Intaglio



2005 - Intaglio

Official Site

Reviews:

Metal Reviews
(january 2007)
(76/100)

It is not often that we see a true one-man band in metal. In fact, though I’m sure there have been a few, I have racked my brain over the last few days, and can’t seem to recall a single one. Well, this review doesn’t really contain one either. However, Russian funeral doom band Intaglio, the brainchild of Evgeny Semenov, was just such a singular concoction from its inception in 2004 until early 2005, when Maksim Mazin was recruited to handle vocal duties. Save for the vocals, everything from guitars to programmed noise and drums is handled by Semenov on the band’s self-titled debut album on Solitude Productions. This is an interesting build to say the least, so I was very intrigued to hear the band’s take on one of my favorite styles of music.

Following the curiosly post rock sounding opener, aptly titled The Beginning, the dark and sludgy trail begins in earnest with Dark Cherry Day. Well, in earnest at least as much as a funeral doom song can be. The bands style is very slow, yet somehow seeming to keep just enough of a pace to be noticed. Semenov layers his guitars masterfully, with one taking a base of distorted sludge, while the other picks one eerie clean note after another. It is in this method that the band takes a large cue from Evoken, which is never a bad thing as far as I’m concerned. The vocals of Mazin are soft ghost-like growls that, while nothing groundbreaking, are an adequate companion for the grim orchestra Semenov creates. One thing to note about Intaglio’s music is that, besides the ultra slow movement, it shares very little with some of the genre’s more well known names like Shape of Despair or Skepticism. This is primarily due to the minimal amount of keyboards or orchestral effects. Intaglio opt instead to create their atmosphere with drawn out guitar notes and frequent use of a desolate, windy sound, similar to the background noise an action movie might employ while overlooking a desert setting after a huge battle has taken place.

There are only four songs on this record, technically three as The Beginning is really an intro. Despite this, and in typical funeral doom fashion, it still manages to creep up on 50 minutes in runtime. The final two tracks contain well more than half of the total, beginning with Solitude. Perhaps not the best choice for a song title as most doom fans will associate this word with the classic track which unleashed Candlemass onto the world. While it may not live up to its title persay, it is still effective in utilizing all the elements at Semenov’s disposal. The only problem is that it is very interchangeable with its predecessor Dark Cherry Day. The final track, Wind of Autumn, continues much in the same manner, though I feel it is the strongest effort on the album. Something about the nearly continuous clean guitar progression gave the song much more emotion than I had become accustomed to hearing from this band. Mazin’s vocals are extremely subdued; at one point nothing more than a scared whisper. Things aren’t perfect though, as I thought the periods of near silence did not suit the atmosphere the first 8 minutes had managed to create. First, a shorter passage containing only drums and the aforementioned desert wind sound, and then, around the 11 minute point, the wind is left by itself while the occasional drum beat or guitar note will make an appearance. Calling these periods minimalistic would be a severe understatement. If these two portions could have been left off, Wind of Autumn could have been one amazing 13 minute display of all the things that make funeral doom great.

Intaglio has created a fine first effort here. The atmospheres are mostly stunning, especially considering they are mostly the product of one man. There really aren’t a whole lot of flaws I can point out, though I would like to see more variation and progression of their sound with the follow up. It is absolutely crucial for a good funeral doom band to avoid the ever-present pitfall of monotony. In this regard, Intaglio managed to do well on their debut, though at times not by much.

Reviewed by: Adam

The Metal Crypt
(january 2007)
(3.25/5)

I'm a big fan of Funeral doom, but I wouldn't really describe it as my favorite style of metal (that award goes jointly to black and death metal). With that said, I don't think I've ever come across a poor funeral doom band. Is there such a thing as poor funeral doom? If there is, I've yet to discover it. Sure, there's plenty of poorly executed Funeral doom out there (or 'Saddam' doom as I now like to call it - geddit? Hohoho); but nothing that I would necessarily call awful. Anyway, I'm digressing before I've even started. Intaglio are a Funeral Doom band from Russia, and this is their self-titled debut album. Apparently when it was released in 2005, they were allegedly the first Russian Funeral doom band to have an official full length album released (according to Solitude Productions' web site that is), and for what it's worth, it's not too bad at all.

