Mirrorthrone - Of Wind and Weeping

	Mirrorthrone ”Of Wind and Weeping”
When a record is to be made, there are a lot of decisions to be made. And not to mention the process prior to the work in the studio – the phase of composing. One could team up with the best musicians available, and hope that personal and creative differences won’t spoil the effort. Or you could do like Vladimir from Mirrorthrone, and do it all yourself. It will eventually end up being time consuming, but being the sole person involved in the creative process, you’re fully able to make any decision you see fit, without being concerned about other parties involved. I don’t know about Vladimir's intention about being the only artist on the Mirrorthrone project, but it’s a fact that he’s the only member, and therefore responsible for all aspects of the creative process. He has even done all cover art to the album himself. The album consists of a few contemporary songs. The majority has been released before on other albums.	I’m not that familiar with French, but luckily for me and others in the same situation, Vladimir has thrown in a few songs with lyrics as well. The essence of those songs is an explicit urge to dwell in feelings of melancholy, depression and low self esteem. It is anything but positive, but as well as the feelings of joy and pleasure, it is a part of life that we just can’t disregard. I have tried to understand the concept of the album - the true meaning of it, but so far I have failed. Maybe it’s because the songs appear as very personal that I have a hard time relating to the album. And since I don’t know the artist in person, there’s no chance of “decoding” the songs for a meaning that I can relate to. Further involvement with the record ends up superficial, because the essence of the album seems too be personal. I’m not saying that the music is written for the pleasure of the artist only. This is an album created on commercial premises, but the thought about the very personal issues has crossed my mind more than once. Another point of critique is the use of programmed drums. They don’t sound the least as the real thing – a genuine drum kit.
The general atmosphere on the album is gloomy and quite dark. I am tempted to say somewhat occult, but that depends on personal associations, and this is just mine. The general expression “Of Wind and Weeping” consists of parts from the borderland between dark gothic and black metal. There are also a couple of baroque sounding passages to be found, in which composers like Johann Sebastian Bach undoubtedly crosses your mind. He composed a lot of music which can be described as heavy metal of its time. In example Toccata and Fuga in D-minor. Check it out – it’s actually quite a heavy piece of music. Most of the lyrics are written in French, which fits the musical atmosphere fine. But for those, who are not familiar with French, it’s a flaw if You try to understand and digest the music. The lyrics are as important as the tones.	Maybe Vladimir doesn’t know how to bash those skins. But if so, I wish that he had found a drummer for the recording sessions. The drums sounds way too artificial, and on a few occasions they get out of rhythm with the rest of the music. I’m not sure if the music is suitable for performance to a greater audience. When I first listened to the music, I sat down in front of the computer, since I was writing this review. But next time I feel for some Mirrorthrone, drawn curtains, a log of wood in the fire and lit candles is a much better start. An atmosphere of utter tranquillity and relaxation.
More info on Mirrorthrone and ”Of Wind and Weeping” på www.mirrorthrone.com or www.redstream.org