Customer Reviews

In the Pyramid

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3 star:		(1)
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While "Alpha Is Down" still remains my favorite recording from David (and it is the essential AKH album), "In The Pyramid" was above and beyond my furthest expectations for what this man could do musically. It's true that ITP is Ariel Kill Him's most broad and ambitious work, yet everything that is attempted on this album hits the highest note. Every emotional aspect and sonic range of sound has been covered on "In The Pyramid", and that's what makes it such and enjoyable listen. Beautifully poetic lyrics, hypnotizing melodies, magnificent song structures, passionate vocals, what more could you ask for? "In The Pyramid" has it all.

Where as the last album led off with the driving "Dynamo" (my all time favorite AKH song), "In The Pyramid" starts of subdued, slowing entrapping you with the soulful dabblings of "Seashell Eyes". After the first song it should be more or less evident what David was going for on this release; Rich, spacy atmospheres and lucius soundscapes, all while integrating his tastes of indie-pop and carefully placed electronics. "I Am Hollow" and "The Exclusive Moment Of Traveling Inside Yourself ", the album's two epics (clocking in at 7:12 and 10:00 respectively), are exceptional examples of beautiful song structure and dynamics, and David's amazing ability to integrate the listener into his world through his music. You can almost imagine yourself drifting along with songs. He doesn't disappoint fans of older material though, by adding upbeat anthems like "Not Today, Not Tomorrow", "Jimi Hendrix" and "Lepantara", all of which should sit well with any previous fan of the band. His best offerings though come when he is exploring outside the box, as evidenced by the clammering rocker "At My Favorite Place", which features distorted guitars and drums played in the background and slips in and out of cohesiveness, and the creeping "Auto Kalaha". David's lyrics continue to impress as he does a fine job of blending abstract poetry with emotional subjects. He doesn't always have to be singing about emotional topics though, as seen on "Jimi Hendrix". Basically the album is as flawless as you would expect anything from him to be. Every experiment, every left turn and every giant leep works extraordinarly well for Ariel Kill Him, and proves that David can continue to grow and evolve his music.

"In The Pyramid" comes with my highest recommendation, especially to fans of indie rock/pop. For Ariel Kill Him fans this is a must own. While it is extremely different from anything in the Ariel Kill Him catalogue (the "Labyrinths" ep would follow in its footsteps though) "In The Pyramind" is the most multi-dimensioned effort David has brought forth yet. Everything falls into place exactly as it should, and that's why this album is a pleasure every time it hits my cd player. Just be sure that you don't get lost "In The Pyramid".

Ariel Kill Him is the personal project of David Lehnberg who is from Sweden. He has been part of such scandinavian indie-rock bands as Leiah and currently Ikaros. Though these "full-time" bands haven't picked up much here in the US, Ariel Kill Him has a bit. But not enough.

In The Pyramid (which has been compared by some to The Gloria Record) is a stellar outing, exploring very different musical styles from song to song. For Example, the 7th track, "Not Today, Not Tomorrow", is a quite upbeat and full-sounding rock song with beautiful melodies in not only the vocals but in guitars and other digital sounds, and quite a number of other songs fit this "full-sounding" style. However, the song "Less Beat" features David's vocals and also female background vocals and acoustic guitar backed by some very sparse piano.

"At My Favourite Place" is the most unique song of the album. Though not accessible to many perhaps, its crowning feature is the off-beat guitar and drums that don't fit together by "normal" standards of music and create a quite chaotic sound mixed with the vocals. The song goes back and forth between the chaotic and beautiful, and these beautiful parts are some of, I think, the most beautiful moments musically on the album.

No matter where each song falls in the spectrum from the musically minimal "Less Beat" to the pop-rock-ish "Not Today, Not Tomorrow", it will reach some of the most dreamy and beautiful melodies and orchestrations of anything I've listened to. Though the Atlantic Ocean provides a significant barrier to the distribution of this record and others from David Lehnberg, it is an album that deserves much more recognition.

I recently got this cd off of a friend of mine and it is amazing. If you like death cab for cutie, appleseed cast, or last days of april, you will love this cd. Each song is uniquely crafted to perfection, I really suggest getting this cd.

..in a good way though. i really enjoyed a few of the selections off "In the Pyramid".
Alot of the softer more poppier tracks take on a pretty hypnotic life of their own, especially "Alarm", which could double as the last dance at an indie prom night, or "Jimi Hendrix", which sounds nothing like Jimi Hendrix.

But while half of the cd is dreamy and sweet, some of the songs are a bit irratating.

But overall, i suggest this disc for fans of dreamy indie pop alas Jimmy Eat World's Clarity, with an electronic tinge.