### Minsk: The ritual fires of abandonment

#### 31/03/07 || The Duff

I was on the look out for something new, and considering that about eight out of ten of the past albums I had purchased had been some variety of tech death, I was looking for something without insanely composed guitar riffs fired out a hundred miles a second atop incessant blasts and drum-fills. Now, I’m not really paying much attention to the current black metal scene (I think Borknagar was the last band I really followed closely), and prog not really holding enough testicular swing for me at the time, I didn’t have much choice as to what kind of metal genre to delve into. Enter a decent review of Minsk’s latest up on Blabberpenis… tickle me surprised, as I never really thought the reviewers over there had much of a good taste in music, it being run by Road Runner and all. Well, to cut down to the chase, “The Ritual Fires of Abandonment” is simply brilliant.

The review up on the Blabberfucksite basically states that this here sounds like Neurosis, and the sticker on the CD case that I received in the mail some six days later (The End Records sure do provide a fine, fine service) mentioned that “The Ritual Fires of Abandonment” was for fans of Isis, Explosions In the Sky and Mogwai. Now, I could end the review here, as this is essentially the perfect description of the album: slow build-ups very much akin to all the post-rock bands of today, sludgy, downtuned riffs with balls, tribal drums and big, bellowing vocals almost identical to those of Scott Kelly of Neurosis, all combined and drawn out to form thirteen to fourteen minute epics that leisurely draw you in, violently toss you around and, finally, gently settle you back down on your feet with cum-stained pantaloons and a shit-eating grin.

The guitars on this album are tuned down exceptionally low, and at times you really have to pay close attention to the riffs in order to figure out whatever’s going on, or else Chris Bennett’s parts can appear drowned out by the drums and vocals. This is quite peculiar, as I find that albums of this ilk are best appreciated when played in the background. That being said, there aren’t that many guitar riffs of which to speak; much of the driving force comes from the vocals (these attain great levels of catchiness, almost sing-along at times), which vary between Scott Kelly-like grunts and meandering chants, and the drums (these tend to initiate most songs with little aid from other instruments), that are for the most part slow-paced and cumbersome, much like those on respective efforts by Cult of Luna and Neurosis. A lot of the heaviness that this album has to offer is therefore for the most part quite subtle, the guitars appearing to go from quiet and clean to loud, dirty and distorted simply for effect with little attention having been paid towards writing anything particularly thought-provoking; the vocals and drums appear to do most of the work in making this album deliver the balls demanded of it (except for the halfway mark of “The Children of Piety” – a blatantly heavy riff that ranks up there with the best of them).

The distorted sections on “The Ritual Fires of Abandonment” are actually quite few in number, making their somewhat seldom appearances on the album kick in with maximum effect. The bulk of this album is actually therefore very relaxing, and taken at an unhurried pace; the band varies for the most part between slow-paced, vocal build-ups with some non-intrusive percussive accompaniment and clean guitars that follow in the footsteps of Isis and the likes, as well as the odd surprise chucked in here or there to brand this music as indubitably something fresh. For example, at one moment in “Ceremony Ek Stasis” there is a samba-like (I’m out of my depth here, so you’ll forgive the lack of specifics – let’s just say something Spanish) section that slots in comfortably between slow-paced, Red Sparrows-type soundscapes and heavy Neurosis-inspired grooves. This band has also been duly complimented for its use of a trumpet thrown in amongst its compositions, and I must say that it really does fit in songs “Ceremony Ek Stasis” and “The Orphans of Piety” while adding a nice touch to the overall product. That being said, some people tend to bestow too much praise upon Minsk’s ability to insert this somewhat unorthodox instrument into such a genre, considering that Neurosis manage to use fucken bag-pipes (the mother of all ugly instruments) and make it sound like juices issuing forth from Jessica Alba’s vagina. All joking aside, the trumpet sounds great, especially in “Orphans of Piety”, where I’m reminded of the melancholic vibe of Dire Straits’ masterpiece, “Your Latest Trick” (it’s a good song, dammit!).

So, as far as a sophomore effort goes, this here is some great stuff, and I shall certainly attempt to hunt down their debut. However, there is definitely room for improvement; album closer, although awesome in its own right, does not flow as well as the two other lengthy tracks “Embers” and “The Orphans of Piety” – I think that some of the cleaner vocals let the rest of the song down (at one moment, the band remind me of Opeth, and I have to say, it simply doesn’t belong). I’ve often wondered whether “White Wings” could have been stretched out for a little while longer at the expense of a couple of minutes shaved off the closing track. Also, “Mescaline Sunrise”, as much as it sounds like the aural equivalent to taking a bath in Jessica Alba’s vagina (due largely to the use of an absolutely sublime delay, and not so much due to what is being played), it is still nothing more than five whole minutes of some guy noodling around the same three or four notes – in other words, someone jamming on mescaline and thinking that everything they produce sounds like elves having sex. I think that, considering this track is supposed to act as a bridge between songs (and therefore as necessary breathers between the lengthier material), something more appropriate could have been used; the ideas are there, but I don’t reckon they are formulated well enough.

I’m expecting that this album shall age well with time, although I think that Minsk’s best is yet to be heard; for this reason, “The Ritual Fires of Abandonment” scores a 7 (from a subjective point of view, it scores an 8), for as much as I think this album to be the tits in general, there are bands out there doing this sort of thing better (simply because they’ve been doing it longer). So I reckon that, for the stage at which this band is, this album’s killer, but I look forward to hearing what they’ll produce in the future.

7 Jessica Alba vaginas out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2007
- Label: Relapse Records
- Website: www.thesoundofminsk.com
- Band
- Sanford Parker: vocals
- Tim Mead: synth
- Chris Bennett: guitars
- Sanford Parker: bass
- Anthony Couri: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Embers
- 02. White Wings
- 03. Mescaline Sunrise
- 04. Children of Piety
- 05. Circle of Ashes
- 06. Ceremony Ek Stasis