IDMEN

Loud and belligerent, this is little more than a muddy assault on the ears. Understanding anything is completely out of the question because the vocals are uncompromisingly aggressive. It's unfortunate, really, because the band has talent and almost each track shows some degree of promise. Frankly, if there's one album for 2009 I could safely say I won't be hearing again, it's this one.

"Sansara" A slaughter of noise begins this opener, which has the drums extremely loud alongside an almost equally loud bathing of overdriven guitar. The violin has a unique sound to it, in that, while it's smothered by the other instruments, it almost has a woodwind tone to it. Almost six minutes into it is when it really gets enjoyable though, with gorgeous twelve-string guitar, thudding bass, more respectable (read: quieter) drums, and exquisite violin.

"Tusan Homichi Tuvota" I simply can't fault the tense twelve-string acoustic guitar and the extremely creative and expressive composition of the music. It's the vocals that ruin it, unfortunately. They don't fit the music at all, and sound like a drunk old man imitating a ghoul in some dank catacombs, with an equally drunk friend carrying on beside him with a giddy falsetto. The silly growling sounds like the vocalist is unsuccessfully trying to dislodge a half-pound load of phlegm from his throat.

"Sunken Bell" This instrumental interlude sounds like cinematic music for a gritty movie set in the humid jungles of some godforsaken tribal land.

"And who's the God now?!..." Heavy tribal drumming and ritualistic, hissed chants make me think Indiana Jones will come whipping his way across my living room any moment. Once again, the vocals are over-aggressive and unpleasant, which is similarly true for the guitars. There's a little bit of dynamics here, but for the most part, it's just a barrage of noise that doesn't sit well with me. The ending is an incomprehensible and brutally awful wave of nonsense, yodeling, screeching, feedback, and chanting.

"Indukted" This should appeal to anyone who likes his metal mindless and noisy. From the beginning, it's nothing but horrible-sounding guitars, clunking drums, and hideous synthetic noises. The intriguing work at the very end can't make up for it.

"Aemaet" Dreadfully high-pitched guitar cuts through more thrash- I hesitate to use the term "music." Mercifully, the piece gets quiet, and, using light cymbals, synthesizer and easygoing bass, the band paints a hypnotic and decent segment.

"Nemesis Voices" One of the more creative pieces, this opens with three distinct guitars playing different lines that weave in and out of one another. Surprisingly, the vocals are understandable, if only just. This is a far more enjoyable composition comparatively speaking, especially with the guitar, bass, and violin interplay in the final moments.

"Ninth Wave" Gloomily atmospheric in the beginning, the longest track on the album is a real relief, particularly with the lovely (did I just use that adjective in describing this album?) acoustic guitar and trumpet in the distance. The drummer shows some praiseworthy restraint in the beginning, but that is short-lived, as he gradually begins to drown out the other instruments. Very soon, it's back to the onslaught of brutal metal, although the calm exquisiteness of the opening few minutes is eventually revisited.

A final straw that explains to me why InsideOut went under - I caved in and ordered it through Amazon. My local record shop has not had much luck getting any "special" orders for InsideOut acts. King's X's latest was a big blow. Especially as I had sampled it through P2P, and then placed an order for it, all excited about supporting a favourite band of mine, despite the "free" option that was readily available in the web's wild west frontier economics. Repeated requests failed to get anything from InsideOut's distributor.

SO I overcame my reluctance and ordered Idmen through a web store ... after all, I truly want to support my favourite bands.

I even bought this album despite the fact that Frank's Music (,my local record shop), had several albums that I am still waiting to be able to fit into my music buying budget -Steve Earle, the Matadors, les Colocs, a few Saga releases.

So let me get to the point. This release is Susar part II. Or, to put it another way, if Metallica's Reload was essentially the leftovers from Load, then these are the leftovers from Susar.

They are not bad, they are not a torture to listen to. But to me, the album as a whole, and each of the songs are but pale imitations, almost clones of Susar's great compositions. And frankly, all I want to do is ditch this disc full of dung and put Susar on. Actually, the taste left in my mouth , o.k., ears, makes me put on Octahedron.

At this point in time, when I listen to the new Mars Volta, even when I play a narrow styled band like AC/DC and their latest - Black Ice - I wonder how could Indukti go so dry in the inspiration department so quick.

This disappointment with the group's music, added to my inability to buy a group's music through a label that went under for lack of "support", add up to a major negative reaction to the whole prog scene's belief in the sanctity of the physical product.

