NEGURA BUNGET "Om" Reviews

[sopor]

http://www.kogaionon.com/

I hardly imagine skipping this album's review! Luckily, a reader reminded me about not writing a thing about the last release of these guys from Timisoara. OK. I know Negru since he was sketching the first demo with WICCAN REDE and during these last twelve years we've come across on several occasions. I know his interest towards history, in fact we follow the same path in this matter, yet he's far more involved and profound in his quests. Moreover, I know he prizes Norse Black Metal and that Fenriz is a drummer truly admired by him. Therefore, tradition entwines with Black Metal and generates the concept that has inspired for over fifteen years certain select groups; that's the ignition of derivates towards Heathen, Norse, Pagan, Viking Metal. In NEGURA BUNGET's case, they've tried throughout each and single one of their albums to individuate the sound, based on the aforementioned elements. Despite the fact they already have numerous fans, until this very album there was no sound identity. Of course, the sound was quite fine before too, consisting in quality Black Metal alongside the sporadically use of charming traditional elements, plus the band's seriousness both in studio and on tours, and a high quality imagery, all that have brought them the cult etiquette. These are the key elements that made NEGURA BUNGET the most known, respected and adored Romanian Black Metal band. Throughout "Om", NEGURA BUNGET enlivens the concept of transcendence within the listener, unveiling a remarkable Epic dimension, one that lacked their sound before. Passing by the folkloric instruments that they play and which are caressing the ears and smashing the sight during live performances, I also get over the atmosphere enhanced by an intelligently used keyboard that rarely scents fake due to the prolonged and repetitive accords, moreover I elapse the mioritic aura uncovered by the ambient fragments... but all in order to praise the way archaic/traditional gathers Black Metal within this material! I believe this is the point where NEGURA BUNGET succeeded into clearly contouring the bridge between the two dimensions, truly inspired on some pieces, other times far too brutal, the eternal copy - paste. The voices seem to have understood that vowel gradations open the gate towards perfection and, from this point of view, I see an obvious progress. It is, if you wish, the same concept that Overlord followed on "HEart of The Ages"/IN THE WOODS... "Cunoasterea tacuta" is the most eloquent example for that. Moreover, this sequence's video is truly superb, excellently contouring the Carpathian - Danubian - Pontic dimension, throughout a soundly pendulum waving from melancholia, towards real, via epic. Well, I've got a problem with the guitars all right, as they keep the Norse Black Metal scent and I find it hard to accept that Romania's most appreciated band hasn't find its way into demarcating from the Northern sound lines! "Om" is also the most experimental album in this band's history, proving that NEGURA BUNGET uncovers multiple resources... it's just that, until now, they haven't reach the right form of expression. How does Transcendental Ambient Atmospheric Black Metal sound to you? Quite fine, even bombastic, yet there are far too many distinct elements harboured in the same sound, aren't they? Well, this is my sense over the album! "Hora Soarelui" is the most beautiful and harmonious piece, and also the most representative one for the new NEGURA BUNGET sound. It is the Metal version for PHOENIX if you wish! The album has an exquisite digipack, conceived by the same master of imagery Dan/Encoil, and deeply resonant with the traditional and transcendental musical approach of the band. Plus, we have a high quality DVD, with several videos, concert fragments and a detailed interview with the members of the band. Once you run over these details, there is no way to miss out the deep symbolism inspiringly created by NEGURA BUNGET within "Om"!
Rating: 0.90/1

