Sisyphus
Leiþa
From their Bandcamp page, "This album came to life as a result of doubt and self-loathing. That pale face that stares right back at you morning after morning from the reflection of your mirror as it displays the miserable outcome of your own existence onto yourself. The bitter taste of bile and cigarette ash you inherit following yet another day trapped in the eternal vicious circle of a worthless existence. It is those moments certainty spits you in the face with a blend of disgust and resistance. In moments exactly like that be sure of just one thing: You are not the only one." The album contains eight tracks.
The title track leads off the album. It begins with eerie and harrowing tones...it's Black Metal but also an amalgam of another style, especially in the vocals. I love the lyrical themes here...nihilism is a concept long since debated by the atheist community, and it certainly has a place in Black Metal. "Endlos" is the opus on the album, at over eight minutes in length. It opens with a more traditional riff, and it is obvious that this band is not afraid to explore. Screeching leads pepper the landscape of blast beat drumming and raging vocals. The sound shifts somewhat to despair, then anger returns.
"Sterben um zu sterben" is a much shorter track, but with more dissonant and eerie tones, and you can really the themes of the album starting to drag you down. The riffs twist and turn about, with some Progressive elements rearing their heads. "Gib mir Heimat" begins with a slower pace, and even some despondent melodies in the guitar work. The main riff is powerful, commanding, and beguiling. Spoken words in German come in after the half-way mark, and it fades away, taking your hope with it. "Muhsal" is a two-minute instrumental, connecting the first half with the latter half of the album. Tones of despair and hopelessness come from the guitars.
"Prometheus" in Greek mythology is a Titan God of Fire. There is a combination of anger and deep despair in this song. At times, you want to push through and fight, while other times you want to give up. It picks up towards the end, with a cacophony of action. "Der Feind lebt in mir" opens with a slower sound, that picks up pretty quickly. The despondent tones are dialed up a notch, with endless days of grey that you cannot shake out of. "Töte dich" is a three-and-a-half-minute closer. There is still a fight left in the subject, and he will not go quietly into the night without making himself known, but it is starting to wane. At this point you have to ask yourself...is life worth continuing?
On the album, I can hear the doubt and self-loathing and a reminder of a worthless existence. But more than that, I can hear anger and rage when it comes to that stark realization...not passive acceptance. This guy is not going down without a fight to end all fights. He will push, claw and even kill to escape the fate that many of us seem to have. For in the end, all that you have left are your wits, your inner strength, and the undeniable and unbreakable will to live.
8 / 10
Excellent
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Sisyphus" Track-listing:
1. Sisyphus
2. Endlos
3. Sterben um zu sterben
4. Gib mir Heimat
5.Mühsal
6. Prometheus
7. Der Feind lebt in mir
8. Töte dich
Leiþa Lineup:
Noise - Everything
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