Customer Reviews

Far Away From the Sun

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

 

 

From the older styles of black metal, the Iron Maiden-influenced harmonizing progressions of Sacramentum are both heavy metal and black metal at the same time. The black metal shriek, distortion and battering warlike drums are all here, but many riffs and harmonic ideas descend from the better neoclassical heavy metal bands. The songs that Sacramentum write are distinct in that they project emotion in distinct and unusual ways, carrying the listener into a bittersweet world of existential emotion that the band creates. For those who enjoy technical but spiritfilled metal, this album is a rare insight into the passion of metal.

This is a comparatively old CD by the Swedish black metal band Sacramentum, and a quite underestimated one too. For me it contains elements of nostalgia, seeing as how it was one of my first CDs in this genre, but more than that, it is an excellent piece of musical craftsmanship. The style is nothing-but-black metal, in the same style as Dissection, but the quality and depth of this production is surprising.

The CD opens up with what feels like a wall of fast guitars and hammering drums, which gradually transforms into a more and more melodic stream of sound, as the mood shifts from gloomy and sombre in the first six tracks, into powerful and almost lively in tracks seven and eight. The lyrics have surprising depth, which, together with the high quality of the music, make the recording a pleasure to listen to over and over again.

I sincerely recommend this CD to anyone interested in the genre, and to anyone who may appreciate the music by such bands as the above mentioned Dissection, as well Emperor and other high quality Scandinavian black metal bands.

Even in the insular world of black metal, celebrity and sensationalism often serve to shape perception in ways that obscure the actual nature of reality. A classic case in point is illustrated by the relative notoriety of Dissection when compared with other Swedish black metal acts of the mid 1990s (most notably Sacramentum and Dawn). Despite being considerably inferior to and far more conventional than their peers, Dissection is seen as the leading light of Sweden's melodic black metal movement, largely due to the relentless self-promotion of band leader Jon Nodtveidt (who spent much of the 90s making empty threats against Burzum's Varg Vikernes), as well as Nodtveidt's much publicized arrest and conviction for the brutal (and unprovoked) murder of a homosexual. The hype propelled Dissection to a deal with metal major Nuclear Blast at a time when its contemporaries were languishing on small European labels with limited (or no) access to British and North American distribution channels.

As a result, brilliant albums like Sacramentum's Far Away From the Sun remain quite obscure (or worse, simply dismissed as 'Dissection clones') while a mediocrity like Storm of the Light's Bane is widely hailed as a genre-defining classic. This, of course, could not be farther from the truth. Far Away From the Sun is no Dissection rip-off, and, indeed, not only far exceeds anything Dissection released, but must be counted among the very best metal albums ever recorded.

That isn't to say that there aren't some superficial similarities between the bands. Like Dissection, Sacramentum developed an approach that focused on the melodic possibilities of black metal, as well as bringing a level of technical precision hitherto uncommon in the genre. However, where Dissection offered a summary of several generations of metal technique through allusions to death metal (percussion), black metal (vocals and riff texture) and heavy metal (tonal consonance and Maidenesque guitar harmonies), Far Away From the Sun finds Sacramentum firmly rooted in black metal while looking back and forward to a more classically constructed expressive form.

Technically, this album is masterful. While the playing isn't showy or athletic, it is highly complex and pulled off with absolute precision by the band. Music like this doesn't just happen, it requires great skill to play and great intelligence and passion to create. Far Away From the Sun is like a Gothic cathedral, a towering monument to darkness and light that yields its secrets reluctantly, but rewards the patient listener with a work of ecstatic beauty (the mix is excellent, making use of a subtle layering of instruments that is both echoing and dense at the same time, while still leaves each distinctly audible). Flowing, labyrinthine melodies with a distinctly classical turn are the order of the day, and this sense is heightened by Sacramentum's frequent use of polyphony and counterpoint (both between guitar lines and between guitar and bass), giving Far Away From the Sun a decidedly ancient aesthetic weight.

Where Far Away From the Sun truly excels is in its ability to create and sustain a sense of unfolding unfolding drama, both internally within individual songs, and holistically, when taken as an album. A overriding tension between creation and dissolution dominates the album, played out through the clever manipulation of contrast: consonance wars with dissonance and ambiguous resolutions, long legato melodic phrases are deconstructed by frenetic bursts of blasting percussion, and the essential beauty of the music is set against the throat shredding vocal performance of singer/bassist Nisse Karlén. While none of the songs are particularly long by metal standards, Sacramentum's mastery of dynamic tension (which emerges not so much in overt variation of volume, but in the more subtle manipulation of riff textures, chord shapes and rhythmic patterns to create contrasts in intensity) renders each song a truly epic mini-opus driving toward a conclusion that is simultaneously hopeful yet ultimately tragic.

an untouchable album in clarity, melody, and attractiveness. The vocalist is particularly difficult to understand, but just sit there with your face glued to the lyric book for 65 minutes and you'll be taken on a journey you'll never forget.

amazing. just flat-out amazing. not repetetive, original, shredding guitars left and right, full of blastbeasts... everything that epic black metal needs... and then some.

recommended to fans of anything dark - whether its music, books, or movies - give it a try and you WILL like it; you just can't NOT like it - its too good. any fan of the genre (that being "black metal") or even melodic and power epic metal should find the journey this album takes you on to be very, very enjoyable.

notice I haven't used the word "keyboards" once yet. to put it simply: THEY'RE NOT NEEDED.

don't forget to click "add to shopping cart" :-)

Why this album is out of print is beyond me, because this is one of those metal albums that is mandatory listening.

While this band hailed from the Gothenburg hotbed, you'll hear less similarities to At the Gates and Eucharist and hear a closer connection to Dissection. But a Dissection clone it is not, as Sacramentum are a band that goes beyond with their strong songwriting that flawlessly fuses melody with the cold intensity of the black metal genre, with classical influences tremolo leads dominating. The album as a whole flows together with each track, never losing its consistency or atmosphere.

This is by far not only one of the strongest black metal albums in existence, but one of the best metal releases of the 90's, possibly beyond that too! Pick this up no matter what the price is, because you will not be disappointed in any way.

The first time I listened to Far Away From The Sun, it reminded me of Xasthur's "The Funeral of Being" because of way it took me to another place (although obviously it is very superior to Xasthur) and the melody completely blew me away.

As I could find FAFTS absolutely no where, I inquired the label, and they had none and are not going to reprint any time soon, HOWEVER they started selling promotional copies that were intended for distros, zines, radio, etc. and I jumped the "Buy Now" button.

And boy am I so glad I did because this definitely one the best albums I've ever heard. And as far as people saying this is merely a Storm of the Light's Bane-clone, I will SLAY you because this is much superior to it, or anything Dissection has put out. (However not saying Storm of the Light's Bane is bad because it too is amazing album, I just think Far Away From The Sun is better in my opinion)

Buy this album if you can find it. Seriously.

Ahh this is excellent Swedish melodic black/'death' metal like Dissection. This one rules!Awesome melodies.