Nu stiu cum am sarit recenzia acestui album! Noroc cu un cititor ce mi-a reamintit ca nu am scris nimic despre ultima realizare a timisorenilor. OK. Ma cunosc cu Negru inca de pe vremea cand schita primul demo cu WICCAN REDE si in decursul celor doisprezece ani ce s-au scurs de atunci ne-am tot intersectat cu diverse ocazii. Ii cunosc inclinatia spre istorie, vorbim de fapt aceeasi limba, doar ca el este mult mai implicat si cerceteaza in profunzime. La fel, stiu ca este un admirator al Black Metal-ului norvegian, Fenriz fiind unul dintre bateristii preferati. Asadar, traditia impletita cu Black Metal duce la conceptul ce se poarta de peste cincisprezece ani in grupurile selecte. De aici derivatele spre Heathen, Norse, Pagan, Viking Metal. In cazul NEGURA BUNGET, album de album au incercat sa-si creeze propria identitate, avand la baza conceptele amintite. Desi piata este plina de fani NEGURA, pana la acest album nu puteam spune ca vorbim de o identitate proprie. Sound-ul era ok, Black Metal-ul de calitate, elementele traditionale folosite sporadic isi aveau farmecul lor, seriozitatea lor atat in studio cat si in turnee le-au adus statutul de cult, imagistica fiind si ea la inaltime. Astfel a ajuns NEGURA BUNGET cea mai cunoscuta, respectata si adulata trupa Black Metal din Romania. Cu "Om" insa, NEGURA BUNGET a reusit sa trezeasca in ascultatorul roman conceptul transcendental, cu o dimensiune Epica remarcabila, ceea ce pana acum lipsise sound-ului lor. Trec peste instrumentele folclorice folosite, care fac deliciul urechii si al vazului in concert, trec peste atmosfera creata de un keyboard inteligent folosit, doar ca uneori da senzatia unei falsari datorita prelungirii si repetarii acordurilor, trec peste aura mioritica dezvoltata de pasajele ambientale... ma opresc doar la mixul de arhaic/traditional si Black Metal! Cred ca de abia acum NEGURA BUNGET reuseste sa contureze clar puntea intre cele doua dimensiuni, uneori facand-o inspirat, alteori parca prea brutal, eternul copy-paste. Vocile par a fi inteles ca doar alternanta duce spre perfectiune si, din acest punct de vedere, constat un progres indubitabil. Este, daca vreti, conceptul pe care Overlord l-a urmat in "HEart of The Ages"/IN THE WOODS... "Cunoasterea tacuta" este cel mai potrivit exemplu. De altfel, videoclipul acestei secvente este demential, conturand excelent dimensiunea carpato-danubiano-pontica, alternand intre melancolic, epic si real. Cu chitarile am eu ce am, intrucat ele continua sa ma trimita la Black Metal-ul norvegian si nu pot sa accept ca trupa cea mai recunoscuta din Romania nu s-a delimitat inca de elementele nordice! Una peste alta, este si cel mai experimental album dintre toate, ce ne arata ca NEGURA BUNGET are resurse multiple... doar ca pana acum nu gasise calea potrivita de exprimare. Cum ar suna un Transcendental Ambient Atmospheric Black Metal? Suna bine, chiar bombastic, doar ca parca sunt prea multe elemente diferite in acelasi sound, nu? Cam aceasta este senzatia mea despre acest album! "Hora Soarelui" este cea mai frumoasa si armonioasa piesa de pe album, ea fiind, de fapt, cea mai reprezentativa pentru noul sound NEGURA BUNGET. Este, daca vreti, un PHOENIX in varianta Metal! Albumul are un digipack deosebit, facut de acelasi maestru Dan/Encoil, ce rezoneaza cu abordarea traditionala transcendentala a muzicii trupei. In plus, avem si un DVD facut profi, in care gasiti cateva clipuri, piese din concert si un lung interviu cu membrii trupei. Dupa ce parcurgeti toate aceste detalii, nu aveti cum sa nu intelegeti simbolistica pe care NEGURA BUNGET a creat-o inspirat pe "Om"!
Rating: 0.90/1

[Emi]

NEGURA BUNGET LIVE REVIEW on TERRORIZER MAGAZINE #159

[Emi]

Originally Posted by Emi

NEGURA BUNGET LIVE REVIEW on TERRORIZER MAGAZINE #159

BTW, i was there, great show

[keenox]

Outstanding album, and I don't even like black metal so much! I tried to make a translation myself, but it is pretty difficult (although i'm a romanian) because it's archaic romanian.

Here are the original lyrics, in romanian. I've put only the link so that the post won't become too long.

English translation

reading hints:

ş - sh
ţ - tz
ă - like 'a' from the word 'an'
î and â - i can't make any analogy to english because they don't exist
ge - dje
gi - dji
ghe - like 'gue' from 'guerilla'
ghi - like 'gi' from' 'gibberish'
ce - like 'ce' from 'cello'
ci - like 'chee' from 'cheese'
the rest of the letters are read as in the International Phonetic Alphabet
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interna...netic_Alphabet)


Translation


1. Bad hours

Bad hour ... hour bad...
At midnight,
At crossroads they sit (they gather)
From the road they hook

...in open circle...
...and they sit in the middle...

