ETERNAL DEFORMITY - "Frozen Circus" - Reviews

[Emi]

well, it seems everyone loves Frozen Circus

one of the most successful promotion campaign in recent code666 history

now let's hope people will actually buy the cd and not steal it from emule..

[Emi]

http://www.revolution-music.dk/anm.php?alid=1944

Så er det igen tid til at få præsenteret en helt ny genre. Denne gang er det polske Eternal Deformity, der lancerer deres musik under varemærket ”Circus Metal”. De strækker sig så vidt som til at tage navne fra cirkusverdenen, som Announcer, Lion Tamer og Juggler.
Stuur stuur nummer!!!

Bag alt dette gemmer sig noget langt mere velkendt, nemlig Goth Metal, som bliver blandet med lidt Power. Det giver på den ene side lidt dystre stemninger, og på den anden side lidt mere knald på numrene. Disse er generelt udmærkede uden at fremtrylle noget nyt under solen.
Måske er det derfor man har valgt at lave et cover af Depeche Modes ”Little 15”; en version der ikke tilfører nummeret noget nyt; originalen er klart at foretrække. At de kan uden lånte fjer, viser Eternal Deformity i ”So Silent”, der har et udmærket drive.
Cirkusindholdet på CDen begrænser sig til lidt lirekasseagtige keyboards i nogle af numrene; ikke specielt markant, men nok til, at man lægger mærke til det.

Eternal Deformity har eksisteret siden 1993, og har tidligere udgivet 4 albums i Doom/Goth Metal genren. Med ”Frozen Circus” tager de et skridt i retning af det lettere tilgængelige uden at blive decideret poppede. Musikken er ikke nyskabende eller specielt bemærkelsesværdig, men kan sagtens stå alene - også uden cirkusindpakningen, som er kunstig og unødvendig.

[Emi]

http://www.joyzine.se/?p=2304

Eternal Deformity
Frozen Circus, 2008
Skivbolag: Code666
Av: Mikael Mjörnberg
Publicerad: 2008-03-28
Hemsida: www.eternal-deformity.comBandnamnet är fånigt, skivtiteln förutsägbar och försöket att göra en utstuderad metalvariant av Moulin Rouge mer än lovligt pretentiöst. Polens Eternal Deformity borde vara ett sådant där gäng som jag avfärdar i en handvändning, men faktum är att ”Frozen Circus” har sina fördelar.

För mitt bland gothiska doom-utbrott som nog någonstans var ämnade att låta My Dying Bride och sådana där lustigahuset-orglar som b-filmsproducenter tror ljuder hemma hos LaVey finns mycket potential. Flera potenta metalriff tillåts leda skutan, men det är de nedtonade, långa stunder bedrövade partierna som är styrkan. Polackerna försöker skapa någon form av missanpassad domedagscirkus och faktum är att den här plattan skulle passa bra som soundtrack.

Sången är inte jättebra, men fungerar. Låtarna är knappast nyskapande, men medryckande och avvägningen mellan lite brutalare tivolimangel och långsamma gothpartier ganska lagom. Eternal Deformity har hittat en linje som knappast kommer göra någon exalterad, men som heller inte skrämmer bort några lyssnare.

Lagom är ointressant säger ni. Jag är i de flesta fall böjd att hålla med, men i fallet ”Frozen Circus” passar jag. Den här konceptuella soppan träffar nämligen någon nerv hos mig som framkallar gillande. Musiken och konceptet må vara förutsägbart, men här finns detaljer och kompetens nog för att det ska bli riktigt intressant.

[TheWizard]

from : http://www.metalinside.it/


INTERVISTA ETERNAL DEFORMITY

Intervista a cura di Mungi






Abbiamo incontrato per una lunga e piacevole intervista i polacchi Eternal Deformity, che con il loro album “Frozen Circus” si sono posti ai primi posti del metal moderno mondiale, presentando una proposta unica ed innovativa. Abbiamo quindi avuto il piacere di raggiungere questi disponibilissimi ragazzi, che ci hanno insegnato che il duro lavoro e il sacrificio portano sempre ai risultati desiderati.

Ciao ragazzi, io sono Andrea di Metalinside, e prima di tutto volevo darvi il benvenuto sulla nostra webzine e in Italia. Come inizio di intervista, cosa ne dite di presentare la band a coloro che non vi conoscono?

"Ciao a te Andrea e a tutti i lettori di Metalinside! Gli Eternal Deformity si sono formati nel 1993. In seguito registrammo il nostro primo demo “Forgotten Distant Time”, distribuito dalla Baron records in Polonia. Nel 1996 abbiamo registrato il seguente “ Promo 96 ”, composto da tre tracce, per promuovere “Forgotten distant time”; grazie a questo promo abbiamo iniziato a promuoverci nel settore underground e su riviste specializzate, ottenendo anche i primi inviti su stazioni radio. Nel 1998 siamo entrati di nuovo in studio (Alcatraz) per registrare il nostro primo album “In the Abyss of Dreams….Furious Memories…”; questo disco è stato pubblicato dalla Demonic Rec. che oggi non esiste più. Il disco ricevette feedback abbastanza positivi su varie riviste del settore, sia in Polonia che all’estero. Cominciammo così a proporre concerti su larga scala supportando gruppi come Behemoth, Lost Soul, Christ Agony, Yattering ed Elysium. In Luglio, nel 2001, abbiamo registrato il nostro album seguente, “The Serpent Design”, e durante la registrazione del disco fummo lasciati dal nostro tastierista Piotr Tomala “Parapet”, sostituito da Lukasz Kiljanek “Kilo”; il disco è stato inoltre pubblicato a nostre spese (ED Records). Da allora cominciammo a guardare verso nuove sonorità e nuove esperienze per poterci evolvere e migliorare, e dopo 5 anni di silenzio abbiamo dato alla luce “Frozen Circus”; il disco è stato registrato agli Zed Studio con Tomas Zalewski che di fatto ci ha prodotto il disco ma ci ha anche aiutato durante tutto il processo di incisione, specialmente per creare in musica ciò che volevamo esprimere. L’album ha suscitato l’interesse di moltissime labels e alla fine abbiamo scelto L’Aural Music e Code 666."

La vostra proposta musicale è assolutamente fantastica, fuori da ogni regola e schema; è come se gli Arcturus lasciassero le loro navi spaziali, venissero giù sulla Terra e decidessero di aprire un circo. In poche parole quindi una proposta unica e originale, che è assolutamente un’ottima cosa, viste le innumerevoli band clone presenti sulla scena al giorno d’oggi. Da dove provengono tutte queste idee e qual è il vostro background musicale?

"Grazie mille per il tuo supporto!! Durante la creazione di “Frozen Circus” abbiamo cercato di fare di tutto affinché l’album potessero essere individuale, in modo tale da poter avere la sua unica atmosfera e collegarsi un po’ a tutti gli stili metal esistenti. Da quanto ho potuto leggere dalle varie recensioni e dai commenti degli ascoltatori, sembra proprio che ce l’abbiamo fatta."

“Frozen Circus” di fatto non è il vostro primo disco; ad essere sincero prima dell’uscita del vostro ultimo lavoro non avevo mai sentito parlare di voi; potreste spiegarci l’evoluzione musicale della band?

