Fahl - The Path to Emptiness

Collaborations between bands are recently met nowadays supplying a lot of innovating material for those that seek their taste development. Cross-sections between people on the scene and genres that they represent can contribute a lot, because each of them has his own vision and ideas of how music should sound like, applying his specific experience to the composure process.

A good example for this kind of cooperation lies on my table; and I would like to study it thoroughly to dig out what exactly hides behind the mysterious name "Fahl". Behind this project are three people, which can be recognized by their participations in different dark folk and even black metal formations (Sturmpercht, Svarrogh, Miel Noir, Allerseelen, Sagittarius etc) while in this specific project they concentrate their efforts around The Mahabharata and the spiritual issues of Indian philosophy. The background for "The Path to Emptiness" is very strong, though it is explored for quite a while already in various art expressions. So let's listen to what comes to support this kind of a concept.

The musical path that took this group of talented people is hard to describe by some specific word, the complexity of its structure balances on the edge between ambient, neo-classical and dark folk genres, combining significant elements to create their own mystical atmosphere. Layers of different emotions bind together with slow and floating melodies. Each track is guided by spoken texts, and I can state that it is not exactly my cup of tea. I prefer singing vocal sessions on spoken, but this is only the question of personal taste, I assume. The music lacks any specific rhythm, being more of support origin to the texts and their atmospheric basement, which helps the listener to feel the colorful world of mystery and myth. Fahl guys use many instruments to build this basement, traditional and eastern, sampled field recordings and synthetic piano ambience; they all become playground tools for the diverse imagination.

I cannot path by without mentioning, that the record reminds me of famous band that was very active in early 90s; and its name is Endvra. Take for example their song 'Nevers Gift" (you can find it at Youtube) or some others and draw the parallels. Sometimes the feeling of cloning is so strong, that I close my eyes and see Endvra performing and not actually Fahl. But anyway, the album is entertaining enough to keep me awake and enjoying it for a while even without being something unique. The atmosphere is stable without sudden changes that could possibly disturb the concentration on the material. I am sure that this cd will find a grateful audience and will warm the hearts of those that are devoted to eastern mystery mixed with European romanticism. Sep 13 2012