DIAGNOSE: LEBEBSGEFAHR – Transformalin
I never understood why Silencer’s Death-Pierce Me got such great reviews, but for those who somehow did find that release groundbreaking, this is the same guy. This time, Nattram tries his hand at power electronics. At least, that’s what it sounds like an attempt at. A crude, misinformed, pathetic attempt at that. Actually, those are kind words. Transformalin is so mind-bendingly awful, that I’m honestly not sure whether to laugh or punch Nattram in the face. Or both. At the same time. The track “Transformalin”‘s lyrics provide some good ideas as well: “Steal my voice, it can not be heard… Drill a hole in my skull/Fill me up (and) I’m sterile/with a stench of purity and ethyl”. Did he just rhyme skull, sterile, and ethyl? Speaking of words, the vocals themselves are cringeworthy at best. Half-sung, half-said, all melodrama. On “Upon the High Horse of Destruction”, the vocal cue seems to be ‘use scary Halloween voice’, which is especially noticeable on lyrics like ‘throw my bones to the pigs’, which in practice sounds like ‘throooooow…. my booooooooooones….. to the piiiiiiiigs’. According to the liner notes, the album was ‘recorded during 2004-2005 as a therapy and rehabilitation process’, which to me sounds like a :Stalaggh:-esque gimmick, but its truth doesn’t concern me. What concerns me is the absolute lack of redeeming factors. From the forced ‘atmosphere’ of “Flaggan Paa Halv Staang I Droemmens Vaestergaard” to the contrived ‘military’ feel of “Situazion: Lebensgefahr”, Transformalin fails over and over. I had relatively high hopes for this album, because although I didn’t think Silencer was anything original, I thought a noisier direction would suit the emotionality of the project. The album is marketed as a mix of industrial drone and dark ambient. Don’t be fooled. This is a painful mix of Ordo Tyrannis and As All Die. If you like those acts, this is something to seek out. Anyone want my copy? -Christine
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