"Abbiamo cominciato come una band doom. Inizialmente eravamo molto influenzati dai Paradise Lost. Ma in seguito abbiamo finalmente cominciato a lavorare su un nostro stile personale in modo tale da poter essere ben distinti dalla massa di “clone-band”. Non sono talmente oggettivo però da poter affermare di esserci riusciti. Ma ci stiamo provando duramente, perché vogliamo che gli Eternal Deformity siano una entità a sé stante, e per noi questo è estremamente importante."

Chi è il principale compositore dei vostri pezzi?

"Beh, noi cerchiamo di comporre i nostri brani su un lavoro di squadra, basandoci sulle nostre esperienze; in questo modo ogni membro degli Eternal Deformity ha la propria influenza sul risultato finale del pezzo. Proviamo così ogni tipo di suono, di arrangiamento, ogni motivo, finchè non siamo soddisfatti del risultato e approviamo il pezzo per l’album."

Per l’uscita del vostro disco avete firmato con una label italiana, L’Aural Music; io penso che questa sia la nostra migliore etichetta a livello nazionale, in quanto sono in costante ricerca di gruppi di talento e con personalità; quanto pensate sia importante lavorare con una label che ha le vostre stesse ambizioni e le stesse idee musicali?

"Io penso sia importantissimo questo, in quanto dà una grande libertà artistica ed espressiva a tutta la band; la musica che componiamo e proponiamo è la nostra passione, e di conseguenza vogliamo che ciò arrivi all’ascoltatore senza alcuna imposizione da parte di qualcun altro. E’ inoltre bellissimo sapere che questa label ha nel proprio rooster band di talento ed originali che cercano di proporre qualcosa di nuovo e fresco nella scena musicale. Penso quindi che sia stata una cosa estremamente positiva l’avere firmato con la Aural Music."

Ok, torniamo a parlare di “Frozen Circus”; qual è il vostro pezzo preferito all’interno dell’album? Personalmente, anche se è estremamente difficile scegliere in quanto ritengo che il disco sia quasi perfetto, opto per “Lovelorn”, una traccia fantastica, che mescola alla perfezione piano, musica classica e metal;

"Personalmente preferisco non scegliere alcun pezzo del disco per non indirizzare gli ascoltatori verso alcuni pezzi piuttosto che altri; penso comunque che ogni ascoltatore troverà il proprio pezzo preferito."

Possiamo trovare all’interno del disco anche una cover di “Little 15” dei Depeche mode; perché avete scelto questo pezzo non propriamente “metal”?

"A noi piacciono moltissimo i Depeche Mode, e immagino già che molti fan metallari ortodossi non approveranno questa nostra scelta. Personalmente preferisco non rimanere cieco e aprire me stesso verso la buona musica, in quanto penso che sia uno svantaggio chiudersi su un solo genere musicale e non ascoltare nient’altro di diverso, in quanto nella buona musica c’è sempre qualcosa di interessante da trovare.
La scelta di “Little 15” è stata molto spontanea, in quanto il nostro tastierista ha cominciato a suonarla, siamo andati tutti dietro di lui musicalmente, il pezzo è venuto bene e l’abbiamo inserito nell’album."

“Frozen Circus” è un concept album? Di cosa trattano i vostri testi?

"Prima di tutto, “Frozen Circus” non è un concept album; i nostri testi parlano principalmente dell’interferenza della chiesa nelle nostre vite, mentre altri muovono critiche verso il governo polacco, che si sta rivelando tutt’altro che secolare; a parte questo i testi descrivono situazioni che non accadranno mai nella nostra vita ordinaria."

All’interno di “Frozen Circus” possiamo trovare un icredibile mix di diversi generi e influenze musicali, come ad esempio gothic metal, black metal, progressive, oppure come lo splendido duetto con la voce femminile in “Unholy Divine”, oppure le musiche circensi che compaiono in alcuni tratti del disco. Quali saranno le aree e gli aspetti su cui evolveranno e miglioreranno in futuro gli Eternal Deformity?

"E’ davvero difficile poter prevedere la risposta a questa domanda; non so nemmeno se in futuro la nostra immagine e la nostra proposta sarà ancora collegata al circo, ma in ogni caso lo sostituiremo con una altrettanto valida icona- J."

C’è un motivo particolare dietro alla scelta dei riferimenti circensi? Avete letto “IT” di Stephen King e siete rimasti shockati per caso?

"Guarda, in realtà è perché gli Eternal Deformity sono un grosso casino come un circo (risate-nda); ma, volendo essere seri, non ho mai letto il libro da te citato, e non saprei se gli altri componenti del gruppo lo abbiano letto o meno. L’idea della figura del circo è venuta fuori spontaneamente e naturalmente durante la creazione del nuovo disco, senza alcun riferimento specifico; il tema del circo si adattava perfettamente ai pezzi, e così si è creato naturalmente."

Voi venite dalla Polonia, una terra che negli ultimi anni ha visto la vera e propria esplosione a livello internazionale di gruppi come Behemoth, e Hate. Com’è la scena underground polacca? Suonano tutti death metal dalle vostre parti?

"In Polonia abbiamo una forte scena metal, e attualmente secondo me siamo una delle scene più forti a livello mondiale, specialmente nel death metal, dove i nostri gruppi stanno facendo del gran casino in tutto il mondo. Ognuno oramai conosce gruppi come i Vader, Behemoth, Decapitated, Hate, Crionics e Dead Infection, oppure come i Vesania e molti altri. In Polonia c’è una grande enfasi attorno al death metal, e purtroppo gli altri generi vengono messi un po’ in disparte; per questo gruppi particolari come il nostro in Polonia faticano a trovare label che li promuovano e sono costretti a muoversi all’estero, a differenza delle band death metal che hanno sempre un supporto da parte delle etichette."

Avete in programma date live per promuovere “Frozen Circus”? In tal caso, verrete in Italia?

"Sì, abbiamo in mente un tour per promuovere il disco. Non appena la label ci comunicherà il momento opportuno saremo felicissimi di proporci al pubblico italiano, e sarebbe un vero e proprio piacere venire a suonare per voi."

Ok ragazzi, scusatemi per le molte domande, ma sono stato letteralmente rapito dal vostro album, e perciò ho voluto realizzare nel miglior modo possibile questa intervista. Siamo quindi in chiusura, e vi do l’opportunità di chiudere l’intervista e convincere i lettori italiani a comprare il vostro nuovo disco.

"Nessun problema per le domande, sei sempre il benvenuto; ci fa inoltre molto piacere sapere che hai apprezzato molto il nostro disco. Abbiamo impiegato molto lavoro e molta pazienza nella realizzazione dell’album, e speriamo che tutti i Metalheads italiani ne possano usufruire al meglio. Saluti a tutti!!!!"

[TheWizard]

from : http://www.gothtronic.com/?page=23&reviews=4759


Frozen Circus



After having disappeared behind a cloak of silence for a few years, Eternal Deformity returned in 2008 with a brand new album, their fourth to be exact. This CD was my first acquaintance with this Polish band, and I must say it was a pleasant one. The modern and diverse gothic dark metal possesses a subtle avant-garde inclination, and manages to evade the clichés with nimble ease without becoming unapproachable. Eternal Deformity is more ardent and intriguing than Visions Of Atlantis, but they're not as raw as Ador Dorath, so to speak. An integral part of the music are the synths; besides the familiar classical effects there are also keyboard segments that seem to be inspired by electrogoth, progressive rock, and the burlesque scores played by circus bands. The drums are flexible in their expression as well: stout & wicked fast drumrolls and rhythms more in line with Rammstein peacefully coexist here. The crafty alternations between sedate and heavy periods are especially accentuated by the variety in the singing area. The contradiction betwixt the corrosive death metal snarl, the demure clear male vocals, and the heavenly female vocals generates an exciting sensation of suspense. The melodious and atmospheric songs certainly have no lack of eloquence, which saves them from oblivion.

