Black Space Riders-Refugeeum

A black and white picture. It's said that sometimes a picture can say a thousand words. What does this say to me? Possible refugee camp? Maybe it's a head quarters for a party about to go to war, and this is their place they crawl back to, to collect themselves before going back at it, back to doing what they are good at. It looks lonesome, deserted below the naked sky of the watchful beaming sun. And you dare to ask... Is it safe?

Track 1. Vortex Sun- A creepy sound echo's and summons itself. At first it has a subtle bass feeling tone, but then a clean guitar part whispers upon the air, another guitar beckons within the backing track. All of this while a vocalist sprays an eclectic melody about, though you can't tell what's being said. Dark and delicious bass lines rumble about. A very minimalist tapping upon a cymbal gives a beat, a driving bass drum hums in the back ground letting you know that something powerful is upon the horizon. The song awakens, turning louder, more aggressive, and truly terrifying. The beat has changed to something more structured. The melody has sped up, and then another change into something more eclectic seemingly centered upon the sharp snare and this isolated distorted lead guitar in the track. The vocals are expressive, and awesomely violent, though lacking clarity at times. There is a tight groove here. And the chorus of the song kicks in again, providing a tasty and heavy dose of heavy crazed distorted mess, a fuzz driven sort of sound it would seem. A heavy yet steady knock against the bass, rambles about through the track. Along with a dose of a slow but trudging groove. I like the echoing lead guitar though. I hear what I think is the beating upon bongos? The groove returns to the song, along with the heavy fuzzed parts of the chorus, thus becoming somewhat interesting again, and becoming alive. A few more distorted riffs ring out, setting a raw example for what may be coming next.

Track 2. Universal Bloodlines- A dose of quick and heavy crunch begins in sudden sharp spasms. The beat is a simple yet crisp well timed one. I am liking the short yet heavy driving syncopation here. The vocals seem like a dark creepy whisper, but with a echo quality. I am digging the stop and go of the riffs with the groove of the song. The vocals feel very off in the track almost buried in the mix. A sweet subtle wah is thrown in. Very powerful drumming. Vocal clarity is actually pretty damn good in this song, just seems like sometimes in the mix the vocals come and go in places. Heavy and crunchy, a nice solo is thrown in for good measure. More wah sweet! The hook of the song seems repeated, but it's still a pretty interesting one. Though the lack of creativity with the rhythm parts is troubling.

Track 3. Born a Lion- A heavy bass line starts a stuttering syncopated attack. Thumping drums and a clean strum create a mind provoking prism of sound. The vocals at first feel right there in the track, and then they sound like they are separate from everything else, it's a an interesting thing, but then you just begin to wonder what the hell is going on. I believe it's just a vocal effect at work. A slow, yet heavy trudging groove rocks about. A subtle but heavy and fuzzy melody fills your ears, with a crisp chorus, a bit of a noticed flavor is noticed, as are continuing tendencies. I start to get the indication internally that I am not impressed.

Track 4. The Lure- A raw yet crisp strumming guitar note and a subtle invading drum beat grow into a crisp and thumping groove. The vocal melody is the same creepy smoky set of vocals with the use of effects, the melodies wind together interestingly, along with the guitar riffs. A very slow yet eclectic groove. Vocal clarity quite good. Somewhat of a catchy feel to this song, the beat hooks and the intertwining vocals with audibly visible lyrics. The groove slides on, til a clean guitar riff, cues the loud chorus. The song gets thick fuzzy and heavy. A lead guitar echoes in the back of the track, with the same hook and interesting vocal themes thrown together. All added up it's pretty entertaining for a moment, but then it just dies. Leaving you wondering what the hell?

