PHRAGMENTS

"The Burning World"

The Eastern Front - 2007

CD - 1000 copies

The new release of notorious Israeli grey area label is the debut of Phragments, a new presence in the industrial underground. Not much is known about this new middle-Eastern artist, so the best is to let speak the music, as well as the dark red cover artwork, that looks like the satellite shot of a road leading through desolate desert dunes. The CD comes in a fold-out A4 glossy cover and is limited to 1000 copies.

To get an idea about what Phragments' music might sound like, you just need to read the thank list, where names such as Arcana, Pimentola, Stahlwerk9, Claustrum, Karjalan Sissit, CMI or Cyclic Law are quoted as inspiration. The eight tracks of "The Burning World" resemble almost an encyclopaedia of the military / orchestral / marching industrial, with elements of dark ambient and death industrial as well. Thundering percussions, dark orchestral themes, deformed strings, epic keyboard tunes, machinery noises, monstrous filtered vocals. All the basic elements of the genre are to be found throughout the CD's 44:30 minutes.

While the first three tracks at least, "Non Serviam", "Fireseed" and "Antichristos" (the latter reminding even of Inanna's "Day Ov Torment") are truly outstanding, the rest of the album fails to maintain the same excellent standards and doesn't seem to offer anything much different or distinctive from the hordes of similar bands / units already on the loose. Die-hard fans of the genre are very likely to appreciate Phragments' debut, but give a listen before getting your money out if you feel particularly saturated with this sound and the imagery it evokes lately.

- Simon V.

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