Despite my sincere opinion that Frozen Circus is convincing in its entirety, a few tracks just caught that extra bit of my attention. At first I was under the impression that 'Little 15' was a cover, but this elegant gothic rock ballad is very much a genuine Eternal Deformity composition. I am almost inclined to believe The Mission or The Sisters Of Mercy apparently forgot to write this charming song. Interspersed with beautiful yet sorrowful violin performances, the closing track 'Lovelorn' efficiently presents the strong points of the band once more, needing a little over seven minutes for that statement. Code666, one of the more interesting labels according to yours truly, was rather impressed and therefore signed the band for three albums. A wise decision, if you ask me.



Band: Eternal Deformity(int)
Label: Code666
Genre: dark metal (gothic metal / dark metal / black metal)
Type: cd
Grade: 8.3
Review by: Nanhold

[Emi]

http://www.metalfanatics.net/start_d...detail&ID=1021

ALBUM OF THE MONTH!!!

rate 8/10

Eternal Deformity – Frozen Circus
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2008
Stil: Progressive Metal
Spieldauer: 42:45
Homepage: www.eternal-deformity.com
Land: Polen
Label: code666 (Aural Music)

Die 1993 gegründete Truppe aus Polen legt mit dieser Scheibe bereits ihr 5. Werk vor und das hört man auch. Der Stilmix der Jungs ist ziemlich groß, auch kaum einzuordnen. Melodic, Prog, Death, Gothic, Avantgarde usw. alles da.

Grundsätzlich sollte diese Scheibe alle positiv ansprechen, die auf komplexen und tiefgehenderen Metal stehen, der dann und wann auch mal in die Dream Theater-Richtung geht, ohne deren musikalischen Wahnwitz zu erreichen. Aber das war auch nicht das primäre Ziel der Band, vielmehr liegen aber die Qualitäten in cooler, seltener gehörter Melodieführung und stimmigen Arrangements, quasi gutes Songwriting.

Auch härtetechnisch geht's mal einen Zacken wilder zu, garniert mit zahlreichen Growl-Passagen des ansonsten klar und melancholisch singenden Vocalisten. Keyboard-technisch hätte man womöglich anders arrangieren können, abundzu doch etwas zu weit vorne und wenig integriert im Gesamtsound, der ansonsten aber sehr okay ist.
Mit *Little 15 gibt's sogar noch ein gelungenes Depeche Mode-Cover zu hören.

Aufjedenfall starke Scheibe!

[Emi]

http://www.disintegration.it/primo.asp?id=2851

ETERNAL DEFORMITY"Frozen Circus"(Code 666-Audioglobe)
Polonia + etichetta Code 666 rappresenta un binomio capace di tirar fuori dal cilindro sempre novità sullo stampo estremo, ma ci sono variazioni di tema decisamente degne di nota. Come questi pittoreschi interpreti di un gothic rock decisamente atipico nelle composizioni strofa/ritornello e nell'uso degli archi. Frammenti di avangarde sparsi nell'aria, tra riff taglienti (“Unholy Divine”) a scalfire fraseggi solisti, fino a graziose rifiniture in tasti bianchi e neri di stampo elfmaniano (“Crime”), tali da rimaner catapultati quasi in un film di Tim Burton. La coraggiosa e riuscita cover dei Depeche Mode “Little 15” è una conferma della loro follia, a tratti epica nelle sfumature (è il caso di “So Silent”), con diversi elementi sinfonici accattivanti (“Thor's Message”, con incursioni del doppio pedale) e qualche coro femminile ad azzardare paragoni con gli altrettanto capaci Stolen Babies. Anche se la vera perla è incastonata nel fondo del tendone, “Lovelorn” , capolavoro dal sapore prog che sa unire dolcezza e violenza in 7 minuti, perfettamente evoluti tra piano/suadenti violini, assalto thrash ed un adrenalinico scambio di tonalità vocali. Ultima esibizione che convincerà vuoi tutti a correre ad acquistare i biglietti per questo spettacolo circense di abili musicisti, tutt'altro che algidi.

[TheWizard]

from : http://www.silentscreamzine.com/Inte...D=647&lang=ITA

Ciao e benvenuto sulle nostre pagine! E’ la prima volta che abbiamo il piacere di ospitarvi, che ne dici di cominciare da una vostra biografia?

Announcer: La band è nata nel ’93, quando probabilmente molti di voi non erano nemmeno nati, hahaha. Veniamo da Zory, Silesia (Sud della Polonia). La line up è cambiata tante volte e per ragioni diverse. Adesso però è formata da Aro (g), Smyku (g), Tymek (d), Kilo (k), Johnny (b), Kofi (v). In generale, non è che abbiamo avuto molto successo in questi anni. Qualcosa di buono penso che abbiamo fatto ma non avevamo ricevuto nessuna offerta seria dalle etichette…almeno finora!

Come mai ci avete messo così tanto prima di far uscire il vostro disco di esordio?

Announcer: Sì, è passato un bel po’ di tempo, sono stati 5 lunghi anni. E’ che abbiamo avuto alcuni problemi. Il cambio di tastierista, per cominciare. Poi abbiamo anche perso la nostra vecchia sala prove ed è passato parecchio prima che ne trovassimo una che facesse al caso nostro. Gli impegni di lavoro e familiari ci hanno anche ritardato: è certamente più facile comporre quando sei un giovane ragazzo aiutato dai genitori, hahaha!

Ognuno di voi ha adottato una particolare identità legata al mondo del circo, ed anche il titolo del disco tratta di questo tema. Ci vuoi spiegare il perché di questa passione?

Knife Thrower: Mentre creavamo i brani ci siamo resi conto che cominciava in qualche modo a venire evocata un’atmosfera in qualche modo circense, così abbiamo deciso di indirizzarci in questo senso. Per essere del tutto coerenti poi abbiamo deciso di ispirarci al circo anche per le foto e tutto il resto. Grazie ad alcuni nostri amici siamo riusciti nell’intento e il risultato finale ci sembra molto buono.

Una band come gli Eternal Deformity è difficile da descrivere visto che siete influenzati da diversi generi musicali. Dicci tu come dovremmo definire il tuo gruppo ed a quali esempi vi siete ispirati!

Announcer: Ci ispiriamo alla musica ed alla vita in generale. E’ davvero difficile per me indicare una singola band dalla quale abbiamo tratto ispirazione dato che ognuno di noi ascolta roba differente. E’ come se ognuno di noi avesse portato qualcosa di suo per creare un amalgama che noi chiamiamo AVANTGARDE METAL.

Ho molto apprezzato la decisione di suonare la cover di "Little 15", un brano dei Depeche Mode meno famoso di altri. Pensate che la band inglese vi abbia influenzato in qualche modo?

Announcer: Abbiamo scelto “Little 15” perché pensavamo di poter rendere questo brano più forte di com’era nella versione originale. Siamo fieri del risultato finale. E’ una procedura molto usata oggi quella di scegliere canzoni molto famose per suonare delle cover, ma noi non volevamo seguire questa tendenza. Personalmente amo tutti i dischi dei Depeche Mode, sono un loro grande fan ma di sicuro loro non hanno influenzato la nostra musica.

