SAMPLERIA

Big disadvantage of this album is that it's made of using synths only. Electronic drummer, guitars. Everything backed by more or less furious drum rhythm. Unfortunately, sounds on this album doesn't work as they do on Easterica. Not sure why, but this difference is here and it's quite markable. I'm afraid to say that it's almost unpleasant to listen certain parts (especially these with fast paced drums).

I have to say that second part is much better, especially Inutile Life, providing more calm style where the result is slowly forming. Very slowly, but these works far better for me.

2(+), because second side saves the day. A little bit.

'Sampleria' - Misanthrofeel (6/10)

An electronic one-man project hailing from Russia, Misanthrofeel is an artist that has only recently come to my attention. Using artificial, digital sounds to emulate instruments, the man we only know as Dmitry creates layers of dark and doomy metal-influenced music with a computer. This debut 'Sampleria' introduces the world to a full-length dose of this unique blend of music, with a great deal of improvements over previous demos.

While some might be put off entirely by the fact there is no live performance with this music (only programming,) it should be known that this is not an artistic choice, but rather a financial inconvinience. Despite the lack of feeling real instruments might give here however, the compositions Dmitry has written here range from interesting to straight-up enveloping. Using a host of influences from around the metal realm (ethnic sounds mixed with industrial and doom,) the end result is an incredibly dark soundscape of exotic despair.

The album can easily divided into two halves. The first half of the album relies more heavily on the energetic industrial metal tracks that would sound much better played with real instruments, to properly capture the intensity. 'Sampleria' finds a real streak of unfettered brilliance with the second half, however. While the first may have seemed to be trying too hard to sound like heavy metal, the second half relies on extended compositions and atmospherics; something much better suited for artificial sounds. Stretched out doom anthems are the order of the day here, including the grief-stricken 'Hope For Nothing' and the most powerful piece on 'Sampleria,' 'Inutile Life.' Much in the style of Cult Of Luna, these tracks take their time to build, but only gather more intensity and beauty as the minutes plod along.

While my largest complaint with the music of Misanthrofeel has always been that it would be much better off with live instrumentation, there are indeed sections here that I think benefit from the cold, unfeeling computer sounds. The doom pieces sound that much more forlorn without an actual human playing them. While I had my doubts, 'Sampleria' proves that Misanthrofeel can take what little it is given in terms of resources, and still make some powerful music with it.

The debut from this young Russian artist. It is pretty easy to compare this band to Senmuth. They comes from the same country and the same city. Moscow though is a massive city. A metropolis, no less.

Misanthrofeel is based on electronics and is a bedroom project. Or a studio project if you want. But a laptop fits perfectly in a bedroom. The music is pretty simplified with some structures which is taken out to the end. This album is mainly based on tribal rhythms and harsh sampled guitar sounds. This is a metal album with sampled instruments, created in a bedroom. There is no organic material here. In the good old days, we called this industrial metal.

The songs are half decent. Just half decent. It does not sounds like there is much creativity here as in progressive rock. There are a couple of decent melody lines here and that's all. But the bad sound is a big problem here and it is therefore heading for my turkey yard. In short, don't bother.

1 star