Customer Reviews

Cosmic Genesis

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

...of course it is Vintersorg, so what do you expect? Follows the sound of Bornager's latest two albums which feature Vintersorg, Epic and Empiricism. Except where those albums tend to be rooted in the black metal genre Cosmic Genisis is more on the melodic/ambiant side and almost no black/death metal vocals. This is fine since I really wouldn't want something that was just Borknager lite and it gives Vintersorg the chance to showcase his awesome singing skills. Vintersorg also seems to have an innate ability for deciphering vocal lines. This is some of the catchiest stuff you'll ever hear, and it's not even cloying or irriatating! The keyboards are very ambiant and usually apparent throughout the album. The guitars are done well, pretty fast, and fit nicely into the context of the album. A bit of acoustics here and there. All layered over a pounding rhythem section. As far as it compares to Borknager I would say it at least equals ther newer stuff. Kinda like comparing apples and oranges, really just depends on what you feel like having at the moment. I recommend this very highly.

Vintersorg outdoes himself once again! This is an awesome album for any metalhead! Hes usual combination of clean vocals as well as screams gives Vintersorg a special quality, which keeps your ear glued to the speaker. The lyrics are great! This guy is a great poet, he's not singing about death, satan and mutilation, but folklore and nature. And he's finaly doing it in ENGLISH. I dont mind sweedish(though I cant understand it), but its nice to actually understant the content of this work. All the instruments are played very well and this is a top notch artist.

but I'm not laughing anymore. Wow. I have to say, this is potentially one of my top 5 albums, along with "Essential" (Robin Trower), "The Fragile" (Nine Inch Nails) and "Master of Puppets" (Metallica). The guitar work that can be found on this album is great, and it even has a Uriah Heep cover (Rainbow Demon)! I tell you, this is simply an amazing album. The folk influence is possibly easiest to see on Naturens Galleri, but it pervades almost all of the songs. For a two-man-band (Vintersorg and his friend Matthias Marklund), it certainly is a full and rich sound. Especially since there is no bass guitarist.
Cosmic Genesis blends excellent, smooth baritone vocals with guttural growling masterfully. The only thing left to be desired is a follow up.
A brief synopsis of the tracks:

Astral and Arcane - A solid starter. Cool lyrics and a driving tune. Draws you in.
Algol - Fine example of the excellent guitar work. Difficult to describe, as the song is fairly varied.

A Dialogue with the Stars - My favorite. Awesome riff in the beginning, fantastic blending of smooth and rough vocals.
Cosmic Genesis - A worthy title track. Spiffy lyrics, exemplary melody.
Om Regnbagen Materialiserades - I love music that isn't in English. Especially when it has masterful guitar work.
Ars Memorativa - I like it a lot, but seems a bit more pop-oriented than the other songs. Not to say it isn't good, just more poppish than, say, Algol.
Rainbow Demon - Really cool for the worst track. Gotta dig the organ, though. Nice touch.
Naturens Galleri - Another excellent song, also not in English. Gotta love that Old Swedish language. So archaic.
The Enigmatic Spirit - A song that you can play for your mother. Soft, melodic and eloquent.

Vintersorg is a very prolific artist. and in a good way, on the opposite of another equally prolific artist who plays a white Stratocaster and thinks he's god.
Cosmic genesis features english lyrics for the first time, and the man actually adopts a less pompous tone than on his previous albums. the songs thus, gain in credibility and still kick serious butt. "astral and arcane" is a superb opener for the album and sets the mood for what's coming next. vintersorg has a fabulous clear voice and he exploits that to the full. i can hardly believe the owner of this melodic and polished voice can have such a menacing black metal growl! This is an accomplished 'explorer' too since he's also in charge for all the instruments you're hearing (except lead guitars, shared with another member). "Algol" is what i call "progressive black metal", due to its high complexity. a track with an undeniable beauty which gradually unveils with every new listen. "dialogue with the stars" is my favorite song on this album; its acoustic/electric guitar duel on the intro is simply amazing and the chorus blows you to bits. the growled vocals sound the best in here. it's truely awesome.
folk elements start to emerge on the title track's intro and the riff that kicks in in the following moments is of a neck breaking beauty. tracks 5 and 6 are 'Sorg vintage, sung in swedish but missing non of the remarckable catchiness of the previous tracks.
i dont agree with one of the reviewers who said "rainbow demon" (an uriah heep cover) is the album's weakest track. he surely didnt care to give it a proper listen because this particular track was my favorite of the album, at a given time. it's obviously a controversial piece but its brilliance and musicianship are undeniable. a very well done cover.
"naturens galleri" is also sung in swedish and is an excellent song (although i dont understand a thing!) because its chorus is loaded with adrenalin. it also has a very cool intro with techno undertones.
the closing track is a monument of haunting beauty and melody; "the enigmatic spirit" is a mesmerizing ballad showcasing again, vintersorg's amazing clear vocals ability.
the acoustic guitars are as usual, fitting right into place and never superfluous and the double bass at the end of the song is such a nice touch.
this is not black metal. just powerful music with amazingly added arrangements and black metal's harsh vocals. if you happen to like hollenthon (who are more death-metal oriented, but with the same kind of ecclecticism in their music) you surely wouldn't want to miss on that one!

For those of you unfamiliar with what's presented here, Vintersorg performs a unique rendition of Swedish metal but with an emphasis on folk traditions rather than some kind of death/thrash theme. The end result is truly gorgeous sounding music with a very hard edge. The majority of vocals are cleanly such (think Vortex of Borknagar & Dimmu Borgir fame) in a beatiful baritone sound, but harsh vocals are added at various points to truly put a darker mood in the songs when necessary. This is a great piece of music, and any heavy metal fan should give it a listen to at least check out what this kind of folkish metal is all about. Stand out tracks are "Algol", "Ars Memorativa" and the title track. Check it out yourself. It's very intriguing, hard hitting, and even cultural.

"Cosmic Genesis" is the second Vintersorg album I own; I also have "Till Fjaells." Compared to the latter, "Cosmic Genesis" places more emphasis on the guitars and less on the choruses. The reason for this is undoubtedly the addition of a second member, who concentrates on guitars. Also, some of the lyrics are in English, rather than just Swedish. This album is likely to get Vintersorg much more attention than he/they have gotten in the past.

However, I do miss being able to sing along to catchy choruses like "Fangad Utav Nordens Sjal." And, surprisingly for me, I enjoy the black metal influences that are more prominent on "Till Fjaells." "Cosmic Genesis" is a more diverse album than "Till Fjaells" but also, perhaps paradoxically, less distinctive. For example, "Om Regnbagen Materialiserades" features catchy guitar hooks reminding me very much of Iron Maiden. "The Enigmatic Spirit" is basically a ballad, something new for Vintersorg, but carried off quite adeptly. Vintersorg's vocals are better than in the past, having less of that fake bombastic tone.

No fan of progressive folk metal can go wrong with this album. High 4 rating.

This is hands down a masterpiece in the genre of black metal progressive rock. Vintersorg are in a class by themselves! I can't explain how brilliant this album is. It mixes folk,viking,pagan,black,progressive and avant garde with the melodic and majestic vocals. I recommend ALL of Vintersorg's work. The vocalist also sings in Borknagar another fantastic black metal progressive rock band.