Various Artists - Eidolon. A Tribute To Reutoff

I must admit that usually I am quite suspicious towards different "tribute" compilations which are being released out there from time to time, but this one dragged my attention by the list of contributors. That's why I decided to give it a try and, jumping slightly ahead, it was worth it.

So, what I hold in my hands is a product from the well-known Italian based Old Europa Cafe label under the code name "Eidolon. A Tribute To Reutoff" and it contains almost eighty minutes of mind-blowing material. As you have guessed already, this compilation is dedicated to one of the most famous and respected bands of post-Soviet area. We had very recently presented this project on the pages of Brutal Resonance, as their excellent split with another great Russian band Sal Solaris was a really impressive piece of art. However, their creativity definitely breaks the physical borders between countries and nations and reaches the hearts of many people in the post-industrial scene to enlighten them with its lethal force.

A huge portfolio of great albums and collaborations is a result of fifteen years of Reutoff's existence. The band was founded in 1998 and was named after mystic satellite town of Moscow; it explores meanings of modern urbanization and its impact on civilization developing a unique style blended from different elements of industrial music which becomes the most important part of the artist's discoveries of the world around, the part of the artist's existence in its basic form. Balancing on the edge between chaos and harmony, Reutoff plays with images crafted from rejection of ideas of the modern world itself, perverted culture grown out of consuming society, and degradation of human nature. The project succeeded to survive in difficult Russian conditions for many years, saving and preserving its creativity in a complicated social environment where lots of local bands were wiped out of the scene. A constant development and evolution is one of the most significant characters of Reutoff's music, and I am sure that the bands which participated in this tribute took this fact in consideration while processing the ideas of the Moscow based comrades through the prism of their own visions and desires.

And here I would like to ask a simple question, what can be a better recognition for any band then a compilation of such a level? The record is opened by Atrium Carceri playing "Capacity to Kill", a truly dark composition with a certain flair of melancholy supported by a gentle rhythm. Desiderii Marginis presents an interpretation of "Hypnerotomachia" reconstructing it in its unique sound full of mysticism and suffocating sorrow which only a truly suffering heart can feel. A French project Flint Glass contributes a lot of energy to "Tunnels in the Dark" creating an obscure picture of underground structures and the creatures that found their last asylum far away from sunlight and societies' attention.

No doubt that the common identity of Reutoff is a successful combination of dark ambient music, hypnotic drumming and complex melodies, and "La Mento Ma Mento" by Empusae is a stark example of such a symbiosis. The next composition was crafted by a local fella and brother in arms Sal Solaris processing a droning melody full of special effects, clicks, speeches and other forms of urban background noise. Antlers Mulm adds a space-like synthetic feeling but keeps the same spirit of soft melancholy. But a true cosmos experience is contained in Wermut's "Winter 1998" where a light airy melody is dragged forward by a trance beat seasoned by different extraterrestrial sounds.

Art is the key for discovering new facets of self-consciousness and also the symbol of a flame that leads us through the world of mass madness and stupidity. Deutsch Nepal together with Reutoff raises this "Flame" high with one of the best tracks of this tribute. A really intense and colorful composition where the voice of Lina is a shining star for all those that search for somebody or something to light the flame of their own personality. At this point, Svartsinn's "Dies Irae" becomes a barrier between a more rhythmic part and a droning part of this eighty minute long journey. Adopting the idea of creating a very anxious atmosphere, Svartsinn operates with high level noises to reach a condition of static drift. Another Moscow based resident Otzepenevshiye hits the floor with guitar based drones in mysterious "Moss" to open the gate for an amazing composition "Regennon Re-Generated" to step into the world of living. Best traditions of Troum are mixed with the spirit of Reutoff to reveal the product of the highest level and all that remains makes me hold my breath and let the music carry my body, staring at the textures on the walls of my room drawn by the power of my imagination. The journey ends with colorful fractals of Cisfinitum and the final track "Last Train to Reutoff" as a culmination of the whole creation; and if you were able to survive until the end you will definitely like this rhythmic, but yet droning piece of music that carries you beyond the horizon to the lulling sound of train wheels and wind behind the window.

Unlike other tribute compilations that I've heard before, this one has a lot to offer in terms of complexity and general entertainment. Despite being kind of a list of different fragments from the rich career of our main heroes from Moscow, the level of the material's delivery and executing of the idea behind "Eidolon" erases all possible disadvantages even if there were any. This collection of jewels will capture my attention for a long time now and the only thing that I regret about it is that I came across this compilation too late. Enough talking, I put on my headphones to immerse in the sound of Eidolon once again. Jan 03 2015