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Band: Parzival
Album title: Die Kulturnacht
Release date: 14 January 2013
Label: Euphonious Records / Voices Music & Entertainment
Tracklisting:
01. Panta Rai
02. Kolowrath
03. Er Borca
04. Kali-Yuga
05. Das Gold der Partei
06. Die Kulturnacht
07. Cursus Polaris
08. Die Okkultistischen Matrosen
09. Eisenbrot
10. Zavarakatranemija
11. Der Schwarze Vatikan
Parzival were formed back in 1992 under the name Stiff Miners and changed it into Parzival later in 1998 and this make me wonder why this band hasn't got any bigger reputation in all this time. The answer is very simple, because their music is one of the most boring on the planet and their eighth studio album just proves this again. I was familiar only with their previous album from 2010 Urheimat and believe me, yes it was monotone and at least to say boring as hell. Their current album actually offers slightly different picture regarding previous one, as there are no more EBM/industrial influences dominating the sound, but it's rather more oriented towards martial industrial, dark cinematic, neo-classical and gothic sounds.
On Die Kulturnacht Parzival takes influences mostly from classical symphonic music like Wagner, Stravinsky, martial industrial and the most recognizable influence are Laibach. To tell you the truth and to give you a better insight into what is all about, I find this record as a mix between early works of Laibach and Mortiis from Keiser Av En Dimensjon Ukjent for example. But those two knew how to make music interesting and flowing, on the other side the output from Danish Parzival tries to be too monolithic and this make this record so monothone that it almost hurts. I can't say that it does not offer some splendid moments like on epic, extremely dark "Kolowrath", a bit more playful and theatrical "Zavarakatranemija" and in my opinion the best one here "Der Schwarze Vatikan" which sounds like kind of middle earth hymn. The rest is really predictable and neither 37 classical musicians from Prague who delivered some outstanding strings, brass and woodwinds can't save the thing. Neither seven piece Danish/Russian female choir which made some nice insertions can't, the reason is because all this doesn't became noticeable as it should and is overwhelmed by extremely monothone, "too deep" vocal approach from vocalist and band founder Dimitrij Bablevskij. Main vocals are similar to those of Milan Fras from before mentioned Laibach played at slower speed and sangt by a depressed zombie. Yes, Die Kulturnacht from Parzival shows in a great way that not only great musicianship, huge orchestrations, bombastic elements and all the rest can make a solid album. You need interesting song structures, dynamic vocals and certain drive through the album that keeps the listener interested. In the sector of for example martial industrial Kreuzweg Ost showed a lesson how to do this. Parzival fails in a great way doing the same thing.
Anyway, this was my experience with this album and if you are still interested in how this sounds check this album, still it has its moments that are worth take a listen or two. Production is good, those classical elements also. I believe that this one could work just fine as a soundtrack to some "B" horror movies dealing with a lot of suspense where at the end nothing exciting happens.
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 3,5/10
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