Track 5. Run to the Plains- You hear a flickering pattern that you wonder, is it a guitar riff or maybe the ticking of a clock. It stammers into your mind. A bass line has a low, yet somber baring tone. Vocals ease their way into the track, but nothing that impresses. A trickle upon the cymbal gives you a hint that a snappy snare tapping is moving along quite soon. It grows into some sort of eclectic groove. It has a bit of a minimalistic feel, but with a bit of a fuzz psychedelic feel sense about it. There are some interesting echoing lead melodic parts, but the song does not ramp up until things get thick and fuzzy. I don't know what it is about these vocals, at first I sort of like them in the music, but as the album has progressed along, they just feel so weak. The music itself is a fuzzy overload of static. I have found myself pulling away from this music many times during this review, it's not easy to listen to. Very few parts are worth a damn here.

Track 6. Curtains of Death- Clean rumbling bass parts start this seemingly boring track. The drums begin a bit of an attack. I actually like the heavy syncopation here with the crunchy rhythm guitar. Sweet riff right there. Passion is there with the vocals, but the clarity is questionable. Before I liked this main rhythm hook, but now that I've had a chance to go through and listen to the lead vocal's rattle on, this same old boring line, over and over is quite nauseating. The best way to describe this as a dark yet trippy mind fuck, and no not a good one. Occasionally there is decent melody here or there, or maybe there's a decent crunchy fuzz driven distortion but I am just not digging this, it does not excite me. And back to the minimalistic bluesy feel, where the singer mumbles into the mic. There are a few moments of echoing melody with the echoing vocals, it's quite boring. It feels like there's been a change of the placement with the mic. You sense things will get louder, perhaps darker. Some of the interesting fuzzy distortion returns, but you can make no sense of these riffs. You honestly want to stop listening.

Track 7. Melek_s Lament- A seemingly monotone filled beginning, transverses into something that brings question and no answer into the fold. A nearly inaudible bolting noise pokes and prods your ears with the annoying temptation of really making you want to throw whatever device this sound emits from. Very subtle melodies can be heard from the backing tracks. There is definitely a minimalist feel here. The mumbling vocals that at times you can tell or not tell whats being said do not impress they bore you. This music just does not move me. There is nothing exciting here, with the exception of the wait too long to get heavy and interesting fuzz, but even at those parts, you can't really make sight nor sound of the riffs being played, it's nearly in audible mess here. The music even halfway through the song makes you want to skip to the next track, to me the music is that bad. I really have to dig and find nice things to say, not much.

Track 8. Walking Shades- An eclectic beat begins the charge. A fuzzy non intelligible bass guitar part plays? The vocals, sounding yet boring and dull again singing things that you can barely tell whats being said. More psychedelic stuff, not really digging this. Sounds like the same formula from the previous songs in the album. The drum beat however is strong and interesting! This music just feels straight up strange as fuck. No, it does not excite or inspire me in any way other than to skip or end the song.

Track 9. Ritual of Inner Strength- A muffled playful sounding beat almost mixed with a digital effect starts this song. Things feel off set in the mix. You hear what sounds like a very distant melodic guitar, and then a bass jumps in. The beat and groove are almost catchy, but the music just sits staying in a dull gray area of nothingness. The vocals make their way in with a whispering mumble. The sound quality on this track, as well as the parts I hear, I do not like. Maybe the bass guitar is slightly enjoyable, but that's it. Other than that this track is pretty boring as well. It swells up, and wait's half way through the track to get remotely interesting, and yet again your treated to vocals you can't fucking hear barely, as well as guitar riffs that you can't really make much sense of, heavy fuzz.

The music drifts back to it's quiet annoying whisper like state, the only interesting part, the drums. And you've gotten to the point where you can take no more. At first when I started this review I expected great things, I guess I should not have had my hopes too high. What sort of nice things can I say here? Parts of this music are interesting, but very few, the music is very minimalistic and boring full of whispers and overly fuzzy guitar riffs. Possible recording issues, as well as mixing balance issues, unless these were done on purpose, as a fellow musician I don't know who in their odd fucking mind would purposely do such things wasting time and money. In no place in this album did I find thorough excitement or exact inspiration, all I found were dabs of interesting that's it. It feel's VERY MUCH between bad and mediocre, mediocre at best. Overall Rating 3/10.

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