The opening track is entirely instrumental, but sets the tone nicely for the album. Coming strictly from the achingly slow and melancholic school of doom (where stars can seemingly form and die in the time between each chord struck), Intaglio have set the basis of their music on thick slab-like chords decorated with clean delay drenched guitars for atmosphere, sparse drums and gurgling low growls. I don't think it'd be a stab in the dark to say Intaglio are primarily influenced by Thergothon, Skepticism and the like, as they feature a fair amount of those originators styles, albeit merged into a bastardized, less unique version. No, Intaglio are not exactly original, but again, they're certainly not poor. The band are simply suffering from the fact that they're playing music which has been done before, and done around 5-10 years ago.

It's not that they've done a bad job of it either, it's just that while the Skepticisms of this world have moved on and further pushed the boundaries of doom, Intaglio, whilst being perfectly competent, are still seemingly on page one. Also, the band suffer slightly on the 'keep your interest' stakes in some of the lengthier songs (apart from the 3 minute opener, the remainder of tracks range between 13-18 minutes in length). If you're going to have tracks that long, you've got to make them capture your imagination for the full duration, which unfortunately they don't quite manage to do throughout the entire album. Overall, I'd say they've certainly got talent (especially on the diverse track 'Solitude'), and they certainly could progress in the quality over quantity stakes bearing in mind this is their debut effort. So, one to look out for in the future? If they can fix the minor irritations, I don't see why not.

Reviewed by: Lars Christiansen

Metal Only
(december 2006)

There are few styles within metal where you get from just four songs a total playing time of just under 50 minutes. One of these is of course the ever so dark and gloomy funeral doom and it\'s to this category that the Russian band INTAGLIO belongs. Their self titled debut seems also to be the first album ever to be released by a Russian funeral doom metal band and as a great fan of this style I of course hope for many more Russian releases within this style in the future.

Funeral doom should be slow, dark, monotonous, slow, gloomy and last but not least slow. In this INTAGLIO is no exception and delivers four titanic songs where it\'s mostly the guitar that sets out the base for the simple and monotonous melodies that the listener get to experience. The bass is of course also present to some extent and the drums and the deep growls turns up on a regular basis to enhance the heavy and dark atmosphere that the band has as the goal to create. A heavily present atmosphere is maybe the most important element in funeral doom and is at the end the main thing that decides if an album is successful or not. It\'s unfortunately here that things start to go a bot wrong for INTAGLIO and even though all the ingredients are present, the music still doesn\'t really manage to seriously capture me. I would have liked to hear some more effects in the guitar sound to get an even more obscure sound and the drum hits would also have benefited from more powerful sound. Yet in the end it\'s difficult to say what really is the cause behind the dark atmosphere not getting enough strength and hypnotizing effect that I would have hoped for and I think the reasons may very well be something more connected with personal taste.

Even though I personally for some reason have a hard time getting really captured by this album it still stands clear that this debut by INTAGLIO contains more or less everything needed for a successful funeral doom album and that it at least manages to crawl itself past averageness. Who knows, maybe next time the atmosphere reaches me better and the praises begins to rain down.

Reviewed by: Janne

Tartarean Desire
(november 2006)
(4/10)

No, no, boys and girls. Ultra doom, funeral doom or whatever the hell it?s called, it?s not an exclusive from Finland. “Uh, oh, ah... hmmm... is it possible? Is there any maniac outside Suomi releasing zuperzlow metal? Is there anybody out there desecrating and defying the (un)holy presence of Skepticism, Unholy and Shape Of Despair?” Yes, sad but true, hahaha. That trinity (among other non-Finnish acts, I was just kidding in those lines...) has spawned many disciples here and there, and “there” is Russia in the case we?re dealing right now. Intaglio are another token of the influence which that despised style, ultra doom metal, emanates. Bands that have come into my mind as I was listening this bunch of songs are Tyranny (“Bleak Vistae”) and My Shameful. However... no comparisons are possible. Yes, it?s funeral music, but thick reverbs, layers of guitars, psychedelic effects and similar things don?t exist here, as simple as I say. Quite dry music, really. So forget about mammoth sounds like Esoteric?s juxtaposing harmonies or Shape Of Despair?s dreamy landscapes: these songs are built off a very limited number of notes and the arrangements are very dry and simple, through icy patterns and portraying a minimalistic instrumentation, based on massive and severe repetitions. Desolation is the main feeling I perceive when “Intaglio” sounds on my stereo, but there are other bands that express that sentiment much better than these guys. Funeral doom is a style where the apparently scarce instrumentation must be combined with witty and creative songwriting and arrangements. Intaglio haven?t grasped that thing, in my opinion, and every now and then manage to play something similar to the concept 99% people consider as funeral doom: loose random guitar chords played at snail pace, conforming songs lasting more than 10 minutes. Let?s see if the next release is more inspired.