Voi venite dalla Polonia: com’è la scena musicale del vostro paese?

Knife Thrower: Qui da noi c’è una scena metal molto forte con alcuni esempi come Vader, Behemoth, ecc., ma non tutto il metal polacco è fatto di death o black. Ci sono tanti gruppi che suonano diversi generi e lo fanno molto bene, per questo credo di poter dire che oggi i gruppi provenienti dalla Polonia non soffrono più di quel complesso d’inferiorità di cui erano vittime nei confronti della scena occidentale. L’intera scena si evolve molto rapidamente ed è molto dinamica.

Grazie: chiudi pure come preferisci!

Vorrei incoraggiare tutti ad ascoltare “Frozen Circus”, spero ne valga la pena!



Dario Adile

[TheWizard]

from : http://www.silentscreamzine.com/Inte...D=647&lang=ENG


Hi there and welcome on our pages! Since this is the first time we have the chance to interview you, why not to start from a short biography of the band since the beginning so far?

Announcer: The band was set up in ’93 so in the time when probably most of your readers haven’t come to this world yet, hahaha. We’re all from Zory, Silesia (the South of Poland). Line-up has been changing many times out of many reasons. Now the band crew is: Aro (g), Smyku (g), Tymek (d), Kilo (k), Johnny, (b) Kofi (v). In general, we weren’t much successful during all those years. We recorded 4 quite good materials but unfortunately we haven’t had any serious offers from music labels – till now, he he he.

Many years have passed since your previous studio effort: why did you take so long time to release "Frozen Circus"?

Announcer: Yeahh that was a long period of time - 5 damn long years. Why that long? We had some problems those days. The change of keyboard player for instance. The other thing was losing our long-term rehearsal room. It took a time until we found a new one in which we could feel fully comfortable. Family life and work also influence creativity. It’s definitely much easier to create anything being a youngster supported by parents haha!

Everyone of you took a particular identity belonging to the world of circus, and also the title is tied to this theme. Do you want to explain the reasons of such a choice?

Knife Thrower: While creating the songs we realized that it started to recall an ominous circus atmosphere and so we went in this direction. To make it all coherent we decided that both cover and our photo session will be held in the circus tone. Thanks to our friends’ help we managed to do this and we’re really excited about the final outcome.

A band like Eternal Deformity is hard to describe and seems having been influenced by different musical genres. Tell us how should we call your band and what bands do you take inspiration from!

Announcer: We are inspired by music and life in general. It’s very hard for me to point at band which we take inspiration from. Each of us listens to different kind of music. Every member of Eternal Deformity putts something into our songs and the outcome is a monster that we decided to call AVANTGARDE METAL.

I really appreciated the choice to play the cover of "Little 15", a song of Depeche Mode that is less famous than others. Do you think Depeche Mode influenced your sound someway?

Announcer: We chose “Little 15” because we thought that we can make this song much stronger than in original version. We are very proud of the final result. It’s very common procedure nowadays to choose famous songs of famous bands as covers. We don’t want to follow that tendency. Personally I love all Depeche Mode records. I’m really big big fan of them but they haven’t influenced our sound.

Let's talk about live activity: have you already planned a tour to support this new album of yours?

Announcer: I think that until autumn we should have started performing “Frozen Circus” live. We’ll see.

At present there are more and more bands coming from the rest of Europe, you come from Poland: what is your home country musical scene today like?

Knife Thrower: We have very strong metal scene in Poland and of course unquestionable stars such as Vader, Behemoth, etc. But still Polish scene is not only death or black. There are many other bands performing many other kinds of metal. Improved availability of good quality music equipment and recording studios offering wider possibilities resulted in the fact that many Polish bands dropped their inferiority complex to their Western fellows. However, still kind of barrier exists, especially amongst very young people. Despite all of these we have the greatest audience in the world which comes to concerts and supports its favourites. I think Polish scene evolves in extremely dynamic way and a proof for this is the number of Polish bands signing contracts with foreign labels.

I thank you a lot for the interview, please conclude it as you prefer!

Knife Thrower: I encourage everyone to get into “Frozen Circus” – it’s really worth it, find out yourself… You’re Welcome!



Dario Adile

[Emi]

http://www.metalcrypt.com/

rate: 4/5

Hard to believe that Eternal Deformity started out as a Doom Metal band back in 1993. Hailing from Poland, home of quite a few great acts such as Lux Occulta, Thy Disease and Vesania, they became a much different breed of cat over the years. It's no surprise to find them signed to the home of originality, Code 666, for a three records deal.

A look at the cover art and you know that Frozen Circus won't be a middle of the road type of album. Classified as Circus Metal, the members have called themselves appropriately: Announcer (bass and vocals), Illusionist (keyboards), Lion Tamer (guitars), Juggler (drums) and Knife Thrower (guitars). Now perhaps you'll find those names kind of "funny" but at least they aren't as queer as Wig Wam on Napalm Records' roster. The circus references are mostly found in the keyboard parts which otherwise are more symphonic or discrete and in the vocal expressions. The vocal range goes both ways - clean vs. harsh. Melodic clean arpeggios, heavier riffs and many solos can be heard and some are very crazy like the ones and the end of "Crime", one of the best tracks on this disc. It is not mentioned in my infos, but the guys did a great cover of Depeche Mode's "Little 15", another good moment on Frozen Circus. Another unspecified gem is the female back vocals present on a couple places like on "So Silent" and "Unholy Divine".

Most of this music tends toward a melodic /progressive type of metal in general and I would have wished for something more flamboyant and crazy, reflecting their circus passions. Maybe their following albums will take this side to the next level. Something to keep our eyes on.

[Emi]

http://www.metal-temple.com/review.asp?id=2762

Reviewed by Yiannis D. on 2008/04/04

RATE: EXCELLENT 4/5

Code666 Records

This release seemed interesting right from the start, since the whole concept is too Avant Garde and I was damn sure that I would have to face something strange and unique. The fact that the band has nicknames from people that work in a circus seemed pretty clever to me and the musical style was definitely not something I am able to hear every day. It’s nice to make a break from all the Metalcore bullshit with a fresh and different album.


The Polish whatever Metal act was formed in 1993 and was formerly a pure Doom Metal band. They have up to now released four records (the last one "The Serpent Design" was released in 2002) and they are now part of the underground label Code666. Their new album is definitely something that will make the Metal scene notice them and give them the attention they deserve.


Their music cannot be put under any musical tag, so I will try to describe them in the best way possible. The fact that they have crossed the usual Metal borders is something I appreciate and admire in this band and this should be taken under consideration from everyone that has been bored of listening to common and uninspired Metal releases. So, here it goes...


The Polish metallers have managed to mix elements like Black, Doom and Progressive Metal, with some fragments from Avant Garde and Gothic music. There times that they may remind you of ARCTURUS, DRACONIAN, DARZAMAT or PRIMORDIAL, and that’s what makes them special. Their ability to become a chameleon Metal act that disguises into thousands of different characters and send you into a trip of brutal, melancholic and psychedelic emotions at the same time. There is no way to escape their gloriousness...


Imagine that "Frozen Circus" is a canvas, with a strange, "grotesque" drawing that is somehow familiar to you. This album has all the nice, kind and at the same time twisted instincts you never managed to accept. From the very first time I got in touch with this album, I just couldn’t stop listening to it. Every time I was able to discover brand new things that my previous listening session was hiding from me. "Frozen Circus" seems like it’s coming out of the pages of the writings people like Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Baudelaire offered to us.


