Album Review: Violet Cold – Anomie (Self-Released)
Perhaps the most shocking thing about Violet Cold’s new album, Anomie, is that it is all the work of one man. Emin Guliyev is from Baku, Azerbaijan & Violet Cold is every bit as DIY as you can get. Every element from the artwork, to the instruments, to the mixing & mastering is all done by Emin who had no formal musical training. Quite something, eh?
Anomie was self-released on March 1st 2017. It is due to be released on July 21st 2017 via Tridroid Records and Folkvangr Records on limited edition cassette and vinyl.
The opening moments of the title track, Anomie will instantly remind you of the likes of Ghost Bath & Deafheaven. It’s black metal riffs & guttural screams & roars are very familiar but that is where the comparisons end. Even still…if it results in such great music, does it matter that it shares comparisons with other great bands?
Anomie’s heavy riffs built around great rhythm & backed up with blackened vocals is an absolute joy to listen too. As the beat increases in intensity it then drops away into a lovely middle eastern melody that is gloriously haunting. The drumming is simply sublime.
This section is amazing, it’s the kind of melody that makes you stop people in the street & tell them to listen to it. It builds back into an explosion of metal that is incredibly uplifting & can be best described as 10 minutes of wonder.
She Spoke of Her Devastation’s soft melodic start is instantly gratifying in its sorrowful nature. It picks up the pace in a loving way that just puts the biggest smile on your face. It perfectly continues that epic feeling with a stunning atmospheric black metal.
If you weren’t sold on the quality of this album by now, Lovegaze will do it. A lovely bit of bass as part of the intro, it picks up the pace quickly with some really heavy notes. Violet Cold do haunting beauty so damn well, this song is another part of the stunning journey. The female vocals add an extra layer & the way in which it lifts is just transfixing in its melody.
Some might think that the record as a whole is too ‘busy’. There is a lot going on, a lot of different sounds & elements to take in but it’s so well put together that even the most hardened critic will not be able to hold back a tear during the more sorrowful moments.
My Journey to Your Space’s lightness that leads into extreme heaviness is a slight change leading more with harder, more guttural vocal work. It’s the weakest song of the six but only because the others are such stellar pieces of music.
The penultimate track, Violet Girl doesn’t instantly grab your attention but makes up for it once the riffs really get going. The mix of amazing guttural roars & the urgency in the female vocals offers something a little bit different but still results in maximum pleasure.
Anomie ends with a big song, a big finish deserving of such a spectacular journey. No Escape from Dreamland really hits its stride about the 3-minute mark with melody that will make you weep. It’s quickly followed by a rolling drum beat that hammers home just how much feeling exists here. It feels like an ending… it is an ending, one that makes you proud to have experienced such an incredible musical journey.
Anomie is one of the best albums of 2017, it’s simply a masterpiece of atmospheric black metal that focuses heavily on uplifting but sorrowful melodic moments. You’d be a fool to miss out on this.
Violet Cold – Anomie Full Track Listing:
1. Anomie
2. She Spoke of Her Devastation
3. Lovegaze
4. My Journey to Your Space
5. Violet Girl
6. No Escape from Dreamland
You can pick up Anomie from Bandcamp, it is also available to buy/listen from major streaming platforms. You can also pick up the limited edition cassette & vinyl over at Fólkvangr Records & at Tridroid Records. Check out Violet Cold over on Facebook, on Twitter, on MySpace & on YouTube.
Violet Cold - Anomie (Self-Released)
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The Final Score - 9.5/10
9.5/10
User Review
( vote)( reviews)
Anomie is an absolutely stunning album!
Told ya! ?