Reviewed by: Fjordi

Metal Observer
(september 2006)
(7/10)

Once again, the Romanization of the track titles are my own, so the only system is mine. Though I have to say, I am confused. It seems that the band’s name (and the album’s) is INTAGLIO in Roman characters, INTALIYA in Cyrillic. I honestly have no idea why.

Apparently, INTAGLIO is the first Russian Funeral Doom band to ever receive an official release through a label. At least that’s what I hear around the web, so take it with a grain of salt. It’s a two man band, comprised of Maksim Mazin (vocals) and Evgeny Semenov (guitar, bass, keyboards, programming, also of S.C.A.L.P.) and originally formed in 2004. This self-titled debut was released in October of 2005.

This is slow. Really, really slow. Okay, maybe not quite KHANATE or “MELVINS screwing with us” slow, but it really makes all those mainstream critics who obsess over CANDLEMASS’s speed seem like intolerant Nancy boys. Aside from the three minute instrumental intro, the shortest song is only a hair under 13 minutes. So long...so drawn out…it makes me…want to…put ellipses…between words. Add on top of that Mazin’s unintelligible, rasping growl and the vast majority of the world will think you’re crazy for enjoying this.

It’s perfectly competent Funeral Doom, as far as Funeral Doom goes, but by being competent and playing the style so exactly, INTAGLIO fall into some of the genre’s traps. “Tyomno-Vishnevyie Den’” is a particularly example of decompression—they don’t have the ideas to fill the 13:10 running time, so they repeat a lot of the same stuff over…and over again. I know repetition is fairly common in Funeral Doom, but this is just too much. Take a look at “Odinochestvo”—that song has enough variety (and appropriately Doomy variety at that) that listening to it’s 12:53 is not a chore.

Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of Funeral Doom, but I found quite a few places on “Intaglio” that were comfortable. I think more ardent fans of the genre would really enjoy this release. (Online September 30, 2006)

Reviewed by: Keith Stevens

Convival Hermit #3
(april 2006)

The press campaign for Solitude Productions is taking advantage of the fact that Intaglio are the first funeral doom band in Russia, and can you blame them? This is no small matter from my perspective. In fact, from this writer's point of view, it is a kind of small historical event. I have heard many doom metal bands from Russia, grievous, sad-to-tears, painfully morose, but none that have ever played in the same wretched, snail-like pace as Intaglio. The Kind have evidently taken their cues from bands like Evoken (definitely apparent). Mournful Congregation, Thergothon. perhaps even Dolorian, or the first two Katatonia albums (the classic "For Funeral's To Come...")... but they do not merely ape the works of these bands in the four tasteful tracks making up this album; they actually have something of their own to add, they sound original. This is almost unheard of for this style of music, particularly in the last few years, but Intaglio are in their own camp, really. The strange, half-growled, half-whispered vocals of Maksim Masin, immured by the crunching, heavy and totally somber guitar riffs of Evgeny Semenov, amalgamate into a ghostly pall of a sound that really collapses and breaks down the listener's will. All of the tracks, with the exception of the introduction, are quite long, over 10 minutes each, but, as with the best music, you do not perceive that time go by; you are absorbed and overtaken by each of the songs, which, by the way, are recorded immaculately. The professionalism of the recording is extraordinary; never have I heard a Russian band sound as clear and full as this. The drums, evidently programmed, do not have a synthetic or clunky sound to them, such as, for example, in the last Evoken album. You may have noticed by now that I have mentioned Evoken several times already in the course of this review, as though they have set some kind of precedent for the band, but the funny thing is that Intaglio are far better than Evoken. Intaglio, I would be so bold to say, are better than, not just Evoken, but many bands of this style today. I was so utterly surprised and moved by this album that I cannot express it in words. I believe chat with the right amount of lime, maybe even a bigger label, great things can happen with Intaglio. I certainly hope so, as Evgeny and Maksini have created something very personal and endearing here that I think I will treasure for some time to come…


Reviewed by: Yury Arkadin

Doom-Metal.Com
(april 2006)

Intaglio are the first Russian funeral doom band to be officially released, so first of all, my congratulations to this band and Solitude Productions, who have the guts to start an underground doom label in a place where there was none before.

