p e n i t e n t
melancholia - CMI.39

Penitent are one of those acts that choose to epress themes of hate, misanthropy and so forth in what some may deem as an untypical fashion. Beauty, drama, and poetry are their weapons of war, and one noticable way this is expressed in, is their nationalistic, marching type tracks, such as I Det Vennelige. There are similarities to Mortiis in pieces such as Stille, and these surface in the way vocals are expressed. One criticism I do have, is that the sound of the drums are very 'machine' like. I am assuming that it is a computer that has been used, and I feel this steals from the nationalistic aura of some of the tracks. Other tracks such as The Dance Of Demons, and The Undertaker are simply synth style pieces, and while they are well performed, they are hardly anything overtly unique, or interesting. Closing with the lengthy Det Sorte Tjern, a piano driven number trails the album further into the realms of dulldom. Penitent are an act with some great ideas to offer, however I dont feel that Melancholia has the finess to present them.

Jason M. Healy

Floating and beautyfulish symphonic music with a male voice reading poems to it. Not singing, but reading. This becomes a major test of one patience due to a very musically tame and uninteresting atmosphere which is synonymous to this disc. Just reading a poem to slow and rather boring music without any kind of feeling or dedication in the voice is rather unexpected. It is a very...well, the idea in itself is good and it is fully possible to do a similar thing like this with a result which is rich and entertaining, but some more visual soundeffects must be brought into the picture and also some more musical dedication in the "poemvoice" must also be there to create something people might be affected by. We are not enjoyed by this album since the interesting nerve is missing and it also makes no effect on the us being unhappening musically. Perhaps the tired voice can be blamed? It is just that one must adjust ones voice and poem to the music, or the other way around, otherwise it is two different things which collides, as it does on this album. The harmony between the music and the poem is not present!