I have just paid $8.88 for a download of the new Voivod album -Infini. This is through the Sonic Unyon store . I have shelled out over $50 for various Marillion downloads over the past year. My point - the hoops I had to jump through & the price I had to pay for Indukti's Idmen just amplified the eventual let down that I felt when I finally got the piece of crap.

I wish that this review could have been more about the music. But then, if one wishes to take the time, there is a strong message between the lines here. About the music featured herein, but also about reaching fans, and about new realities that "progressive" music would do well to catch up with.

I.E. , If you loved Susar, you might like this one. But then, you might be better advised to spend your hard earned money elsewhere. That is my advice, eh.

I really didn't think INDUKTI could top their debut "S.U.S.A.R" but this may have done just that. First of all this is very different from their debut, an album that I considered a masterpiece.This is heavier, darker and meaner. So if you can't handle heavy Experimental / Post Metal you should stay away like the two reviewers above me should have. This will probably be my album of the year for 2009 unless Steven Wilson blows me away with the new PT album that's coming out. Lets just say I would be surprised if it will top this. We get three guest vocalists who suit the music perfectly, i'll talk about them when we get to the songs they sing on.

"Sansara" opens with an all out assault as the drums pound heavily and the violin playing over top of the riffs. A thunderous soundscape that really doesn't let up until after 5 minutes when we hear guitar feedback, then before 6 minutes a gorgeous melody with violin takes over.This continues to the end. Nice. A killer instrumental ! "Tusan Homichi Tuvola" sounds so good early with the drums, violin and acoustic guitar. Vocals from Nils (SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM) arrive after a minute.This reminds me of IN THE WOODS... because Nils sounds so tortured and the sound is heavy, dark and mid-paced. A change before 3 1/2 minutes as the vocals are spoken and the percussion becomes prominant. The vocals and sound becomes violent 5 1/2 minutes in.This is awesome ! Intense ! "Hawk kills chickens ! Hawk kills rabbits !". Spoken words are back with lots of heaviness. It kicks in even heavier. Vocals are so passionate. "The next day would be a great day !...monster hawk will surely die..." Incredible ! It blends into "Sunken Bell" with percussion and a lot of atmosphere.This is dark and mysterious. Love it. "...And Who's The God Now ?!" opens with tribal-like drumming as guitar joins in. It's building.Vocals repeat the same line over and over. "It's a sin...not mine". It kicks in after 2 1/2 minutes. Here we go ! The singer is Maciej Taff from ROOTWATER. He wrote this song too. Love the way he screams here and the heavy onslaught. It settles with strummed guitar after 5 minutes.Vocals return. It sounds like a bunch of headhunters chanting to end it.

"Indukted" opens with all hell breaking loose. A punishing assault ! It settles some a minute in but it's still heavy. It's eerie after 3 minutes. Strummed guitar after 6 minutes as it settles to end it. This instrumental rocks hard. "Aemaet" opens with screaming guitar and slicing violin as drums come pounding in. It's building. Oh my ! It settles after 3 minutes. I like the atmosphere here. I really like the drumming after 5 1/2 minutes,then it kicks in heavily. Hell ya ! A calm 8 minutes in as it blends into "Nemesis Voices". The calm doesn't last long (haha). Guitars come grinding in as it builds. Drums join in. Vocals a minute in from Michael Laginbuehl from PRISMA who also wrote the lyrics. This is heavy. Vocals whisper briefly when it settles then again later. Intense ! A stampede of drums to end it. "Ninth Wave" is my favourite. It opens with the sound of waves and seagulls. Pastoral sounds come in and take over including trumpet. The guest trumpet here is brilliant throughout this track. Drums 2 minutes in.The tempo picks up 3 1/2 minutes in. Killer sound ! Unbelieveable ! No words. Emotion is all I have. It settles before 6 minutes with violin then it kicks in after 7 1/2 minutes.The drumming is amazing as it has been throughout this album. The trumpet wails. Violin before 11 minutes as waves and seagulls return to end it.

I can't praise this enough. I'd like to thank Ewa, Maciej, Piotr, Andrzej and Wawrzyniec (your a beast man !) for making this album.Thankyou !

I don't know what has happened to INDUKTI, but "Idmen" sounds directionless. It's like a collection of jams, structureless, weird, switching one genre to another. Growling? I don't mind it, but HERE? I beg pardon.

