brahms), 10 - o fortuna (orff), 11 - flight. Total playing time : 65 minutes. Full color 2-page booklet and inlay. CD-r with gold label. Released on 27:08:2004 - still available. Full album download : 320 kbps MP3s & FLAC files + images on Archive.org. Links : band site

Reviews : EverDarkGreen - written by O.S. The project’s name gives its concept away – this is an album based completely on effect-laden and distorted church organ. J.S. Bach would turn in his grave! But if he turned in disgust or quiet undead approval is not so certain on first glance… The key to understand this album might lie in noticing how contrasts are used in its creation (church organ vs. heavy distortion, black metalish tracks vs. classical covers, fast tracks vs. a long, slow ambient closing track). “The Rage” starts off with a calm space ambient piece that makes good use of a subtle flanger effect. Otherworldly and a bit ghostly, this intro represents indeed the quiet before the storm. Soon the first distorted chords set in, and after a – in my opinion too long – break mayhem breaks loose in form of the second track, “Kill”. Distortion all the way, fast, monotone riffing, high speed drum machine… all these elements point towards black metal, except there are no guitars present, only this weird demonic organ. To be honest, with the exception of the intro, I do not get much out of the first few tracks. On some passages where the compositions really shine and great melodies emerge from the raging storm, either the lifeless drumming or the staccato parts turn me off. On the parts where I can appreciate the experimental, unique, love-it-or-hate-it sound, the composition seems to be not captivating enough to keep my interest… Frankly, after the first six tracks I had written this album off as unlistenable for my taste. People into black metal or other fast music might like it, but I just did not get it… And while Stijn van Cauter shows with “The Rage” that he is able to compose and record concise, fast music that does not take ages to unfold (most tracks stay under six minutes), some parts in the first half of this album indeed just plainly annoyed me. Getting to track number seven (“Amber Sun”) without losing my nerves took me four tries. Well, patience pays off… “Amber Sun” is the first track since the intro that unfolds an attraction beyond black metal aesthetics and gets the best out of this uncommon experimental setup. Forgotten is the relentless staccato, the incessant pounding of these agonisingly fast drums. Surging and grim, this standout track draws you with its ever increasing speed, sparse but accentuated drumming and addictive melody towards… what? …a cover of Offenbach’s Can Can and thus into the gaping maw of madness! With the first tentative distorted chords of this widely known classic, ORGANIUM finally makes some sense to me – as an aural incorporation of lunacy. Suddenly flocks of dancing skeletons join in my head for what will toll the grand finale of this disturbing release. The rift between this jolly, uplifting tune and the harsh, vast distorted sound of the organ create an enthralling contrast and promise that the best part of this record has just begun. And indeed, with two more classical covers (“Hungarian Dance No. 5” by Brahms and “O Fortuna” by Orff) “The Rage” finally makes up for the painful haste through the first few tracks. After the last note of “O Fortuna” echoes out, a lengthy space ambient track mercifully soothes the frantic, startled listener and, enshrouded in its cold embrace, lets him drift into oblivion. Perhaps it is the sense of having fought hard to get to this or point or the sheer beauty of the closing track “Flight” – either way this track leaves a positive last impression of “The Rage” and makes me ponder that it might be worthwhile to get this album if only for the sake of being able to listen to “Flight”. If this were an EP consisting only of tracks seven till eleven of the actual album, I would call it perfect. But as matters are, let’s finish this review with describing “The Rage” as an extraordinary release that already through its utter weirdness stands out of van Cauter’s discography – but is extremely hard to digest if you are not prepared for some serious madness.