Fanisk

Die and Become (2002)

Fanisk embrace the feral meaningless of the universe from a different angle; one of wonder at the wide range of possibilities that this creates. The composition style is very structuralist in its approach, far reaching (often synth melodies for instance are shared and developed across songs) and massive in its scope as if it were an entire cosmic entity. This music is synth and keyboard driven, and like the great symphonies of the classical period, layers of polyphony create tension or at times aide the music in its quest for reflection, but it is always life-affirming and majestic; emotive and soul touching across a wide range of moods and themes. The guitar is used more often than not to break patterns of tension and conflict, often capping off the climax of a section with a tremolo melody that soars above the piece, like the timely and beautiful effect of a supernova, both dangerously volatile and unavoidably captivating. The music reminds of gigantic cosmic battles or the conflict of the Wills on a metaphysic scale; godly in its embrace and characteristically standing out with a gainly feeling of solar warmth. It the resonant brightness that this provides at its heights that gives this music infinite power. Simply at the upper echelon of extreme Metal.

Noontide (2003)

Noontide uses the same formula as Die and Become (see my description above). The guitars are slightly more prevalent in driving the compositions on this album, although the multiple synth tracks add a majestic, sparse and mighty feel to this. The crescendos on this album keep coming, the heights are unparalleled, reaching epic proportions and it has a solar resonance that is so grandiose and transcendent (without being avant-garde or bombastic at all). It's like an old god breathing the wisdom of his journey into your ears, resonating like the glow of a supernova as centuries flash before your eyes. The band has this tremendous capacity to write songs that ululate through different stages, taking the listener on a journey or experience over its course as melodies dance, then wither, only to dance again in new forms, the highs and lows of existence captured in a moment of time. True to its name, Fanisk is a phoenix rising out of the ashes of the ruins of second-wave black metal.