A grandiose conception of musical drama, set with psychological developments within a collection of unique plots. Think futuristic soundwaves, distorted developments that explode into surrealistic temporary dance like themes, while also dropping into the calm. On the tranquil side, the colors expand like ink dropping into clear waters or spring flowers opening up to the sun—embellishments that offer rays of light.
A dramatic cyclone of dark enchantment—so very often misleading
As the cogs turn, the furnaces burn. The output delivers metallic soundscapes that form the vast spectrum around Stendeck’s latest release Carnage. Stendeck, formed in 1999, is fronted by Alessandro Zampieri, who also excels as a classically trained pianist.
Carnage can be deliberately dark, with the vibrance of industrial European opening up to external impressions of deeper spirituality—choral additions give way to the instinct for grandeur, while energetic beatmaps offer juxtaposition. Opener “Ceremony of Innocence” is a telling example of such a vibrant metallic sheen of backdrop that embraces the frantic beats, and so it leads from this point on. Cinematic in personality, this release demonstrates an outstanding talent for dramatic expression throughout. It occupies a majestic setting, a swirling ensemble of beats and space. Melodic overtones are evident, often in the form of accompanying radiant crescendos. “Somewhere Nobody Knows” alongside plenty of sparkling embellishments, showcases purposeful vocal melody. Slow paced, but with a depth that offers unique ambience, especially given its ornate gentle piano notes that emerge like pure snowdrops on a dark landscape. It finishes with reflections in a deep pool of tranquil waters.
Tender piano motifs are evident at various points throughout, often contrasting alongside the static backgrounds that provide the templates on which the melodic patterns interweave with a transitionary strength and enthusiasm.
“The Lost Gardens of Heligan” looks to ethereal skies; a choral magic, engulfed in a brief dramatic and faint shimmering ambience and yet more emotional piano overtones.
“Streams of Oblivion” delivers a tuneful and tantalizing blend of daring static and even more intrepid is the factory of sounds and the Picasso blur of color—both wild and purposeful, that forms “The Downstairs Room.” The engine room steam itself reaches boiling point with “Red Neon,” while “Eyeless Creatures Gently Stifle the Ivy Lady” sounds as sinister as its title—a secret garden of thorny paradise, that soon finds a defined pathway through a dense viridian landscape, marked with stabs of synth and by mid-point becoming entangled with a disturbing setting. It’s a dramatic cyclone of dark enchantment—so very often misleading.
Cinematic in personality, this release demonstrates an outstanding talent for dramatic expression throughout.
In summary, Carnage offers up a grandiose conception of musical drama, set with psychological developments within a collection of unique plots. Think futuristic soundwaves, distorted developments that explode into surrealistic temporary dance like themes, while also dropping into the calm. On the tranquil side, the colors expand like ink dropping into clear waters or spring flowers opening up to the sun—embellishments that offer rays of light, soaked up by the otherworldly choral atmospheres often alongside quietly contemplating piano sounds in their purist and most naked form.
Carnage is available on Hymen. [Bandcamp]
