SOUL
KILLING FEMALE - Landmines
Independent
SOUL KILLING FEMALE may be a one-man band, with
Michael being literally responsible for everything, but that certainly doesn’t
prevent him from being highly productive and full of inspiration. So, instead
of offering us an EP, or at least a debut album like most newcomers, he
delivers two full-length albums! Last month, I had the pleasure of presenting
to you his chronological debut, Utopia Mine, and now I’m here to talk about his
second work, which was actually recorded and produced more or less during the
same period as the first one.
I’m sure the first thought of the sceptics will be:
“What’s the point? All the songs must sound identical, or at least very
similar…” My answer to that is an absolute no. It’s true that there wasn’t
enough time between the two albums for the band to digest the sound of the
debut, but Michael has nevertheless managed to deliver something entirely
different here!
Landmines is once again an impressive atmospheric
sludge metal album, and it remains intense to the core. However, this time its
intensity lies mainly in the emotions and thoughts it creates in the listener
rather than in the sheer force of the compositions themselves. The rhythms are
creeping, slow and extremely imposing, while the atmosphere is so gloomy and
eerie that it immediately gets under your skin and refuses to let go until long
after the album has finished.
SOUL KILLING FEMALE write original and unique music,
and they take things one step further on this album. Each instrument was
recorded in a single complete pass, with no editing or fixing whatsoever, as
the intention was to preserve the right mood and, above all, give the
recordings a genuine live feeling. This approach works remarkably well and adds
an organic, almost raw character to the entire album.
Another impressive and rather pioneering element of
Landmines is its almost complete lack of guitars. Most of the guitar parts have
actually been played on bass, an unusual choice that makes the songs sound more
primitive and harsh, while simultaneously adding considerable weight and volume
to the overall sound.
Landmines is another excellent album from SOUL KILLING
FEMALE and further proof that Michael has plenty of ideas to explore. This is
not music for those looking for the familiar or the predictable, but for
open-minded listeners who consider experimentation an essential part of metal. Highly
recommended!
Christine
Parastatidou
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