You may think that right now I am exaggerating and what I say is just a matter of pure enthusiasm. I will say just one thing. Wait ’till you listen to this album and if you are the exact same person you were before the "Frozen Circus" experience, then I am sorry to say it, but your emotional world is empty...

[Emi]

http://www.twistmagazine.se/twistnew...ldeformity.htm

Polska markbrytarkvintetten Eternal Deformity släppte i december förra året dess tredje fullängdare betitlad ”Frozen Circus”, producerad av Tomasz Zalewski och inspelad i Zed Studio. Med denna platta introducerar bandet ett helt nytt tema som genomsyrar hela imagen och även en stor del av musiken; cirkus.
Enligt den polska avant-gardemaskinen började idéerna flöda när den sista delen av spåret ”Crime” skrevs då medlemmarna började fundera på omslaget, bilder och hela layouten till det nya albumet.
– Det lät för oss fullkomligt originellt och fräscht. Vi uppfann inget nytt utan alla dessa element har använts någonstans i det förgångna men vi bestämde oss för att fullföra konceptet i alla fall. Vi har aldrig varit så fokuserade på att få våra tidigare verk att anknyta så i varje fråga som vi har nu. Bilder, omslagsidén, musiken, texterna håller sig till ett tema, till skillnad från förut. Det är svårt att säga om vi kommer göra på samma sätt i framtiden. För att vara ärlig så tror vi inte det.

"Vi har aldrig varit så fokuserade på att få våra tidigare verk att anknyta så i varje fråga som vi har nu."




Eternal Deformity grundades 1993. Efter bandets första demo “Forgotten Distant Times” (1994) spelades år 1996 trespårsdemon ”Promo ’96” in och tanken var att den skulle marknadsföra demon ”Nothing Lasts Forever”. Bandet blev inbjudet av många radiostationer och det jobbade hårt med undergroundzines och med mer etablerade tidningar. Två år senare gick combon in i studion (Alcatraz) åter och spelade in det första albumet ”In the ”Abyss of Dreams… Furious Memories…”.
– ” Abyss of Dreams… Furious Memories…” släpptes av Demonic Records och fick väldigt bra gensvar i både polsk och internationell press vilket gav oss möjligheten att börja spela konserter i större skala. I juli 2001 spelade vi in det efterföljande albumet ”The Serpent Design”. Under den tiden lämnade vår dåvarande keyboardist Piotr Tomala ”Parapet” oss som sedan ersattes av Łukasz Kiljanek “Kilo”.
Eternal Deformity släppte”The Serpent Expense” på egen etikett och efter det har alltså ”Frozen Circus” legat i jorden och grott. Inför senaste släppet signades bandet av Code666, som enligt beslutsfattarna själva, förstod musiken bäst.

[Emi]

http://www.progressive-area.com/inde...d=676&Itemid=2

La Pologne, berceau de grands noms comme BEHEMOTH, VADER ou Karol Józef WOJTYLA (plus connu sous le célèbre nom de scène Jean-Paul 2), nous a donc habitué a des personnalités intéressantes et attachantes. Tout droit venu de ce beau pays, ETERNAL DEFORMITY nous livre un Frozen Circus préparé avec le plus grand soin.

Pour commencer, la musique du manège hanté de la quatrième dimension nous amène directement au musée des horreurs pour notre plus grand plaisir. "The Force Of Your Heart" est un excellent titre Heavy Prog avec chant Black dans la lignée CATAMENIA. On sent que nos clowns ne sont pas au premier essai, la production est énorme, l'ingénieur du son a su donner un rendu très contrasté entre la froideur de l'ensemble batterie/synthé et le son chaud des guitares dont les soli sont super mélodiques. Le morceau suivant "Unholy Divine" surprend carrément par son changement de style, la rythmique redoutable épaule cette fois-ci un chant calme et atmosphérique comme on peut le trouver chez NOVEMBRE. Le chant féminin qui accompagne le refrain est du plus bel effet. C'est varié, réfléchi, bref un pur bonheur. Le gourdin a tendance à se transformer en demi molle à la quatrième piste. Il faut bien l'admettre, malgré la rythmique très lourde qui alterne avec le synthé poussif, et bien on s'emmer… je veux dire on s'ennuie terriblement en écoutant "Little 15". On pourra pardonner cet écart puisqu'il s'agit d'une reprise de DEPECHE MODE, donc c'est normal ! On se réveille agréablement avec "Crime", ce titre génial passe par à peu près tous les styles tel un caléidoscope musical. Que vous aimiez DIMMU BORGIR, DREAM THEATER, OPETH ou le Disco Musette Psychédélique avec des mesures en 15/16, il y aura forcément un passage qui vous plaira ! Les pistes s'enchaînent, mais l’on a tendance à ne plus savoir si on prend réellement du plaisir en écoutant cet album tant les passages laissent par moment l'impression d'être à moitié décousus comme par exemple sur "Endless Night". À ce stade, on ne doit plus parler de richesse musicale mais d'abondance et de luxure. Telle une méga partouze auditive, on ne sait plus où donner de la tête et ça devient vite fatigant. Il est donc déconseillé de se taper l'album d'une traite si vous êtes sujet aux migraines… Le spectacle s'achève par "Lovelorn", un titre à mi-chemin entre le Prog de PSYCHANOIA et le Black Métal Symphonique de GRAVEWORM qui tranche avec le reste de Frozen Circus grâce à ses superbes passages piano-guitare-violon. Un morceau d'anthologie à la croisée des mondes. Grandiose !

Même si par moment Frozen Circus a tendance à être relativement ennuyeux, on ne peut que saluer l'excellente production et le travail de composition remarquable dont ont fait preuve les forains d'ETERNAL DEFORMITY pour nous offrir ce spectacle auditif. À vous de juger.

[Emi]

SCREAM MAGAZINE #125 april 2008 (printed - norway)

rate: 3/5

[Crimson I]

Hey, I reviewed Frozen Circus over at Sputnikmusic, tell me what you think:

http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review_15817

Here it is:

Welcome to The Frozen Circus, you'll never want to leave.

I just want to state right now that circuses freak me out. The annoying, repetitive carnival music that is played in the background, the way they try to be grand and epic while you can quite clearly see that there is a balding man smoking just behind the curtain, and don’t get me started on the ‘luring kids in with colourful masked faces’ thing. If there was one thing I didn’t expect this sort of atmosphere to be used in, it was metal, but Eternal Deformity have done it, and it works like a charm.

They take the grandiose of the circus and use it in their compositions, they take the dramatic flair and represent it with huge dynamic shifts in volume and power and they also lure you in with catchy melodies and absurdly bouncy riffs. Take away this theme which some would call a gimmick though and you will find that the band also display a sense of maturity, an understanding of progression and when the circus act is toned down, they can also be very sincere. Tracks like Lovelorn and Unholy Divine are beautiful and heartfelt, while other songs like The Force of Your Heart and Thors Message are playful and epic in without being completely over the top.

