Polish band Blindead is a brainchild of ex- Behemoth guitarist Mateusz "Havoc" Smierzchalksi, which was formed in 1999. Let's make one thing clear right here: Blindead aren't playing any kind of death, nor black metal. 'Affliction XXIX II MXMVI', the band's third full length album, tells a story of an autistic girl, and the music sounds like it was a story.

Music-wise Blindead are about long songs, that slowly transform from one part to another. These shifts usually happen with tiny developments, or rather, steps. Droning it can be at times, but not in the true meaning of the word. The songs are tied together, but when a track finishes and another starts, that's when bigger changes take place. The atmospheres vary from calm to boisterous during the story. General mood is downcast, and is boosted with suitable sound effects and instrumentation, which includes trumpet, piano and contrabass with usual rock instruments. There's a lot of playing with how varying everything can sound. I guess the music's limits could be marked within sludge metal, and bands such as Neurosis, Sólstafir and Pink Floyd can be mentioned too, with the first one being the closest reference point. At some points, the music isn't able to arouse anYthing new anymore, falling into a trap of repetition. Vocals-wise, the story is told with cathartic shouting and languid clean singing in vein of one Eddie Vedder, everything being male voices. Hey, wasn't the story's main character a girl?! It just makes it all unbelievable, I'm afraid.

This kind of a concept isn't easy to bring to life in a musical way. At first, the album manages to be pretty inviting, but after three or four songs it loses its grip on listener, especially if this kind of music isn't one's favourite sonic entertaiNment. At least it requires the lyrics (released in a 40-page digibook, this), a lot of time, and suitable mood, if a listener would like to try to enter the world of 'Affliction XXIX II MXMVI'. I haven't been able to enter it, no matter how many times I've tried to do so. It could work, I presume, but I haven't been able to prove it to myself as yet. So I think it could be like a movie: One likes it or not.

Rating: 6 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
06/17/2012 17:42