So, what do we get from this doomy duo? This self-titled debut album contains a short intro and three long tracks of funeral doom with a relatively light sound. 'The Beginning' is a very nice introduction based on a few lead guitar layers; very serene and calm. The remaining three tracks are composed of slow doom metal riffs accompanied by leads and growls, sometimes interspersed with the same relaxed melodies we find in the intro. The result is an enjoyable, laid-back funeral doom CD, which isn't really depressing or gloomy, contrary to the general tendency of the sub-genre. The sound of the band is most reminiscent of that of Evoken, because of the way riffs and leads are paired, but that's where the similarities end. Obviously, Intaglio has little of the crushing funeralish doom/death style of these Americans.

My main point of criticism is that the songs lack variety in some aspects. While the slow pace suits the music, there isn't happening enough in terms of song progression and tempo to keep all parts interesting. The band should also try and incorporate more different sounds and melodies like the one in the intro into their main tracks as well, to raise the level. On the whole, though, while this isn't groundbreaking material, it is a promising debut from two young Russians and I encourage them to continue this line of work, as they've definitely got their own sound within the subgenre. 'Intaglio' is worth checking out for funeral doom fanatics, but probably won't appeal as much to others.


Reviewed by: Oscar Strick

Power Play Records
(march 2006)
(8.2/10)

When i saw that the latest release from Intaglio had only four songs, i thought it was another mini CD, but when i saw the duration, i realize that it was the new full length album from this Russian act. Actually Intaglio, offer to us an almost fifty minutes trip to their funeral doom metal world. When you have to listen songs that are more than ten minutes you should have the right mood too and believe me Intaglio don't need your help, because they have deliver an exceptional album, with really slow tracks and chaotic atmosphere.

If you close your eyes and hear the music from them, then for sure you will feel the cold and the ice from this country and Evgeny and Maksim had transferred almost perfectly this atmosphere through this album. For a debut album, i can say that Intaglio have done a great job with their release and they can have more success in the future with this kind of music, which is a little bit difficult to listen to, but at least you can "see" a wonderful world.

Reviewed by: Antonis Maglaras

Metal Storm
(december 2005)
(8,5/10)

It’s good to have the luck to do the review of some Funeral Doom bands sometime, especially when it is a good release. But this time, this combo doesn’t come from the United Kingdom or Scandinavia but from Russia. Maksim Mazin and Evgeny Semenov two really talented musicians chose to release their first album “Intaglio” this year and believe me that with their four three songs (plus an intro) and a length of 47 minutes, all the ones who want some good Doom will be more than happy.
No need to say something else first, “Intaglio” is cold as ice and really depressive. Actually the album follows the classic road of the Funeral Doom release with a really slow tempo, a really dark ambiance and evidently some really sad but beautiful melodies. There are only three songs (the first without any vocals actually sounds like an intro) on this release but they’re evidently long but not boring at all. Evidently it’s not easy to listen to this kind of music, especially if you’re not a diehard fan of the style but the songs are not boring and not so hard of access at the end. Our guys understood how to do something “catchy” (and you know like me that it’s not a really appropriated term for an album of Funeral Doom…).
But let’s talk about the music. I actually like the melodies, they’re maybe simple but always really touching. Same with the general ambiance, it’s maybe not something disturbed and black a la Pantheist but I’m sure that you’ll have some weird feelings when you’ll listen to it because believe me, it’s classy.
For a first album and then a first try, I have to admit that Intaglio knew how to score the goal. The production is really good, the artwork and the layout of the booklet fits perfectly with the spirit of the music of the band. My only regret come from the lyrics that are in Russian. Don’t understand that I only want English in Metal, at the opposite, but unfortunately even if it sounds really good, I cannot understand them and you all will agree with me if I say that the lyrics are really important for an album of Funeral Doom. So let’s hope that we could find a translation somewhere one day…

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