We all remember how good it used to be. Very TOOLish/CRIMSO-inspired instrumental Rock, that brought a new and fresh breath in Prog-Metal. Five years wait ends with...I don't even know how to call THIS. A collection of rough and misplaced tracks played by a band of musicians who are unsure of what they're doing. OK, some of tracks are least listenable ("Nemesis Voices" and "Ninth Wave" are even somewhat good), but I'd NOT recommend "Idmen" to anyone. Begin with INDUKTI's debut first

Jaw Dropping Prog Goth Metal Masteripiece

When I first ordered Indukti's SUSAR, I was astounded. The sounds were so unique and fresh, dark and ethereal, it completely blew me away. My first impression was 5+ stars, but luckily I didn't write my review the first night I bought the album. Over time, it became clear that the band's gradual twisting and turning of their riffs lacked a little in terms of songwriting. I still like the album quite a bit, but it hasn't held up to multiple listens. (In opposition to most prog which gets better the more you dig).

Idmen equalled, if not eclipsed, SUSAR's overwhelming first impression. I listened to the album 3-4 times the first night I bought and felt like I was listening to music composed by one of the Nazgul. Goth ethos is always about dark fantasy, and in this case it feels like we're hearing the soundtrack for the Dark Lord's entrance into Armageddon. The most obvious changes are that the music is more brutal and heavier than SUSAR, which is no small feat. Mariusz Dzuda's ethereal vocals are replaced by three vocalists, the softest of which sounds like a very good Maynard James Keenan clone. The first two sound like demons, combining many different vocal tonalities including the most music appropriate harsh vocals I have ever heard. The first comes courtesy of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum's mastermind N. Frykdahl, who tells a story of a hero mouse's quest as if he were a psychotic witch doctor about to march to his own death.

The more subtle difference between Idmen and SUSAR is the improvement in songwriting. There is better use of contrast and movement to maintain interest on this album, more ideas packed into each song. Still, some of the instrumentals (especially Indukted and Aemaet) are begging for vocals. And despite the fact that this band packs complex times and syncopation at will, it happens so seamlessly that even the straightest metal fans will still thinks rocks hard. This is inarguably very prog, but could be put on at a (very metal or goth) party and still keep the energy going. In fact, the music sounds like the soundtrack to a dark universe, Matrix or Sin City or something of the sort.

The first four songs are sensational, some of the best goth metal or prog metal I've heard in awhile. The fourth "And Who's the God now?" is the best, a dark tribal piece with so much going on that you feel like you're be pulled under lava. The next two, as mentioned, might be improved with vocals but are still quite good, complex, multiple sounds, brutal. The seventh "Nemesis Voices" is a very good song in the Tool / Perfect Circle mode, excellent but derivative. The final long instrumental is a mood piece that progresses from soft acoustic guitars and a distant trumpet (a la Queensryche's "Promised Land") but progresses to fully on fury with meticulously executed blast beats and a monstrous guitar tone where the bass and guitars merge into one collossal juggernaut of sound. Finally, the music receded again to gentle waves and we are left exhausted but happy.

The band has evolved for the better, communicating more with their music while retaining their love of complexity. I miss the harp, and the violin sits further back in the mix than on SUSAR. After repeated listens, the songs hold up much better, though I still search for a lead point of interest in places as I mentioned.

This is a must have for fans of goth metal. This is so far ahead of Tiamat, Anathema, Paradise Lost, though all those bands have their place. This is a must for lovers of Tool, post-metal, and experimental metal, though the band really doesn't sit in any of those categories well. If Ulver combined their sounds of metal and electronic ambience into a prog monster, that might be the closest comparison.

Though not without a few flaws, this is an excellent 4-5 star piece of progressive metal.

Guitar is not so original here, huh ? Playing basically one riff all over the place, most of the time. As with this genre of music, I follow one rule. As long as it's listenable, I can appreciate it. But sadly, there are (as somebody wise pointed out) mostly noises and unpleasant music. OK, there has to be innovation and also a rebellion, but how far can it go ? This record has gone quite far. They are able to, they can. But in that case, I can't think so well about it. Only better tracks (yawn, by my opinion, I don't feel good repeating myself) are last two, Nemesis Voices and Ninth Wave, which reminds me Opeth's Watershed a lot. But the rest, I have nothing to catch by, nowhere to hook on and start something. This whole record is so hostile, that it's either me, or this album, but it's not because I hate style (as long as it lacks death metal growl, I'm happier by 1 star), or that I simply don't like this music. It's about what is this album offering. And I don't see much good things here.

