Neptunian Horizon: Descent

Descent is the debut offering from one man project Netptunian Horizon, being an album that offers up nine tracks not based on science fiction, or fantasy, but on very strange truths, conspiracies, metaphysics, philosophy and fringe physics. Or so says the albums creator Thomas Minderle, or Montalk as he is known. Montalk has already written two books on these subjects, which would appear to cover subjects such as human origins, aliens and the theory that our race is farmed by the aforementioned aliens as an energy source, among many, many other ideas. Taking these themes into his music Montalk has, through Neptunian Horizon created an album that intends to enlighten and educate through music's power to stir the soul into the realisation of these happenings, and how to resist them. Or at least this is what the press release "explains"....

Now whatever your own beliefs on all that may be, there's no doubt that it is a mighty fine topic on which to write an album, something which Descent covers, with varying levels of success. At times what has been lovingly pieced together over a period of three years is stunning in its breadth and impressive in its execution. However in other areas the effects used and desire to convey the lyrical themes over actually creating engaging music becomes tiresome and in places even a bit counterproductive.

Montalk is a more than talented guitarist and when he decides to sing without effects, his voice is pretty damn convincing, reminding of Green Day's Billie Joe Anderson, but in a far more "clean" style, allowing him to soar over the Doom infested, but almost Symphonic framework the music provides. Brought to mind at times are While Heaven Wept, Paradise Lost and even Orphaned Land, however at no times does Descent have the gravitas, intricacy, or vision of those three bands. What it does have however is a knack of creating some beautiful passages where clean guitar and voice pierce through electronic beats and fuzzed riffs, making for uplifting, engaging flashes, which are unfortunately drowned out by some less convincing sections. Deep registered vocals and sludgy riffs clog up songs like "Under Neptunian Horizons", however it is when an electronic effect is used on the vocals that things take a turn for the worse. "Lunar Thanatos" for example almost collapses under its own earnestness, with a painfully slow trudge being made to sound almost silly with the electro vocals coming across like some bizarre lullaby and while I've no doubt that the effects are vital for the lyrical message, as a listening experience it is excruciating. These sections are reasonably few and far between, but with church organs, programmed beats, choral voices and guitar lines all bouncing off each other, a more sympathetic arrangement would have made for a far more memorable result. It really is a shame, as when Descent is good, it is actually an engaging and enjoyable listen, with the little bursts of guitar and melodic atmospheres really making for some beautiful interludes. In the end though the sheer volume of approaches and the grating way in which some of the ideas are grafted together makes for an album that lurches from section to section, rather than flowing as a cohesive listening experience. That may well have been Montalk's intention, but in the end this feels more like a missed opportunity, than a blinding success.

Good and in fact great in places, Descent is a journey that is just too testing to take on a regular basis. For those looking to broaden their theories on life itself there is much to be pondered here, but even then, a cautious approach is advised.

Track Listing
1. Gnostic Insurgence
2. Knights Of Pleiades
3. Under Neptunian Horizons
4. Deep Black Lake
5. Prevail
6. Redeem The Fallen
7. Lunar Thanatos
8. The Lost Return
9. Searching For Agartha

Added: February 25th 2012
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Neptunian Horizon Official Website
Hits: 2478
Language: english

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