Can you recall the last time you listened to an album all the way through, without stopping? This is an interesting question considering the state of mind that the world is in. Everything is based on speed and convenience, possibly to suit our ADHD. No one is willing to set aside time in the day for only listening to music, for instance, because there are so many other things that can be done at the same time! Unfortunately, this disjointed listening experience can result in a lack of absorption, a shallow experience, a short musical fix that quickly leaves the person. The best albums are the ones that you can keep coming back to, because the more you dig into them, the more treasure you find. Apparently Sioum got the message.
In I Am Mortal, But Was Fiend, Sioum took their influences from dreams, video-games, movies, and emotion itself, and made an album with depth. The ironic part lies in the music itself, which seems rather simple, but is a bit fuller than originally thought. You will hear anything from beautiful piano sections, to ambient music, to dashes of electronics. However, generally speaking, the album answers the question of what Tool would sound like if they went post-rock. If this sounds interesting, that would be because it is interesting. With its purposefully extensive use of tom-toms, progressive edge, and time signature bending, the elements are definitely there to be a Tool clone, however, they are quite the opposite. You see, Sioum does not have a vocalist, and they don’t always rock out, so when they eventually build up to the entire band playing, it intensifies the experience. It’s worth the wait.
With their progressive tendencies and minimalism, they successfully create a brooding atmosphere. Once again, the soundscapes never suffocate, but rather, it is the empty space that seems to fill itself without much trouble. It is similar in fashion to the mind’s cleverness, where the brain automatically fills in sentences that are missing words. Why make things complicated when you can produce the same effect with less cluster? Sioum seem to be quite good at keeping the listener interested, and this is the strong point of the album. Unfortunately, with its minimalism, I Am Mortal, But Was Fiend never reaches its full, mind-blowing potential, but it is still an excellent instrumental album.
Awesome this got a review. Absolutely love this album. Pillars and Fields are amazing. And if you didn't know the album is actually three songs split up to twelve. "Ascension" is the first 5 tracks, the next three is "Intervals" and the last four is "Rebirth". From where did you hear of this pizza? Excellent review btw, albeit a little short, I'd love the hear more of what you think of the different songs.
I've been traveling! The only internet that I can get is during my stops at backpackers' hostels! It's been a pretty long ride - I started out in Calgary, then went on to Vancouver, Victoria, Jasper, Calgary, Edmonton, and Saskatoon. I am now in Winnipeg, and if all goes well should be in Ottawa by the beginning of next month - so expect me a bit more then =)
I really miss hanging out on this site wuwu. Traveling's great, but sometimes one does long for the Sputbuds =)