2(+), but almost non-listenable, at least for me. And also except last 2 tracks, which raises the rating. I'm not against hard to get into music (I have to mention these bearded (I mean many times mentioned by me) Van Der Graaf Generator. This is also hard to get into music and voilá, I like most of their work. Same with Frank Zappa, or Gentle Giant. Even Magma. But this is ridiculous. I don't see almost no good here), I'm against irrelevant music. Music which can give you nothing.

Experimenting is a good thing. It's big part of prog. But if you make something so experimental, that it's unlistenable, then what. Rate it as perfect masterpiece, even if you can't stand it, not even after many listens ? Look, I've tried. After I wrote this review, I was thinking about what people brought to 1 and 5 stars ratings. And I saw my side more on 1 star.

Love or hate?

It amuses me that after 30 prior ratings/reviews Idmen has only one 3-star rating. I guess that qualifies it for the tag of a "love/hate" album with folks on both sides expressing themselves accordingly. From my perspective the music lies somewhere in between these ratings, Idmen being an album that perfectly exemplifies the 3-star rating at PA. Not a "poor" album, not strictly "for fans", but not quite an "excellent addition to any collection" and certainly not an "essential masterpiece." When I first listened to samples of Idmen I was blown away and thought perhaps I was listening to something profound. This impression did not hold up after spinning the full album over time. I am not someone put off by the ingredients in the Indukti stew, I can appreciate heaviness, experimentalism, harsh vocals, and dark themes. But I need it to go somewhere more interesting, offer more variation, and push some emotional buttons somewhere inside of me. Indukti has never done the latter much for me on either album, and on this one succeed less well on the two former points. A cacophonous wall of endless oppression, where the variable components are pleasant but sometimes seem like arbitrary afterthought. There are moments on "sansara" and "aemaet" where I nearly have to scream "alright, we get it!" I personally feel they over-utilize the heaviness factor and thus reduce its effectiveness. Sometimes that works but in this case it struggled to remain interesting. On the upside, I recognize the talent of the individuals and appreciate some of what they are trying to do here. I believe people should hear the work and decide for themselves if this is compelling or simply gut-crunching tedium. "Ninth wave" is the longest track and my favorite of the set, showing a nice progression from a peaceful beginning of birds and acoustic guitars to the unsettling trumpet ushering in a shift of mood, then slowly the heaviness descends like a thunderstorm until we are in Tool territory. The storm breaks past midpoint again and we are treated to nice violin and trumpet, though the threat of the heaviness is never far removed. This is a pretty inspired and thoughtful track, but I don't believe it is sustained enough through 63 minutes for a higher rating. While some great moments are found within, too much of the album just hangs on me like wet clothes, the moods being a place I can appreciate but the expression of those moods only occasionally pulled off with success. Fans of Susar should appreciate this one as well, expect Idmen to be a sludgier, more complex, longer, and darker affair. I just wish I could say it was a significant improvement, instead, it's a sideways drift in terms of overall quality. A true mixed bag.

The year 2009 has been a pretty strong one. Even with another quarter to go it not only added decent albums from known favourites such as Riverside, PT and Osi (even Megadeth and Depeche Mode have their act together again!); there were also a lot of albums that introduced me to bands I didn't know yet: Miosis, Astra, Decemberists, Dredg and the band under inspection here, Indukti.

I have quite a few albums in my catalogue but even so, Indukti manages to sound very much unlike anything else I've heard. They are a progressive, mainly instrumental, experimental, mental heavy metal band. So don't expect overdressed goofs making the horn sign as their main way of communication here. This band is in it for the music!

Now you all want some clue what they are all about. A first obvious reference would be the instrumental side of King Crimson (albums Red, The Power to Believe): lots of chromatic guitar progressions with even some frippertronics as on Aemaet. The band also has a violin player in their ranks which makes the KC reference even stronger. But it's made a lot heavier and louder by throwing in some thrash metal staccato and double-kicks drums, heavy distortions and loud mastering.

Other references, I don't know really. They are sometimes qualified as post-metal but they don't apply much of the repetitious improvisational attitude from that genre. All songs are very much composed and progress through different themes and moods.

Anyway, the resulting sound is very much their own and bound to drive unexpected listeners into opposite directions. From overawed devotion down to categorical disregard. Some of this discord stems from the guest singers on this album. Well, they sure are on the gruff and gothic side of things but, only 3 out 8 songs do feature vocals, so even if you're not into them, it's no reason to discard this album. And if they really put you off, you could still pick up their debut which features the adorable voice of Mariusz Duda.

