Unknown, The: In Search of the Unknown

When I downloaded this album, my music player categorized it under "blues," but that isn't quite right. Rather than blues, this album is really a mélange of post-doom and dark atmospheric music. The sole track on this album is a 40 minute exploration of a range of ideas, many of which have to do with understanding the nature of things, why some people suffer more than others, and whether or not there's a cosmic purpose. The song has four parts: 1) Into the Unknown, 2) Symphony of Darkness, 3) Symphony of Planets, and 4) In Search of the Unknown. Listening to this album is a bit like watching sequences from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The music is cerebral, dark, human, mysterious, and strong. And it takes its time. For well over 20 minutes, the music floats on minimalist musical passages, spoken word sections, and atmospheric sounds. In the last section or so, the music transitions into something that resembles doom metal in a more conventional sense.

This album is all about challenging expectations, of reconfiguring the ways we think about extreme music, and attempting to discover sense in all the sadness. The music is dark and intriguing and often performed with style, grace, and subtlety. I liked much of what I heard but there were times when I wondered how things might have been broken up differently. Still, it makes for a fascinating listen; just don't go to it expecting traditional extreme music. This is The Unknown's first full-length release. The band has already released two singles before now. I don't know much about the band or its members. What I do know is that this band is the only one of its kind in Iran. As I listened to this album, I wondered about the state of the extreme music scene in Iran and what, if any, cultural elements shaped the band's overall sound.

Track Listing:
1. In Search of the Unknown

Added: October 21st 2016
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1675
Language: english

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