(I think it's about witches)

2. Weaver of lights

(This title is pretty controversial. I first thought it meant weaver (rom. ţesător) or something related
to sewing, but I found later that it is an archaic word coming from old slavic (цесарь), which came from
the latin word Caesar. http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ţar -- second paragraph
Using the song 'To the clouds, I determined that 'weaver' is more appropiate.)

In an arch of wind, I wake a thought
Which blows in the awakening horizon...
In river of moon necklace
Flows the soma of eternity (soma is an alcoholic drink made from an exotic plant, considered the drink of
gods in the old indian religion)
On road paved with rare stone.
Drown in ancestral foams
The hot ruby spills
Through ghost of fire with burnt tongue,
On place passed by long night,
In old time without shadow.

In arch of wind, I wake in thought, (stylistic figure 'un gând'-'în gând' => 'a thought'-'in mind'(in thought) )
From flaming fog a body
Sipped from sidereal stars,
From kind of unwoven plasma,
From thread of enchanted water.

I catch a wish in arch of wind
For it [wind] to blow it into shape, which will come.
To the earth stick the body,
Like from dream to meet the sight
And from palms [hands] to bring deed to life.

3. The first man

And where the summer falls in a Thursday
There I will die
Good, or bad, all in a grave!
In the wind's blow...

4. The silent knowledge

Hangs the sky, the earth from above
From underneath the roots, stuck to the homeland,
In a straight rope the horizon is streched
And catches the air in a corner of sky.

Straightened is the unspoken unbelief ('de necrezut' = unbelievable, but i thought that this
Freed is the untold learning [teaching], translation fits the meaning better)
... very far away ...
Where all the thoughts die...

Let us let the word sleep...
Missing the words, speechless is the mind, [With no words, dumb(mute) is the mind,]
Clear is the head...

Thoughts flow, and cover the world,
Ball of tied threads,
They strain and tune
In everything that's false and doesn't vibrate.

When the done undone,
That has passed through the unpassed
Sat and partied
Through the unplace, [through somewhere without place]
In the untimed... [in a place without time]

The foggy and blurred eyes,
Of a sea of signs, [a lot of signs, it's a romanian expression]
Which in vain sprinkles embodyment, [look,appearance]
Drowning the look
And enslaving the sight
Of it's sheen.

Let us let the word sleep,
Fomenting his deaf world...
Behind blind signs
Let it rule over times
With spoken and hidden meaning,
Signed in callings of vigil
'til the last of deaths.

And where the summer falls in a Thursday
There I will die
Good, or bad, all in a grave!
In the wind's blow...

5. Treed (Brached)

(This title has also a tricky meaning. 'Arbore' means tree. 'Arborat' means hoisted.
When I first saw this word ('Înarborat') I thought of somethig branched like a tree or covered
with trees.)


Crack my mirror from beyond,
With the eyes' sharpness...
Face that unmoved spreads out inside itself.
They pin the worlds, they turn the lights
The inner silence unveils itself
Beyond the mind's meanders.

I crack open the path of the unspokeness, fallen into immobility
Walk through soul on unwalkable strings.
Deaf words cut out through the mind,
Clouds of words stuffs continuously
Humming with a rough sound.
To the left I turn my sight
That pierces through the inner shield, silence
Cought by eternal unthoughtfullness.

Calm wind that pulls me from beyond
Across the world, I'm carried by the zephyr
From the beginnings to the nadir
Wisely ruled, sliding like in a dream,
Whitening my dark ancestors of cliff.

I crack the power,
With my eyes' toughness,
In the marrow of the everlasting fir,
And like they stand in front of me,
Swallowed by the nothingness
Inside myself I look
That close to me,
Enlightened by that eye, enchanted
And I am myself.

6. Underneath

In the breast of the earth's veins,
Fall in the abyss from under which,
Fire hidden under the lock;
The living fire, always unextinguished
Pierces through the body of pain
Burning the flaming Gemma
Pinning in top of sword
To split the splitted,
To tie the tied.

In eyes of suterranean waters
Dripping the twinkle,
They roll the cristals
From the dew of the hidden tears.

Head, ship with insignificant thoughts,
In bubbling it begins to break
And spreads flaming
Sparks of bitter liveliness.
From the sweat of their foreheads
Into change they appear
Drop of crystal-clear water...
To turn back the craft, crystal from water
Of earthly being.