The entire album plays out almost completely like a circus performance. With the opening song being the set-up, the second an absolutely huge bombastic opener and the third a continuation of that, only being slowed down and performed with less need to impress. Every song has its own tempo and each one is completely individual, with different aspects being introduced all the time. The female vocals in Unholy Divine and the almost prog-death riffing of So Silent only appear occasionally, and the band never overuse anything which keeps the listener interested throughout. It is this willingness to experiment and the lack of boundaries which makes The Frozen Circus such an enjoyable listen, completely unique in its execution and delivery.

Like every album though, it isn’t perfect. The middle is significantly weaker than both the start and ending, which might have you losing interest at that part. Fortunately though, the final three songs are some of the best on the album, and are guaranteed to leave a good impression on you. Indeed, Endless Night is a wonderful example of the band’s sound, with quiet moments, grand parts and even several brilliant melodic leads throughout. Truly a brilliant composition when it all comes together, finishing with an amazing solo and leaving you stunned. That would have made a terrific ending to the album, but no, Eternal Deformity had something else up their sleeve.

At over seven minutes Lovelorn is truly the pinnacle of the band’s sound. Taking on a serene atmosphere, they lose all the child’s play of the circus and just play their hearts out, set on leaving a lasting impression on you before you leave the circus. Everything comes in here at the end, violins, amazing acoustic touches, spectacular vocals and breathtaking melodies. When you look back at the album, that is the song you remember, and you also wonder why they couldn’t make a few more songs of that sort of quality. It outshines every song with ease, not to say that anything on the album is bad, no, Lovelorn is just that good.

In general, Eternal Deformity’s style and sound is very hard to pin down. They can mix a very heavy guitar performance with melancholic clean vocals easily, and vice versa, resulting in a blend of heaviness and melancholy that the band perfect throughout the course of the album. The guitarists form a very solid base for this circus act, with brilliant solo’s and proficient riffing which can be either formulaic (not in a bad way) or very melodic (in a very good way) depending on what emotion the song is portraying. The variance in the sound is mostly because of the keyboards though, which can either use epic synth passages or mesmerizing playful passages (check out Endless Night for a perfect example of this) which can turn the atmosphere from epic to cheeky at the drop of a hat.

So, you’ve visited the circus. Been blown away by the bombastic beginnings and amazed by the sheer brilliance of the ending. Sure, it’s not something you will want to visit every day, but when it comes down to it, it is a truly unique thing. One which deserves every ounce of attention it gets.

[Emi]

4/5 on NORWEGIAN ROCK MAGAZINE (Printed - nr. 2 - 2008)

[Emi]

http://www.deadtide.com/reviews/albums/page.php?id=4561

Beginning as a doom band in 1993, Poland's Eternal Deformity have since progressed (and that term is rightfully applied) into a quirky, ambitious, avante-garde 15-years-in-the-process, mix of progressively gothic metal version of its initial vision on the band's fourth outing Frozen Circus, able to utilize clean, gothic-influenced vocals alongside sporadic death vocals and aptly-utilized female melodies, all tied up with spot-on musicianship from all over the map.

The awkward off-temponess of "The Force Of Your Heart," combined with circus-y keyboards and an odd danceable nature before launching into synth-driven epic melodies atop double bass (whew!), showcases just how far the band has come from being a 'mere doom metal band' (per the biography sheet), while "Unholy Divine" takes it further, experimenting with dual vocals, featuring an eerie female melody only hindered by contrastingly cheesy, love-driven lyrics. "Little 15" is strangely gothic-sounding in nature, almost like metal riffs underneath The Smiths-esque lyrics and staccato rhythms, all the while pushing the boundaries of the album's mid-tempo boundaries. And while "Crimes" utilizes crescendo to its best, it doesn't help Eternal Deformity transcend the pseudo-Gothic vibes of Frozen Circus' overall feel that some might pigeonhole the band into upon first listen, although the track's name is suiting, given the nature of the beast.

"Endless Night" is probably Frozen Circus's most metal track, mixing keyboard melodies and speedy rhythms before dumping into album-closer "Lovelorn," which mournfully opens only to unfold into a fast-racing romp through near goofy territory with the circus-inspired sounds that are more metal than Mike Patton-esque, but still procreate a feeling of jokiness into the fold. "Unholy Divine" features some metal soloing early into the record before segueing into another (one of the many) circus-y keyboard melodies, making one wonder if Frozen Circus's title wasn't a bit of a play on words - another instance of which is showcased in "Crimes," one of the more all-over-the-map songs on Frozen Circus.

In the end, for the adventurous and uninitiated to Eternal Deformity, as well as to those open to experimentation and progressive posturing, Frozen Circus is definitely something different, effectively melding styles and sounds into an ultimately metal-driven band, one not afraid to push those very boundaries. Oftentimes, and thankfully, that perpetual pushing pours into proficiency and an ultimate success...If you're up for the challenge. I can see some carny pulling it now: "Step inside the tent for only a nickel and see if you can stomach the Eternal Deformity!"

Standout Tracks
Endless Night
The Force Of Your Heart
Unholy Divine
Thor's Message

Bob.D

[Emi]

http://www.gothtronic.com/?page=23&reviews=4803

Eternal Definity is a Polish band, founded in 1993. The band actually started as a doom metal band and later on changed their style. In 1994 they released their first demo called Forgotten Distant Time. In 1997 Eternal Definity released their first full-length album Nothing Lasts Forever. The other two albums In The Abyss of Dream (Furious Memories) was released in 1999 and The Serpent Design was released in 2002. Both fans and critics over the whole world received the last named album very well. Despite of this great success, Eternal Definity wanted to focus on a different, new sound. In my opinion they have succeeded! After six years they now release Frozen Circus on a new label called Code 666. You can still hear a doom influence on this album, but it is combined with prog. extreme, gothic and folk metal. The band name of this mixture is Circus metal. From the beginning until the end Frozen Circus is a twisted trip. It is full with specific and musical elements that give you a special experience. This album is not a moment dull and is produced very well. Frozen Circus is sometimes almost serene and sometimes it gives you the feeling that 1000 elephants are trampling you over. These gents go further than only Circus metal. Every member of Eternal Definity symbolises a character from the circus. There is an illusionist, knife thrower, juggler, lion tamer and the announcer. Conclusion: this album is a fantastic venture and it will be appreciated by a large group of metal/gothic fans. I can’t wait to see Eternal Definity live!


Band: Eternal Deformity(int)Label: Code666Genre: dark metal (gothic metal / dark metal / black metal)Type: cd Grade: 8Review by: Wicket

[Emi]

http://www.fannzic.net/kroniks/?id=972

Quatrième album en 15 ans pour ce groupe polonais, qui faisait autrefois dans le doom et qui n’avait pas vraiment donné de nouvelles depuis 2002 et leur « The Serpent Design ». C’est Aural Music, au travers de sa division Code666 qui a signé pour trois albums ce groupe loin d’être conventionnel, et qui propose ici un album de heavy aux teintes avant-gardistes qui est du meilleur goût, loin des clichés les plus irritants du style.
Avec un nom qui évoque le grind et un logo qui n’est pas en reste, il était difficile de savoir à quoi s’attendre avec cet album. « Frozen Circus » est riche en émotions, en changements, en surprises. Les morceaux, puissants et bien amenés, puisent dans le power métal européen avec parcimonie et vont chercher dans le heavy les riffs entraînants, ce à quoi s’ajoute un chant parfois extrême qui sait aussi se faire clair avec une facilité qui rappelle Mikael Akerfeldt et son travail chez OPETH. Le groupe auquel on pensera inévitablement, c’est ARCTURUS, le groupe norvégien de métal avant-gardiste. La musique d’ETERNAL DEFORMITY, tout comme l’imagerie développée sur le cover de l’album me rappellent « La Masquerade Infernale », c’est un bon point ceci dit, puisque nos polonais n’ont pas à rougir de la comparaison !
Bien sûr les origines doom du groupe ressortent dans les compositions de ce « Frozen Circus », au travers d’ambiances et de lenteurs, le chant guttural utilisé n’étant pas éloigné de ce que devait faire les gars à l’époque, malgré tout la musique d’ETERNAL DEFORMITY sur cet album ne fait pas preuve d’une noirceur particulière. Le disque s’avère empreint d’un réel dynamisme, sûrement porté par la teneur heavy des compositions, on prendra du coup plaisir au long de ces quarante-deux minutes de musique (quelle bonne idée de ne pas avoir dilué tout ça dans une œuvre indigérable plus longue !). Une bonne surprise, parfois trop marquée par des claviers au synthétisme décevant, mais qui s’écoute facilement et se réécoute sans problème. Le métal avant-gardiste n’est pas mort !

