Duin

Cóndor

There are some areas of the globe that, unfortunately, do not receive the attention and […]
By Danny Sanderson
March 23, 2015
Cóndor - Duin album cover

There are some areas of the globe that, unfortunately, do not receive the attention and adulation that they deserve, and South America is definitely one of them; in a scene where the vast majority of the music that receives widespread publicity and acclaim is from North America or Europe, countries in the Southern ends of the Americas are often overlooked, which is a great shame. This does not mean that these countries do not produce amazing music; with the likes of THY ANTICHRIST originally hailing from Columbia, and of course the mighty SEPULTURA putting Brazil on the map, as well as redefining the Extreme Metal landscape, it's safe to say that good music comes out of these places. And CÓNDOR are no exception. Hailing from Bogota, Columbia, this band plays a very Progressive, Doom-laden kind of Metal that will definitely grab the attention of anyone who listens to it.

The opener, "Rio Frio", is a very soft, melancholic piece of music with a lot of melodic elements thrown in to help create a fuller and more interesting sound. The second half of the track is built around a heavily distorted riff, counter-pointed by some really cool guitar licks that complement the distorted side very well. Then comes "El Lamento de Penelope", which has a lot of Black metal influence in it, from the way the guitars are played, through to the methodical drumming style. But there is some level of dissonance, with strange chords and time changes, that make this more than just another Black Metal track, and it's clear that there are a lot more facets to this band than just that particular subgenre; you can hear elements of Death Metal, especially vocally, some more shoegaze-esque guitar parts, and some thick, beefy riffs with equally thick and beefy tones that wouldn't sound out of place in a Doom song.

"La Gran Laguna", the third song on this opus, is again very hard to pigeon-hole and classify as one specific form of music. Whatever it is, it's much more extreme than its predecessor, and the band have really brought their Death/ Black Metal influences to the forefront of the song, although it can't be fully defined as a Blackened Death Metal song. There's something you can't quite put your finger on here that really makes this track different from what most bands would do, that really makes their music unique. The fourth song, "Couer-de-Lion", has a very raw edge to it, and at first appears to be the most straight forward and conventional song on here. It has a very strong Death/Doom sound to it, with really harsh, gruff vocals, and wailing, melodic riffs that work really well. "Condordale" is an incredibly mellow, melodic track with a lot of atmosphere, that serves as a great way to provide some calm in between the heaviness of the songs on either side of it. At least, that's what it seems like at first; it gradually, and subtlety, gets heavier as the track goes on, and by the end of the song, it is a raucous cacophony of noises, which die away to ritualistic chanting. "Helle Germunden in Mod-Sefan" is another really cool, raw Death/Doom track, with plenty of guitar hooks, the highlight of which is the twin guitar sections towards the end of the track, and powerful growling vocals. "Adagio", the shortest track on here, is surprisingly one of the best on here. It's sweet, melancholic melodic guitar lines are a great way to bring this album to its climax, the albums title track. The opening motif is built around powerful, tar-like chords , before the song picks up the pace and from there, the song ebbs and flows through all the various facets of the bands sound, leading to its conclusion.

This is a pretty solid first release, at least musically. I think, if anything, there are points on this record where the mixing and production could have been better, although at times the production suits the track perfectly. This band has a really good, Progressive and interesting album on their hands here, and with any luck, it will eventually put them on the Metal map alongside other South American greats.

7 / 10

Good

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"Duin" Track-listing:

1. Rio Frio
2. El Lamento de Penelope
3. La Gran Laguna
4. Couer-de-Lion
5. Condordale
6. Helle Gemunden in Mod-Sefan
7. Adagio
8. Duin

Cóndor Lineup:

Antonio Espinosa- Guitars, Vocals
Francisco Fernandez- Guitars
Andres Felipe Lopez- Drums

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