It is surprising to see how the landscape of Rock and Metal has changed over the past few years. A little while back, Doom Metal was considered, perhaps assumed, to appeal to a very small part of the Music community. With more bands emerging out of the scene exercising this particular style, there’s a lot on the table now with a myriad of variations and experimentation. Thus, it is safe to claim the interest group is no longer scarce but a group of hungry enthusiasts waiting for the next release to find out what’s different. Recently, I, too, jumped on the bandwagon. Enter – Black Reuss!
Since I’m yet to dig deep into this genre, it was obvious that something less extreme would be the one that would fit my liking. Black Reuss was the perfect candidate in that sense! Based out of Liechtenstein, Black Reuss is a solo project spearheaded by the multi-instrumentalist and producer, Maurizio Dottore. “Metamorphosis” would be his first outing under this moniker. In addition to that, the album will be released under Maurizio’s banner – his record label Black Reuss Music. Flaunting a comprehensive set of 13 tracks with a total runtime of, a little over an hour mark, I was under the impression that there would surely be some variety in songs and style – also taking into account that this would be a debut effort.
Before we head right into the sound, it is important to note the idea behind the album. Similar to how this will be his first step on both his musical and business ambitions, “The first stage of life is about the transformation, the transformation of a man who is between worlds and nowhere really at home” – he opined. Further adding that Life is similar to a river and that the progression of the stream would only increase the number of experiences in life, similar to how the river would carry more water down the stream. To transform this thought sonically, Maurizio uses a blend of Doom infused Heavy Metal with a small touch of Rock. But, to be honest, it is very difficult to define the exact genre – I would rather recommend you to give it a listen before getting into the genre distinction.
“Incomplete”, the first track on the album, also the first single to be released before the release, starts off slow with a clean section which transits to a more heavy riff coupled with an orchestral arrangement with a tint of organ here and there, giving off a cinematic vibe. The drums are driving, but what surprised me was the vocals. They’re….mesmerizing – going into the song thinking of something extreme – the clean was a pleasant surprise. Needless to say, it works well with the instrumentation. While I was halfway through the album, I started questioning Maurizio’s decision to go with “Incomplete” for the first single. Because I was awestruck when I heard “Zeal” for the first time. After enjoying some of the finest guitar work and deliverance in “Anger” and “Pride”, “Zeal” had something that I was longing for – a sludgy and catchy riff which Maurizio brings back on his chorus part – just to remind you of how beautiful it is! The track also features some electronics towards the end before dropping you off onto a melodious solo. The second reason why I thought this would have been a better choice, is because of the length – it is only about 5 minutes, shorter than “Incomplete”, yet offering the complete package of Black Reuss and the stylistic approach of the band.
“Acceptance” starts strong with a heavy and driving riff without much use of electronics or orchestration. It was as if Maurizio wanted to keep the first half of the album about the melancholy and melody, with the second part featuring the heaviness – similar to river-life analogy, water getting heavier on progression. While the guitar work is excellent, the vocals are a bit monotonous, the deliverance barely changes with the tempo, so does the riffs. We talked about how experimentation has changed the Doom Metal culture and the community – well, “Love” is an example of it. Yes, we heard enough experimentation on this album already, which justifies the statement, but “Love” had a very different intro – something of a middle-eastern or Asian track. This is very catchy, and you would expect it to be used again on the song, which Maurizio, as expected, used on the chorus.
While the album boasts experimentation and a lot of influences, if you listen to the first two tracks, you’ll know exactly how the track would unfold. In the sense, it is predictable – the opening riff would be brought back on chorus and chorus being delivered two times before ending the track with a solo and a cinematic section for memorability. Yes, this structure is found on almost all tracks, but for Black Reuss, it seems all too obvious. Mind you, that doesn’t change my mind about Maurizio’s songwriting. The repetition is justifiable considering the length of songs, and at times it feels as if it completes the experience – especially due to the brooding deliverance that Maurizio uses.
Overall, this was a great listen, and I will consider this to be one of the strongest ones I have heard this year, so far. I’m very excited to see how Maurizio would go from here. His first stage of transformation can be considered complete with the first album already out. Would his next stage be persistence? Maybe a great choice for a Doom Metal album – a dash of screams and pummeling drums might do the trick! But, still, I feel as if a heavier album would be the one to go for if we look into Maurizio’s concept of life. Either way, I would be the first one to buy it, once it’s out.
– Sooraj Ram JS
Links: LinkTree
