METATRON

4.5 stars. Well first of all i'd say that this double album from Richard Pinhas (HELDON) is one of the most adventerous Electronic recording i've heard. He gets lots of help from former HELDON bandmates including Didier Batard (bass), Partick Gauthier (Mini- Moog), Alan Renaud (guitar) and Antoine Paganotti (drums). Some know Antoine from MAGMA but he's just on vocals there, although Vander has let him drum during MAGMA concerts before. I was pleasantly surprised to also see that Chuck Oken from DJAM KARET was here helping out on synths. I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea much of the time at what i'm hearing when I listen to this double album. Richard was a huge fan of Robert Fripp's use of tape loops back in the day that is commonly refered to as Frippertronics. Well let's just say we get tons of that along with drones, sequencers and a lap top computer thrown into the mix. All I know this all sounds pretty incredible turned up loud.

"Tikkun (Part 1):The Unification Of The Name" features these electronic sounds that pulse along with guitar. Drums join in and start pounding away in a free manner. Deep bass sounds after 6 minutes.The drums stop before 14 minutes as it winds down. "Aleph Number 1" has these spacey sounds that build. Spoken English words come in as he tells a story starting a minute in. Drums join in and start to dominate.The spoken words stop and we get some mini-moog after 5 minutes.The guitar is ripping it up. Spoken words are back after 7 1/2 minutes repeating the earlier story. Spacey sounds end it. "Moumoune And Mietz In The Sky With Diamonds" opens with spacey sounds pulsing before the drums kick in.This is actually catchy and upbeat. "Shaddai Blues" is much darker with mechanical-like sounds that are repeated over and over with a spacey background.This changes 6 minutes in where it's simply spacey like the intro. "Metatron / Shaddai / Chabbatai" opens with very spacey sounds. Beautiful. English spoken words arrive before 3 minutes. Drums after 5 minutes. The spoken words return late.

Disc two opens with "Tikkun (Part 2):Tikkone Zohar". We get electronic sounds that build as other sounds join in. Abrasive noises also come in then voices.The atmosphere gets so thick at times. Amazing. Mechanical pulses later. It settles late. "The Fabulous Story Of Tigroo And Leloo" has a dark atmosphere with creepy sounds flowing through. A beat kicks in after a minute, guitar too. Great sound here. Pinhas is lighting it up. It starts to wind down late. "Metatron(ic) Rock" features mini-moog as intricate and spacey sounds pulse, twitter and build.The atmosphere starts to overwhelm the soundscape 5 1/2 minutes in. A calm comes in a minute later to end it. "Babylon Babies" opens with drums only then the guitar comes in making some noise. Great sound before 3 minutes with keyboards as drums pound. Some killer drumming here. A calm before 9 minutes to end it. "The Arsi : Isaac Louria Song" opens with electronic sounds that pulse. Drums before 2 1/2 minutes. Spoken words a minute later.The pulsating sounds from the beginning are back after 9 minutes then the drums. Nice. It turns spacey to end it. "Double Face Of Metatron" opens with what sounds like acoustic guitar and atmosphere.The atmosphere fades in and out slowly. Cool song. "Tikkun (Part3): En Penta Eddenai" has the same intro as Part 2 did. It's building. Lots of atmosphere. This sounds incredible. So powerful 6 minutes in. Loud percussion sounds after 8 1/2 minutes. Random drum patterns are pounded out with spacey synths.

I've been listening to this all of last week and this is my second time through this weekend paying close attention, and I can't get over how many things appear I didn't catch before. This is such a trip !

'Metatron' is a far more 'Pinhas' centred album than the ultra noise monger 'Merzbow' from Japan. Richard pinhas' hero 'Robert Fripp' plays a large part on this recording despite being entirely absent, willingly or not, on this lengthy double album from 2006. There's a large amount of processed guitar trickery with 'Frippertonic' experiments at work on 'Metatron'.

From the outset Pinhas plays guitar through electronic filters creating a shimmering, floating atmosphere, which creates an hallucinogenic effect. Stand-in 'Magma' drummer Antoine Paganotti batters out some arrythmical jazz drumming over the top of Pinhas' flailing guitar. At times it gets too much, sounding like someone's thrown six bowling balls down some stairs. It's a mesmerising slab of art which is a bit like looking through one of those old kaleidoscopes. Everything washes around without any sense of direction in the most random way. I can tell you one thing - the vast majority of 'Metatron' is unscored and is clearly a free-for-all slowly evolving jam.

'Moumoune and Mietz' is the one true tune on this album and its wonderful. It's uplifting in the way the world's best National Anthem - the Italian - sounds. There's a lot of very odd, turbulent and off kilter 'Magma' drumming throughout which never repeats and is very engaging. It's like the 'Merzbow' Christmas Carol you never heard.

Intensely looped fragments of vocals appear on 'Shadda Blues' amongst swirling electronics. Let's just say that this is not good hangover material.

'Metatron' is an entirely instrumental album with occasional spoken words that has an underlying threat throughout. Like an albatross hanging over your shoulders, waiting for the ship to go down.

And now ladies and gentlemen, the historical bit: 'Metatron' is, according to Jewish medieaval apocrypha, Enoch, ancestor of Noah, who is transformed into an angel. I bet that grabbed your attention eh?

Now, if you can convert your brain into the vibe and oppressive atmosphere of 'Metatron' then you could well enjoy this enormous recording that lasts well over two hours. There's one or two moments of 'Heldon' territory that appear. In particular 'The Fabulous Story of Tigroo and Laloo'. Although it's not much of a story as no words are uttered at all. It is however reminiscent of 'Un Reve Sans Consequence Speciale' from '76. Full of wailing, stretched and groaning guitars while a jack-hammer 4/4 beat pounds relentlessly.

There's some unadulterated Robert Fripp guitar sounds on 'Tikkun part 2'. A shameless theft of guitar sound that 'Pinhas' is only too willing to replicate in respect of his idol. Not only that, he seems more than happy to let everyone know.

More impressive are the the beat-less guitar tracks such as 'Metatronic Rock' which display wobbly, reverberated and highly distorted guitars

This is a real mixed bag of lengthy tunes that sounds at war with itself, not knowing what it really wants to be. A lack of focus is the one criticism I can throw at this. It seems to wander from track to track, punching left and right but making no contact with anything. Thrashing about wildly, like a bag full of cats.

At the end of the day I find it difficult to identify the 'Merzbow' contribution. Of the 20 odd CD's I own by him I can't hear much of his input at all. Weird...

It's still a sonic electronic assault with all sounds being excellently produced and appearing crystal clear whilst played at high volume. Ultimately it's just all too long and drawn out. No matter how often I listen to this I hardly ever reach the end. Too much of the same stuff gradually wears me down. After two hours I've more than had enough. It seems like they could have done with a good editor.

Great in parts, but far, far too long. 'Metatron' turns into and endurance test for even the mightiest of minds.