14.03.2006

Lucy
Tragedy
Breathe Within Me
Triple 6
Secrets
Entre 2 Tierras
...And The World Stood Still
One Krow Sorrow
Red Raisins For My Wounds
Watery Cage

gm the Krow - vocals

Mesna - synth & prog

Lennon - bass

Cyro - guitars on this session

dr. Spiga - drums

guitarist of the current line up is Sandro L. Stomeo

aka PROFOUND: "Energy is a wild Flower"     aka profound

Produced in 2005 by aka Profound

Recorded and mixed by Tommy Vetterli at Newsound Studio, CH        

"

Profound live in Stans 2002

Tragedy

review  by dalia "gryphon_spirit" di giacomo____      

What i need is just  one fall...The Swiss combo aka Profound is a damn interesting  band; and "Energy is a wild Flower" is their first full length, actually much awaited from their fans, believe me. But aka Profound really deserve an international wide attention, because they are unmistakable.  And why  do they gather such  flair? Is it  because they have supported, in Switzerland, acts like Paradise Lost, Subway to Sally, Cinema Strange , Saltatio Mortis? No, of course. Aka Profound have  really uncommon characteristics, that surface if you listen to them  with  attention. We could identify  their genre as Melodic New Goth Rock. But aka Profound have a past as Gothic Metal oriented band (ahh i still remember the song Day of Wrath!) , when  their moniker was simply Profound, a past that, fortunately,  it is not completely forgotten, therefore their music begins to be really attractive, both considering the  good and the less good songs.  Let's list now these characteristics that can be all found in the album. First off,  aka Profound's vocals are recognizable among a million. Comparing  the first  EP "Sleep, profound" (1998) with the maxi single "Tragedy" (2001) and this new production,  vocals evolve from angry almost growling attitude to a clear one, nonetheless bursts of that  "raw" attitude are still alive. Anyway, always vocals have been ( consequently still are)  typically adenoidal, yet agreeable... only you have to work the impact with them,  you have to get used with this voice. In any case, you will never forget  gm the Krow's timbre. gm the Krow has such an incredible personality that is impossible to remain indifferent both if you listen to the disc or you see him live. You end up to love or to hate him, no other alternative. "Energy is a wild Flower" delivers his voice too in foreground  (i don't think it was a good choice of the production) nonetheless, i underline again,  if you become familiar with this timbre you will also become accustomed to the  English pronunciation, and your attention will move towards the music.  It is absolutely a try worth, and considering that many songs are so beautiful, it is a pleasant try!  

The second point , still related to gm the Krow,  is focused, as you can  expect, on  lyrics:  there is something  of explicitly perverse  yet  common in the  lyrics of this frontman. Or, on the contrary,   lyrics  seem common  but they aren't . Anyway,  you get the impression that gm the Krow confide  you a secret in every song, yet   words are direct. You think  you can understand everything, but a doubt remains. Example: the song  Red Raisins For My Wounds seems to deal with suicide, but...is that true? 

And now the music. Now i am really glad  to mention  a musician that i personally consider a genius of a mind: mastermind (indeed)  and keyboardist Mesna. He is able to compose songs that the most  important Gothic Rock  /New Wave bands  only can dream of. Period. His key- atmospheric and  electro creativity equals many times the expressiveness of a lead guitar,  while  the atmospheric touch will enchant the gothic souls, without going  into cyber or industrial. The melodies and  the structure that Mesna can create are formidable. Nonetheless, in the middle of this glamorous frame,   we must  meet a cover, "Entre 2 Tierras", that really doesn't add anything to the original version (by  the Spanish Heroes del Silencio) and that doesn't add anything special to the album. But Mesna's tracks like Tragedy, Secrets (composed together with QD),  Red Raisins For My Wounds, Watery Cage are superb.  And very good are also ...and the World stood still, composed by gm the Krow and Triple 6 by gm the Krow and QD. Diversified music in  coherence.  Another point of force is the pushing rhythmic section delivered by drummer dr. Spiga (who has a Death/Thrash  attitude) and bassist Lennon, protagonist  of an amazing  morphing ,being now a true gothlord and a dedicated bass-player. 