Above the deep into uncalling,
Ghost carried over flaming
Dark waters,
To descend and circle
In unusual face of man,
Notching further
'til the lack of appearance.

7. To the clouds

8. Of stone

Notched by aspiration
I lay a new body,
And I comb bright hairs...

I am the first man to weave the light
I am the first man that weaves his own world,
...with clothing of grey twinkle,
Lately lightened in the light's shadow...

Drowned in unspokeness
In everyone's silence,
Distinct, in kind of indistinct.
Written in meanings,
Full of teachings.

I am the man that renews himself
From the flaming beast
Rose to the vulture.
The [cooking] oil that doesn't burn
And the emerald that catches
The passion of the soul.

The measure, that weights the world
Through the silent judgement;
The judgement that doesn't judge.
The light that huddles itself
As strain of the ghost,
In the will withou' will.

Eye of milk,
Very full of shapes... [word for word trans.: eye full means very full. 'Ochi de lapte,/Plin ochi de forme...'
intended pun]
Rinsed in four corners,
Of which the world hooks,
Washed by ash in the honey of the sun
Tied in halo of softness.

They melt the old honey in me,
The somber dew from under the frame
Declined house, they in corner,
Declined, so that the linden tree fits in,
... from the four corners...
Engrafting in me, with chosen kind
I let it to give fruits,
In livings and words of wisdom.
Without waiting, I straighten
And weight my patience.

In everything that's dream and waiting...
We gather treasures in signs,
To drown the living deep inside us,
That 'I' not to shatter (myself),
That 'I' not to forget myself,
So that my reflection not to dissapear,
That the whole world not to lose itself.

9. The last dream

In void I winnow to the nothingness,
Insignificantly they sip themselves down...
Winnowed that in distance fades,
Without mercy,
Anything that's longing and clenching.

A fussed string fusses again,
A ball of dreams springs.

Old land ravaged by mirages,
Where my times go away
When my waist opens into the distance.
...and my inside goes empty
Untied of strings that actually
Raging the endlessness.

The emptier that calmly bites,
Sips the juice that lowered on the lap.
Dry wind cracks the ... palate [pun: in romanian, palate means 'cerul gurii', translated word for word
'sky of the mouth' so the pun is 'Dry wind cracks the sky ... of the mouth']
That spits flames of living fire in the dark.
Unties... in small pieces...
Hurried, towards nothing dotted about...
Deferred it consumes, hot with grief
In the nothingness that kills passion.

The water carrier [female] that pours hot stars into shape
That turns the unexpanse and gives back it's breath.
Multiplied and praised
Raised in the womb shoots sparks...
Bunch mastered and crafted with redness
Glory, that in man finds itself.

10. The sun dance

A deep step, the sky opens
And in the abyss beneath,
I throw myself, and the sun catches me

As the mountains sound, the hawks gather,
The forests wake, the leaves whisper,
The bones clack, the stars twinkle, and stop in their way
Between two black peaks
Full of trees without leaves
Among stones unburnt by the sun
In unfertile logs
Near the bottomless puddle
With a stick I open path
That leads me to abyss of high horizon.

I weave the sun in my shirt, in enchanted,
Wise and brash water, with straight thought tied.

Sun, get out of sun
Get out, filthy sun, get out, evil sun
And with sister lofty moon,
Tie a wreath, tied wreath
Of dance [horă] and sun, from sky to horizon

From beyond the sky
From behind the moon
From outside the sun
At once I made a new world
From nothing!

11. The second MAN (outro)

Be warned, this is an aproximate translation which contains archaic forms that could not be translated exactly and there may be some parts that seem meaningless.

LE: I checked the lyrics again and, as sopor said, they were inverted for some songs, so I put them in their right place. I also posted the correct Romanian lyrics.

[Emi]

great job keenox!!! very interesting... thx!

[lurch70]

Originally Posted by Emi

BTW, i was there, great show

Emi ... any more pics from this tour?

[Emi]

i don't have pics of the tour, but...


the band is working on a US tour, and it seems that this time it will happen

stay tuned for more news in the coming weeks.

[sopor]

about the lyrics translation... you have translated them from a link full of errors

[keenox]

hmmm....the lyrics didn't seem wrong because they looked pretty similar to what i could understand from what i've listened to. would you please give me a link with the right lyrics? does the album contain the lyrics? i couldn't find it yet, but i'll order it.

p.s. are you from romania?

[sopor]

keenox... man, check your pm