Most of you must know that
"new" is well-forgotten "old". Showy Canadians Rhea's
Obsession are giving the next convincing evidence for it. In their latest album
"Re: Initiation / The Mudra Mixes" they returned to their first
record "Initiation", reminded their eloquent beginnings and added
something brand new.
As the first record, "Re: Initiation" is striking by unbelievable
blend of celestial ethereal and earthy industrial, where confident and
high-grade guitar noises provided by Jim Field meet Bulgarian and Indian
rhythms of elegant percussion performed by Rakesh Tewari and Ed Hanley on
tablas, doumbek and bodhran; and the whole of this alloy is ravishingly adorned
with Sue Hutton's operatically trained vocals. Leading "Memento Mori"
is the perfect guide to prevalent experimentation of Rhea's Obsession creative
work and sets the mood to the record. Next to ballads "Waves (Take Me
Alive)", enchanting song of sirens, and "Cun Lacoudhir", Gaelic
tale about the breaking ice in the dream, there come hypnotizing splitting
sounds of "Strategies of Movement", which makes you sit stunned
without any twinkling. "Hymn to Pan", reciting of Allister Crowley's
poem, is distinguished by its chaotic eerie intensification.
Maybe the most glaring piece of this record is "Anxia",
romance-turn-to-murder song, which creates mystical and ominous atmosphere
basically because of Victor Rebelo's amazing drums. The piece, where love
re-incarnated to hatred, sounded in Valentine's Day scene of sci-fi series
"Psi Factor: chronicles of the paranormal"; the insertion of this
song to the record is rather humane act concealing to everyone being deprived
about "Eclipse", band's second release. Enigmatic "Tsunami"
in both elaborations is nothing more but obvious work of art, containing
mesmeric tribal notes along with Field's fabulous guitar passages. Haujobb
remix of "Cun Lacoudhir" is unforgivable challenge to previous serene
version of the song, but also it shows the bright example of Rhea's Obsession's
considerable experience in creating remixes.
With all diversity and singularity of songs, the whole record has one
remarkable dignity: Sue Hutton's sensual voice. From the first piece gorgeous
modulations of this multi-layered powerful voice possesses your soul, reaches
for every cell of your body, makes you feel yourself in smooth sailing flight
over uneasy world; it's certain, skillfully controlled, deep and delicate.
Okay, please stop comparing Sue with Lisa Gerrard, because actually it's
needless, unfair and mistakenly. Why? Because then you'll have to blame all
Goth songstresses in that "they are not Lisa".
Ultimately, I want to say, that today's music world undergoes hardships about
formed, defined and really professional bands. Rhea's Obsession is definitely
that sort of rare bands with efficient level and aims, which they always reach
without fail. And "Re: Initiation" shows this statement in all its
absolutism. Sue and Jim are still true to themselves: intelligent,
experimenting, resourceful, distinctive and simply delectable.
Review by Maria of www.geocities.com/russian_rheas
|