Guitars passed from QD (now guitarist in the thrash act Mortal Factor)   to Cyro, who recorded this album. But currently  the guitarist is the new  member  Sandro L. Stomeo.  I still don't know how this stuff sounds live with Sandro, but the band is satisfied by Mr. Stomeo's  performance and fellowship. I personally miss QD very much, and i wish  for aka Profound the add of a second guitarist (easy: Sandro and QD! we journalists create very quickly any line up design!). However,  in "Energy is a wild Flower ", guitars sustain  really energetic moments full of groovy riffs mixed with  bass,  but quite rarely shine in  lead solo or accompanying. 

Speaking  about the tracks, i would say that  some songs are addictive, full of feelings and temperament in their genre. Those who quickly and superficially  label the whole production as radio goth simply are not able to appreciate. Although i don't agree  100% with the band's evolution, and although i am  radicalized in  other genres,  I would swim every ocean for "Red Raisins For My Wounds" and absolutely i am touched and fans of Triple 6, Tragedy or Watery Cage.. Beauty and passion cannot be stigmatized neither labeled. Watery Cage is another amazing song (available for download at the official site), but take your time to listen  and listen to it, till you break in sorrow. Triple 6 and Secrets, composed after   2001, still make part  of those tracks who are so soaked with Metal . Not completely new, yet never recorded before by the band. "Energy is a wild Flower", as many debut albums do,  brings us  very new compositions together with older songs already  known, but no track is very  old, being only Tragedy the piece already present in the Maxi single  dated 2001, and Tragedy is a kind of anthem, flagship, distinctive mark for the band. The only boring tracks are One Krow Sorrow ( i can  only skip it in order to survive, cannot believe it is  Mesna the one who conceived it) and the cover Entre 2 Tierras, more electronic and maybe more refined than the original version, but  lacking that  unique impulsivity conveyed by Heroes del Silencio. But the rest  is brilliant in various measure.  The intro of Lucy is electronic but soon  strings and drums sound implacable, Lucy is a bit under Paradise Lost  influence , but you can find traces of the Italian Cayne and of The Kovenant (Seti era). Tragedy is a dark anthem, full of sorrowful undertones but also infected by a never ending powerful melody, infected by decay and hope. Triple 6 is one of the fastest, pushing and metalized tracks: somewhere among Modern, Gothic and melodic Thrash,  a neckbreaking and a melody bringer at the same time, due to the sweet breakdowns that  follow the fierce cadenced hammering. ...and the World stood still delivers chords that  remind to  Sentence or old Charon and a refrain in crescendo in full pushing melodic rock. Breath within me is electro gothic new wave with a big rock attitude and a metal pulse, thanks to  formidable rhythmic riffs that balance the nervous magnetic-noisy carpet of keys. Secrets is another hammer and a syncope for your heart, so beautiful, the second masterpiece of this album, an anguished melody propelled by  true gothic metal  walls of riffs as strong as  Darkseed or Crematory, even if the chords go more in direction  Charon/Entwine, and finally enhanced by a clear  solo of lead guitar. Secrets enslaves you immediately. Period.   The  level  9 is hold by the king: Red Raisins for my Wounds that mixes cold   transparent ethereal keys together with  a romantic anguished pressing melody and huge rhythmic grooves; the bridge, with the  slow double bass in progression and the  orchestral-like tunes, followed  the burst of the strings,  makes you totally insane. 

Watery Cage is strongly delicate, here the keys are sublime with their aqueous vibes, while the strings anchor you to earth. Drumming is almost  tribal and compelling, the melody is  immediately catchy . gm the Krow's  English  is so strange yet attractive. The piano insertion is pure cold rainfall. 

But, at the end of story, "what i need is just  one fall, just red raisins for my wounds to get it all".

rating: 8/10

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