Schammasch’s Triangle is high-concept stuff. The Swiss group divide their latest album into stages with three themed CDs (The Process of Dying, Metaflesh and The Supernal Clear Light of the Void). The three discs each run to 33 minutes and all signify a stage of a spiritual journey. The concept is enhanced by the wonderful box set package and its eye-catching, symbolic imagery (by the talented Ester Segarra). It all screams masterpiece! Well, apart from the music. The album has a befittingly grand production but the music of Triangle is a chore. The first disc is a sub-Behemoth slog and the third disc, while it has a pleasant cinematic ambience, goes nowhere fast: five tracks where the final two would have had the same effect. The second disc is more successful. Its Monotheist-style evil, glassy prog and mysterious chants offering up the album’s hookiest passages. But there’s just too much padding throughout. And treating each disc as a separate album doesn’t help either when two of them are such a slog. The scale of the project keeps me returning to it, hoping it will finally click, but after coming away from another listen feeling nothing I have to finally accept that Triangle is just overlong and unrewarding. It looks and sounds incredible but there are not enough engaging moments to justify an hour and 40 minutes of my time.
HMO Rating: 2 out of 5
I almost called our dog ‘The Supernal Clear Light of the Void’, but decided it would take too long to call her.
I don’t see what’s wrong with bands having to fit it all in to 40 minutes, I think the discipline ultimately benefits, rather than hinders creativity – like poetry compared to prose. That was my sensible comment.
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You called one of your hens that though didn’t you?
I totally agree with your very sensible comment! If I have one perpetual complaint with many new albums it’s that they’re too bloated. Stupid long intros, songs that go on forever for no reason at all etc… There are always exceptions but if I see an album is 45mins or less, I feel like it’s way more likely to be good!
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Reminds me of a story about the Ramones, they said ‘last year when we played here we did our set in 35 minutes, now we’ve got it down to 32 – we’re getting better all the time’. I suspect that was probably followed by ‘1-2-3-4’ …
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Genius! But those ‘1,2,3,4’s… were they strictly necessary? Think of the time they could have shaved off by ditching those!
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While I aspire to write a tune like the one J named “outrageously good” the other day, I fear I’ll end up closer to sub-Behemoth slog!
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It’s always a danger!
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Nothing worse than a pretty splendid concept and package being ruined by dull music, eh? One that could have been a whole lot better if they’d trimmed it down a bit? Or is it all just a bit mnah?
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It’s all a bit mnah really. It’s not a case where you can pull out enough good songs for a single album. It’s mostly all pretty boring. A lot of people really liked this though, so maybe it’s just me!
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A lot of people really like Ronan Keating…
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Exactly! People are stupid.
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Eediots.
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Should I check it out?
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It’d be worth a go Nick. You might get more out of it than I did.
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Cool I will do.
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Schammasch!
Geshundheit.
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That’s a schammascher.
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Um… what else… haha I’m hungry, I want a schammasch! 🙂
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From the sounds of it, they spent more time time on the artwork (like high school students bored in class, doodling their future plans) than they did on the actual music.
Meh!
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Meh indeed! The music’s good in terms of sound and recording, just not writing and arranging.
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Ach well, maybe next time!
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