What an amazing sophomore effort this is! It hasn't really been that long since Polish prog-metal quintet Indukti had pleasantly surprised a large amount of prog connoisseurs and collectors all over the world with their debut release "S.U.S.A.R.", but now in the second half of 2009, their second album "Idmen" happens to be a solid improvement on that, and it works not only in terms of exploring more colorful sonic schemes but also in terms of delivering a tighter sound overall. This band has always been proficient at inserting massive degrees of experimental and eclectic vibes into its core prog-metal sound, something inherently demanded by the fact that one of the band's members plays violin ? no conventional rock can come from that, not even "conventional prog rock". Well, the musical structure of the repertoire comprised in "Idmen" features elements from math-rock, experimental metal a-la Tool, psychedelically driven fusion a-la Gordian Knot, as well as some industrial resources. Also, the occasional presence of guests at trumpet and cimbalom provides a rich source of variety and textures. 'Sansara' opens up the album with rocking splendor, showing how well the dual guitars integrate each other's phrases while the rhythmic basis is developed robustly and the violin mingles in fluidly. Shortly before arriving at the 5 minute mark, the piece slows down a bit and focuses on a moderate dominance of acoustic moods. 'Tusan Homichi Tuvota' starts with an amalgam of acoustic guitars and cimbalom, in this way generating a deceitful calm that soon enough gives in at the emergence of neurotic metallic pulsations, fueled with agile exotic ambiences. The presence of Nils Frykdahl (of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum) on vocals is a crucial help regarding the creation of uneasy intensity and euphorically gloomy atmospheres. Arguably, this is the album's pinnacle? But not the end of it, since 'Sunken Bell' follows, providing a moment of mysterious cosmic nuances (like a David Lynch's movie soundtrack), and right after that, 'And Who' Your God Now?' brings a sinister approach to fusion- infected prog metal. In fact, the sinister factor reaches an electrifying climax of magic and madness in the delirious coda's ritualistic cadences. 'Indukted' is yet another expression of sophisticated thunderstorm Indkuti-style, in some ways seasoned with math-rock oriented tricks. 'Aemet' begins as a continuation of the implacable neurosis that had been delivered in the previous track, and ends equally: in the middle, a spacey interlude brings back some memories of pre-"In Absentia" Porcupine Tree. 'Nemesis Voices' is basically based on a recapitulation of the sort of mood we found before in tracks 1 and 6. The album's last 11 ½ minutes are occupied by 'Ninth Wave', which delivers a powerful ending for "Idmen". It gets started with contemplative ambiences (featuring mesmerizing lines on trumpet). Further on, a delicious acoustic guitar duet settles a simplistic framework from which a warm, mysterious mood emerges and fills the whole environment in which the listener remains sitting comfortably (will they be still sitting comfortably by then?). The crescendo that starts at the 3 minute mark is led by the trio of violin and 2 guitars, and so the main body states yet another great example of intelligent energy. The insertion of a brief fusion-esque interlude is funny but not distracting. Finally, the sounds of sea waves and seagull screams signal a special epilogue for this special progressive 2009's gem. Indukti progresses, indeed.

Beside another great Polish band Riverside album, released same (2009) year, "Idmen" possibly could stay as another most interesting heavy rock work of the year. But if Riverside recorded great example of vintage progressive metal, Indukti is more experimental and future oriented band.

Complex combination of technical calculated progressive metal sound with symphonic strings/arrangements and heavy prog experimentalism gave us attractive music with many layers.

Even if you can find there many influences, the music sounds original, as no one else played before. OK, I believe vocals there is more question of taste, and not fully what I would like to hear. But common impression is great anywhere.

There are many very controversial reviews for this album. To be honest I don't know ,what is the reason. Even if the music there is not old fashioned straight forward vintage prog metal a-la Dream Theater, the level of experimentalism isn't so high to make this music hardly accessible. From another hand, the sound is enough complex, but melodic, not too much electronics, funky rhythms or hip-hop were added. May be for some this sound looks boring, what makes me wonder.

Anyway, I can compare this album in some sense with my beloved early The Mars Volta albums. Just without chaos, nervous cacophony and hyper-psychedelic sound. With calculated metal sound, some classic symphonic elements and very different vocals added instead.

I can recommend this album as one of the best progressive heavy album of the year 2009.