[Emi]

http://www.metalfan.nl/reviews.php?id=4657

93/100

Meine Damen und Herren, van harte welkom in het circus Eternal Deformity. Ze hebben olifanten. Ze hebben apen. Ze hebben een stuwende ritmesectie, dansende gitaren en weemoedige synthesizers. Ze hebben zweverige zuivere zang met een snik in de stem en venijnige ruige vocalen. Ze hebben onvoorspelbare, progressieve songs die jongleren met invloeden uit allerlei stromingen, van symfonische rock en gothische doom tot melodieuze extreme metal. Ze hebben een geslaagde cover van Depeche Mode’s tragische Little 15. Ze hebben alles.
Eternal Deformity behoort tot de bestbewaarde geheimen van Polen. Frozen Circus is inmiddels al de vierde langspeler die het gezelschap op de onwetende mensheid loslaat. Hopelijk lukt het ditmaal om de internationale aandacht te krijgen die het vijftal verdient. Op de voorafgaande albums was de zang nog een zorgenkindje, maar de vocalen van bassist Kofi zijn ontzettend vooruitgegaan en behoren nu zelfs tot de speerpunten van de band. De zang weerspiegelt de droefheid die in de muziek ligt opgesloten en raakt me tot in het diepst van mijn ziel. In combinatie met de afwisselende, supermelodieuze muziek leveren de veelzijdige vocalen (met sporadisch een vrouwelijke achtergrondstem) fonkelende pareltjes op als So Silent, Unholy Divine en The Force Of Your Heart. Helaas valt op de MySpace pagina van de Poolse formatie momenteel alleen het nummer Lovelorn te beluisteren. Het is een prachtige ballad, maar niet representatief voor de veelzijdigheid die Eternal Deformity op Frozen Circus tentoonspreidt. Op de website van de band kun je echter nog het nummer Thor’s Message vinden. Het album bevat nog betere composities, maar de goede verstaander zal aan die twee tracks als voorproefje genoeg hebben om te concluderen dat we hier met een nieuwe topper op het gebied van avant-garde metal te maken hebben.

Score: 93 / 100 Reviewer: Gilbert
Toegevoegd: 6 mei 2008

[Emi]

http://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php?revid=3859

rate: 4/5

Hard to believe that Eternal Deformity started out as a Doom Metal band back in 1993. Hailing from Poland, home of quite a few great acts such as Lux Occulta, Thy Disease and Vesania, they became a much different breed of cat over the years. It's no surprise to find them signed to the home of originality, Code 666, for a three records deal.
A look at the cover art and you know that Frozen Circus won't be a middle of the road type of album. Classified as Circus Metal, the members have called themselves appropriately: Announcer (bass and vocals), Illusionist (keyboards), Lion Tamer (guitars), Juggler (drums) and Knife Thrower (guitars). Now perhaps you'll find those names kind of "funny" but at least they aren't as queer as Wig Wam on Napalm Records' roster. The circus references are mostly found in the keyboard parts which otherwise are more symphonic or discrete and in the vocal expressions. The vocal range goes both ways - clean vs. harsh. Melodic clean arpeggios, heavier riffs and many solos can be heard and some are very crazy like the ones and the end of "Crime", one of the best tracks on this disc. It is not mentioned in my infos, but the guys did a great cover of Depeche Mode's "Little 15", another good moment on Frozen Circus. Another unspecified gem is the female back vocals present on a couple places like on "So Silent" and "Unholy Divine".
Most of this music tends toward a melodic /progressive type of metal in general and I would have wished for something more flamboyant and crazy, reflecting their circus passions. Maybe their following albums will take this side to the next level. Something to keep our eyes on.

[Emi]

http://www.metalnews.de/?metalid=05&...show&cdid=2712

Mann, es gibt Platten die es einem Redakteur echt ziemlich schwer machen. Daher auch erstmal ein wenig Hintergrundwissen: ETERNAL DEFORMITY haben sich 1993 als Doom Metal Band gegründet, veröffentlichten dann ein Jahr später das Debüt "Forgotten Distant Time" und bis 2002 dann zwei Nachfolger. Seitdem ist es ziemlich still um die fünf Polen geworden, weswegen es umso weniger wundert, dass sich offensichtlich ne ganze Menge getan hat. Denn das ist auch der Grund warum ETERNAL DEFORMITY mittlerweile so ein Redakteursschreck geworden sind: Um "Frozen Circus" genretechnisch passend einzuordnen, müsste man mindestens fünf Schubladen öffnen.

Und das ist leider nicht das Gewäsch eines übereifrigen Promoschreibens, sondern tatsächlich eigene Erfahrung nach etlichen Durchläufen der CD. Zum einen wäre da nämlich der Gothic, der nicht nur im düsteren Intro oder den zahlreichen grotesken Zirkusmelodien im 3/4 Takt ausgedrückt wird, sondern generell einen großen Einfluss auf die Musik hat und pseudobarock "Little 15" zu einem der besten Songs der Platte macht. Wer sich jedoch den ersten richtigen Song "The Force Of Your Heart" anhört, könnte genauso gut mit melodischen Death Metal osteuropäischer Prägung rechnen, der später auch noch in einigen wenigen anderen Nummern etwas Härte in die Sache bringt. Und weil ne Band nach 15 jährigem Bestehen schon ziemlich viel ausgereizt hat, bringen etliche ungerade Takte und rhythmisch seltsame Riffs auch einen nicht zu ignorierenden Progressiveanteil in den gefrorenen Zirkus, insbesondere wenn eine Nummer wie "Endless Night" auch problemlos auf einem früheren THRESHOLD-Album hätte stehen können. Ganz anders wird es dann nochmal in der abschließenden Übernummer "Lovelorn", die anfangs in einer genialen Violinen-Piano-Kombination an REGICIDE erinnert, gegen Refrain hin aber einfach nur zu einem episch hymnenhaften Metalsong wird. Bei all dem drückt die Produktion richtig auf die Zwölf und Sänger "Announcer" kann beim Durchgehen etlicher verschiedener Gesangsvariationen jede Menge Charisma entfalten.

