ETERNAL IMAGES

'Eternal Images' - Senmuth (4/10)

The seventeenth in what will inevitably become a discography sporting literally hundreds of albums, 'Eternal Images' is nothing new to the initiated Senmuth listener. As part of a growing trend for the Russian one man project, the metal-related strains in the music have generally been shed here, for a more ambient and reflective work of music. While all Senmuth albums (including this one) have merit, the tired, recycled styles used in the music, and the general lack of structure here make it a rather forgettable work, despite a generally atmospheric execution.

Instruments (or at least, the computer generated likenesses of such) from several distinct world cultures are used here, giving an exotic feel to the listener. For the sake of comparison, think of Peter Gabriel's soundtrack for 'Passion,' but less inspired and professional, and you have the sort of music that Senmuth has made on many albums, including 'Eternal Images.' While some pieces of work (such as 'Path of Satiam,' released less than a year before this record) have adopted this style and succeeded in creating an enjoyable experience, there is little here that ties the album together, or encourages the listener to go back for repeated listens.

For such a colourful album cover, it's someone surprising that the music itself is so bland. The tracks here can be divided either into a rhythmic, ethnic 'jam' of sorts, or wandering ambient soundscapes. Things here are executed well despite the feeling that alot of these instruments are fake-sounding, but the fault is in the compositions themselves.

The album is not necessarily unpleasant to listen to, but there is nothing here that makes it magnetic, or distinguishing in any way. With a little more concentration on creating concise, memorable pieces, Senmuth could easily have made this a much more engaging experience.

It's probably because I've been a newage fan, but I really like this side of Senmuth. The album title on www.senmuth.com is "Internal Images" that makes more sense than eternal. Also the track order on Senmuth's site is not the same of the downloadable archive.

This is important because this album has a sense and this sense can be understood by looking at the track's titles, too.

There is a concept. It's a mystic and esotheric travel around the world during which the ethnic elements are of course enhanced.

When listening to "Wayra", for example, you can't appreciate this short track without knowing that Wayra is an Inca word, and that sort of instrument halfway between a flute and a trumpet is backed by the wind of 6,000 meters heights.

Senmuth is not an easy artist. His music is not of the kind that one can put in his headphones while working or in the car while driving. It requires attention.

On this album, even when there are distorted guitars and frenetic drumming I didn't find the usual post-metal. It's evocative music and speaking of Images, it achieves its objective.

So let me give some hints abut the track titles and the order list:

We start with "Follow The Unicorn", followed by "Hagar Qim". This is a megalitic temple on the island of Malta, built with stones so big that the legend says that it has been built by a race of giants.

The "Urobouros" is the snake who eats its tail, simble of time and ethernity, and Uruz is the celtic rune of vitality and energy. Its original meaning seems to be "water". Let's proceed with "Amazonia" and the already mentoned "Wayra" (the best track imo), then we have "Garmonic Resonances". Well, it should be harmonic, but it may be a Senmuth's joke as Garmonic is a graphic tool that he may be using in his designer work.

Back to Europe with "Kapadoky's Caves" the incredible houses dig into the stone in the Eastern Turkey, and proceed Eastward to the Indian city of Khanda". East again to the Cambodian temple of "Angkor In My Dreams" to finish where?

No place can be better than the constellation of "Aquarius" of hippie's memory.

I hope those notes will help the listeners in enjoying this album.

4 stars for me.