nederlands
englishAll content is © 2006-2009, Evening of Light.
Halo Manash is one of the projects belonging to the Finnish Helixes collective (also known from I.Corax, Aeoga, Zoät-Aon and Arktau Eos). Like I've said before, the Helixes projects have a unique sound, that is immediately recognisable. Dark and chaotic, often with occult symbolism. Halo Manash fits this image very well, but is quite dense and intense compared to the other projects. Behind Halo Manash are Anti Ittna, who provides lyrics, vocals, chants, (bass) guitars, synths, samples, 'windbones' and artwork, Iwo Hoccuc, who takes care of percussion, and R. Kadin, who has an undefinable function on this album.
Par Antra I: Vir was the first album I heard from these gentlemen, and I was immediately impressed. The music has its own recognisable sound, of course, but the amazing concept behind this album instantly blew me away. This music is meant to induce a process of transformation within ourselves. Every track has its own aural and visual 'sigil' (a kind of symbol, the total of which are depicted multiple times in the booklet and on the CD itself). These sigils "possess within themselves multiple living spirits, shape-shifting and manifest of various appearances. The sigils, in fact, are no more than piercing patterns of pure energy." It is intended that we meditate on the different sigils repeatedly, and to let them become part of our inner life, by listening to the tracks and internalising the respective sigils in our thoughts. This, however, is not enough: "Before [the Sigils] unravel their genuine being to you, you must forget all of the initial unconscious and conscious preconceptions that you might have. In other words, in order to open the way for 'Vir', you must destroy the fixed patterns of your personality." When you have done this, and practiced much, you will eventually receive the energies of the sigils in their pure form, and they will change your entire being. "It is on reaching this condition that the entire album should be used as an enormous aural sigil with the front cover "Mandala" as its visual component. After you have internalized these both, the aural and visual components - when you are able to enter into a three-dimensional state, where all the sigils have merged into one -'Vir' will subtly transmute your innerself and reveal both its secrets and ultimate form to you." This album thus holds a great promise. It is the first part of a trilogy, by the way. I hope, of course, that after years of practice on all three the individual albums, a grand meta-sigil can arise that will tie everything together.
So, something about the music. This is, as said, very chaotic and dense. We hear scraping, manipulated guitars, hypnotic percussion, whispers, chants, and a plethora of other sounds and effects. The atmosphere reminds me of obscure rituals in abandoned places, something which is actually put into practice by the bands, judging from the images on the website. The 'sigils' accompanying this album will probably cause a very dark transformation in us, that reminds more readily of primal instincts and urges than sweet angels. All tracks are put together very well, and in a varied manner - there isn't one track that breaks the atmosphere or becomes monotonous, as is sometimes the case with other projects. I especially think the rhythmic movements are very good, like we can hear on the opening track or "siE LUs tO". I also like the chants very much, such as on the rhythmic, repetitive "AURAsh". Here and there Halo Manash step on the brakes for a bit, which is expressed in a number of relatively calm intermezzos. Altogether, this makes for an excellent album with over an hour of captivating, occult dark ambient.
Par Antra I: Vir also has some beautiful and original artwork, by the way, with the aforementioned mandalas and sigils in the booklet, and also various figures that seem to represent a different, more abstract reality. In addition, the CD comes with a very nice, handpainted cloth in black and rusty brown, depicting the sigil in the centre of the mandala. I can recommend this album to anyone who isn't afraid of some esoteric experimentation, and of course to all fans of the Helixes group. Also general dark ambient lovers should give this a listen to become familiar with the unique atmosphere.
D.M.K.
Par Antra I: Vir was the first album I heard from these gentlemen, and I was immediately impressed. The music has its own recognisable sound, of course, but the amazing concept behind this album instantly blew me away. This music is meant to induce a process of transformation within ourselves. Every track has its own aural and visual 'sigil' (a kind of symbol, the total of which are depicted multiple times in the booklet and on the CD itself). These sigils "possess within themselves multiple living spirits, shape-shifting and manifest of various appearances. The sigils, in fact, are no more than piercing patterns of pure energy." It is intended that we meditate on the different sigils repeatedly, and to let them become part of our inner life, by listening to the tracks and internalising the respective sigils in our thoughts. This, however, is not enough: "Before [the Sigils] unravel their genuine being to you, you must forget all of the initial unconscious and conscious preconceptions that you might have. In other words, in order to open the way for 'Vir', you must destroy the fixed patterns of your personality." When you have done this, and practiced much, you will eventually receive the energies of the sigils in their pure form, and they will change your entire being. "It is on reaching this condition that the entire album should be used as an enormous aural sigil with the front cover "Mandala" as its visual component. After you have internalized these both, the aural and visual components - when you are able to enter into a three-dimensional state, where all the sigils have merged into one -'Vir' will subtly transmute your innerself and reveal both its secrets and ultimate form to you." This album thus holds a great promise. It is the first part of a trilogy, by the way. I hope, of course, that after years of practice on all three the individual albums, a grand meta-sigil can arise that will tie everything together.
So, something about the music. This is, as said, very chaotic and dense. We hear scraping, manipulated guitars, hypnotic percussion, whispers, chants, and a plethora of other sounds and effects. The atmosphere reminds me of obscure rituals in abandoned places, something which is actually put into practice by the bands, judging from the images on the website. The 'sigils' accompanying this album will probably cause a very dark transformation in us, that reminds more readily of primal instincts and urges than sweet angels. All tracks are put together very well, and in a varied manner - there isn't one track that breaks the atmosphere or becomes monotonous, as is sometimes the case with other projects. I especially think the rhythmic movements are very good, like we can hear on the opening track or "siE LUs tO". I also like the chants very much, such as on the rhythmic, repetitive "AURAsh". Here and there Halo Manash step on the brakes for a bit, which is expressed in a number of relatively calm intermezzos. Altogether, this makes for an excellent album with over an hour of captivating, occult dark ambient.
Par Antra I: Vir also has some beautiful and original artwork, by the way, with the aforementioned mandalas and sigils in the booklet, and also various figures that seem to represent a different, more abstract reality. In addition, the CD comes with a very nice, handpainted cloth in black and rusty brown, depicting the sigil in the centre of the mandala. I can recommend this album to anyone who isn't afraid of some esoteric experimentation, and of course to all fans of the Helixes group. Also general dark ambient lovers should give this a listen to become familiar with the unique atmosphere.
D.M.K.