Woran es im Endeffekt mangelt sind die absoluten Übersongs, sowie die eine oder andere Wahnsinnsmelodie, die aus einer überdurchschnittlichen Platte einen Geniestreich macht. ETERNAL DEFORMITY haben zwar ein echt cleveres Genregemisch gebastelt, es aber dafür ein wenig an der Euphorie missen lassen. Dennoch macht "Frozen Circus" ne Menge Spaß und bietet viel zum Entdecken, weswegen es Fans atmosphärischer Düster-Mucke auf jeden Fall zum Reinhören verleiten könnte.

[TheWizard]

from : http://www.rawandwild.com/review/rev...rnal+Deformity


Eternal Deformity - Frozen Circus - (Code666/Aural Music - 2008)
Gli Eternal Deformity non sono una band di primo pelo, nati nel lontano 1993, possono vantare tre album al loro attivo. Con questo Frozen Circus le sonorità doom che avevano contraddistinto i primi lavori della band sono un lontano ricordo. I territori che gli ED oggi bazzicano sono quelli tanto cari a Solefad e Arcturus. L’art metal di questi polacchi attinge a piene mani dal repertorio progressive, gothic, doom, ma non mancano neanche puntate nel metal classico e nel power sinfonico. Il risultato è ottimo poiché le band riesce a bilanciare sapientemente tutti questi ingredienti senza cadere nella tentazione di strafare. Certo l’ombra degli Arcturus è sempre presente, ma sin dall’iniziale (“Retrospection”) “The Force Of Your Heart” si capisce che il gruppo ci sa fare. La voce non è mai eccessivamente estrema anche nelle parti più aggressive (in “Unholy Divine” appare come female voice Acrobat). Non può mancare (ma non può proprio mancare?) la cover dei Depeche Mode (“Little 15”). La quinta traccia “Crime” è quella che probabilmente riesce a rappresentare meglio i contenuti del disco, soprattutto nella parte centrale in cui le tastiere la fanno da padrone con un motivetto simil-circense. In “So Silent” fanno capolino riff a la Necrodeath mentre “Thor’s Message” mette in evidenza il lato più epico del gruppo. Le degna conclusine del disco spetta a “Endless Night” e “Lovelorn”. In buona sostanza un buon disco che non potrà non soddisfare gli appetiti degli amanti delle sonorità ricercate e teatrali.

Voto: 7,5/10

g.f.cassatella

[Emi]

http://www.soundofmetal.se/index.php...eformityreview

8/10

Avant-garde is a very loose term when describing music, because you will never know how it sounds. The only similarity between two avant-garde bands, is that in both you will say "what the fuck!" or "holy shit!” in some moment, or some other surprise exclamation. But even though I've read that "Eternal Deformity" is a avant-garde metal band, I can’t hear that. The music itself it's too organized, too easy to hear, but still I find the term suitable.

Dark cabaret isn't a genre known to a lot of people. In fact, many people are probably wondering what it is. Whoever hears this album will probably soon know what I'm talking about. That "circus" like feeling, that "cabaret-like" music... but no, this doesn't feel like gothic. That's probably the best description to Dark cabaret. Yes, it's very loose, so that's why this band is tagged as avant-garde.

So with a melodic death base, this band strikes as a 2008 surprise. Clean vocals, bizarre keyboards and some symphonic arrangements make this band very similar to "Arcturus", the dark cabaret thing and some female vocals remind me of "Stolen Babies", and the melodic death metal within some gothic passages (because dark cabaret is quite related to gothic) is quite similar to what "Dark Lunacy" does (for those who know the band). Fans of those bands will probably find something nice within "Eternal Deformity’s" music.

The music itself is also quite interesting, to those who were worried about it being melodic death metal (a controversial term in today's metal scene). Some songs are based upon riffs, other upon the keyboards (probably the best feature), and others, like the "Depeche Mode" cover, Little 15, upon vocals. My favorite is the symphonic driven "Lovelorn", the closer of the album.

"Eternal Deformity" has what I like most when I hear metal; experimenting with it and avoiding as much as possible everything cliché in it, even when playing cliché music. May every surprise be as pleasant as this one.

Carlos Pozo

[Langoustator]

From vs-webzine (France):

Qu’il semble loin le temps où ETERNAL DEFORMITY égrenait un riff toutes les deux minutes dans son doom avant-gardiste. Qu’il semble loin le temps des sorties exclusivement disponibles en cassettes, cassettes et cassettes. Quinze ans plus tard et quatre albums plus tard, les Polonais d’ETERNAL DEFORMITY ont définitivement changé leur fusil d’épaule et proposent désormais un métal quelque peu gothic lorgnant sur le black et le heavy metal comme sur le thrash.

Le groupe s’autorevendique progressif mais c’est un adjectif qu’ils n’ont visiblement pas mesuré la portée puisque « Frozen Circus » n’a pas grand-chose de prog ou d’expérimental dans sa forme comme dans sa démarche même si pense parfois à OPETH sur quelques passages. Au contraire, malgré les diverses influences du groupe, l’ensemble est particulièrement homogène et ETERNAL DEFORMITY réussit fort intelligemment à intégrer chacune de ses sources d’inspirations dans un alliage métallique enjoué dont le point d’orgue réside dans les orchestrations, les arrangements distillés à grands coups de synthé et dans la farouche volonté de faire des chansons accrocheuses. Le quintet polonais met en exergue tout un échantillonnage de mélodies parfois joliment ciselées quand elles ne sombrent pas dans un côté mielleux comme cette reprise du « Little 15 » de DEPECHE MODE calibrée pour le matraquage radio et l’allumage des briquets en concert.

Histoire de coller à son titre, ETERNAL DEFORMITY se sert d’un p’tit côté « la piste aux étoiles » en plus décadent comme d’un fil conducteur à son album. Hélas, trois fois hélas, la recette aussi séduisante qu’elle puisse paraître ne fonctionne pas à son plein rendement car n’est pas ARCTURUS qui veut. Il manque à « Frozen Circus » la folie créatrice, le bouillonnant maelström d’idées, caractéristique des Norvégiens. Et si le chanteur singe parfois adroitement la dualité vocale du sieur Akerfeldt (OPETH), ETERNAL DEFORMITY ne dispose pas encore de la savante chimie des arrangements qui permet aux compos de glisser comme une lettre à la poste. C’est d’autant plus gênant sur le final d’un titre fleuve comme « Crime », qui laisse pointer une paire de passages au synthé un peu boiteux mais visiblement volontaire. D’ailleurs le synthé, parlons-en car, Kilo, le gus qui s’en occupe, a visiblement découvert très récemment la vague de rock FM qui sinistra nos ondes, grandes et moyennes, à la fin des années 80. Cela se ressent dans le son en plastoc comme dans la façon de plaquer certains passages. Fort heureusement, toutes les parties orchestrales sont sauvées de la noyade par une approche nettement plus contemporaine. Ça aurait été le comble si Kilo en avait fait des tonnes. (OK j’arrête les grosses têtes demain.) On notera également un petit côté folk presque celtique (jugez la performance de la chose pour des Polonais) sur « Lovelorn ».

En résumé, ETERNAL DEFORMITY propose ici un disque assez musclé pour ne pas être catalogué « gothic », assez accessible pour ne pas terroriser les adolescentes, qui n’a pas d’autre prétention que de faire passer un moment agréable. On ne peut pas dire qu’ils aient raté leur coup malgré la persistance d’un côté ampoulé pas si rebutant que ça.

Pas exactement mon terrain de prédilection. Pas exactement ce qui se fait de mieux en la matière mais ça reste très supportable voir même intéressant sur une paire de morceaux.
A vous de voir.

Tonton

13/20