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Negură Bunget

Poartă de dincolo (EP)

Written by: EW on 17/06/2011 23:19:01

And so with the visual aspect of the Negură Bunget of old analysed and admired, the band is still alive and moving forward with new material. Admittedly, this "Poartă de dincolo" EP follows last year's "Vîrstele Pămîntului" full-length as product of the new era but it sees the progress the Romanians are attempting to make, even if on the surface they appear to be rather small.

The 28 minutes and 4 songs here reflect a band not daring to be too dramatic with their distance from the past, but when that past does include "Om", probably the best black metal album since the genre's early 90's peak, the need to isn't great. However, this release sees a sonically tamer NB take the reins with the more blackened moments in the title track and "La Marginea Lumii" lighter and less frequent than has previously been seen. "Frig în Oase" is a slow, atmospheric instrumental resplendent of the band's past, and the main provider of the multiplicity of the band's percussion talents as their appearances are minimal through "Hotar" and the rest.

The atmospheric delights which distinctly mark Negură Bunget from any other band remain in quantity and with that reassurance what is offered is going to top most other attempts within the genre, yet all that remains to be said is it's not "Om". That peak is surely insurmountable, though "Poartă de dincolo" is no flagging attempt to reach it.

Download: Poartă de dincolo
For The Fans Of: Arcturus, Dordeduh
Listen: Myspace

Release date: 25.04.2011
Code666 Records