ITP V.011 REVIEW: GRIMLAIR: SELF INFLICTED STATE

BAND-GRIMLAIR (Poitiers, Poitou-Charentes, FRANCE) GENRE-DEPRESSIVE,BLACK METAL LABEL-RIGORISM PRODUCTIONS RELEASE DATE: 2/27/2011

PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG): LANDSCAPE OF LIFELESS MEMORIES (SPLIT-2011-SOLITUDE AND DESPAIR MUSIC-GRIMLAIR/UNENDING HATRED, KLAR), AU COMMENCEMENT DE L'OMBRE (2009-SELF MUTILATION SERVICES), GRIMLAIR/CLAUSROPHOBIA (SPLIT-2009-BONE STRUCTURE RECORDS), INSIDE(2007- SELF RELEASED), LOCKED UP AND FORGOTTEN (2007-OCCULTUM RECORDS), L'APPEL DE LA NUIT FUNESTE (2006-OCCULTUM), DEEP IN THE SPIRIT OF UNDERGROUND BLACK METAL (SPLIT-2005-KRUTOSLAV), CORRODED BY SICKNESS(2005-DEMO), GRIMLAIR (2005-DEMO), DEMO (2002)



BEST RELEASE(S): INSIDE (2007), L'APPEL DE LA NUIT FUNESTE (2006)

TRACK-LISTING: GRIMLAIR: SELF INFLICTED STATE:

1. Intro 03:05
2. On The Throne Of Lie 06:28
3. Lethargy I 10:06
4. Lethargy II 11:54
5. Lethargy III 09:15
6. Constant Trauma 03:02
7. Outro 06:47






ITP RATING: ***
PRODUCTION: ** 1/2
SONGWRITING: ***
PERFORMANCE: *** 1/2


Formed in 1998, GRIMLAIR is a one man depressive black metal project from Poitiers, Poitou-Charentes, France. The French scene is known for quality death and black metal as GRIMLAIR breaks boundaries slowing black metal down to an atmospheric crawl. GRIMLAIR is strongly associated with the DSBM (depressive, suicidal) black metal scene as GRIMLAIR main man "Cadavre" is making a name for him self in the black metal underground with hypnotic, mournful, bleak soundscapes.

DSBM (Depressive, Suicidal Black Metal) is defined by stripping the music down from it's thrash roots to a slower, ambient atmosphere, often employing shoegazer, piano, and tortured screams. DSBM lyrical themes differ from traditional black metal as depressive black metal evokes themes of suicide, psychosis, depression, nature and death. Traditional black metal evoke themes of Satanism, Anti Christianity, Pagan Gods ect.

Here we have GRIMLAIR's dark opus "Self Inflicted State" on deck to review.

GRIMLAIR's "Self Inflicted State" kicks off with the intro track, a beautiful piano
melody accompanied with a violin, emoting darkness in beauty.

GRIMLAIR's "On The Throne Of Lie" is pure, raw, cult, mid tempo black metal with simple, crusty and emotive guitar chords reminiscent of early BURZUM. "On The Throne Of Lie" (2:23) switches to a slower tempo (2:51) to form a bleak atmosphere consolidated with tortured screams. The storm rages within the sound of lightning and a melodic guitar solo.

GRIMLAIR's "Lethargy I" evokes a mournful guitar melody before segueing into gorgeous acoustic guitar harmony to form a beautiful mournful opus of raw depressive, darkness. At 5:17, "Lethargy I" segues into a gorgeous melodic riff with the typical tortured rasps, as the instrumental repetition of the hypnotic riff forms a melancholic atmosphere into the darkness.

The all instrumental "Lethargy II", is the longest track on GRIMLAIR's "Self Inflicted State" clocking in at 11:54. "Lethargy II" evokes a bleak, thumping bass line before sinking into a prozac crawl. . "Lethargy II" continues with it's bleak, melodic instrumental riffs to form a despondent, depressive atmosphere, repetitive, hypnotic and emotive. "Lethargy II" (8:34) evokes a power rock riff ending, very awkward as that riff totally ruined the bleak atmosphere set before it.

GRIMLAIR's "Lethargy III" evokes down tuned, bleak, torture with clean, spoken word vocals into tortured rasps as this is what bi polar would sound like. I love that bizarre picked guitar "riff" with the amazing effects as the babble (half crying/whining, half non sensible rambling) vocals denote a man descending into mental madness. "Lethargy III" ends with a dark, picked guitar passage questioning what would happen next regarding the suspense of mans descent into mental depravity.

GRIMLAIR's "Constant Trauma" rocks with a three chord minimalistic riff, with the occasional tortured screams, short, crusty as one could NOT imagine what the songs character would be doing within the concept of this song, or feeling in the effects of flashbacks from the past.

GRIMLAIR's "Self Inflicted State" closes with the "Outro" a quality, dark depressive opus as one should question the validity of thier own life and that of the despicable human race.

GRIMLAIR's "Self Inflicted State" should listened to as one composition specifically the three part "Lethargy" as the track has it's moments of hypnotic depravity and bleak atmospheres with subtle HYPOTHERMIA influences.

The cover art for GRIMLAIR's "Self Inflicted State" is familiar and striking for those in institutionalized isolation.
GRIMLAIR's "Lethargy II" could be edited down to nullify that awkward power riff as the atmosphere was tastefully bleak until that riff was cut and pasted in the tunes closing.

Yeh, it is considered "Kult and Necro" to feature garage like, tin canny production in "troo" black metal as I think GRIMLAIR could benefit from a slightly average production.

The drumming on GRIMLAIR's "Self Inflicted State" is intentionally minimalistic, light as a brush on a snare, as I actually kind of like that as it doesn't compete with the melancholy soundscapes. As delicate as a brush on a canvas the drums are very sparse and low in the mix as not to ruin any sense of atmosphere.

Overall, GRIMLAIR's "Self Inflicted State", hits a deeply personal and intense mood of isolation, despair and agony. GRIMLAIR's "Self Inflicted State" gorgeous and melancholic instrumental passages would have an even bleaker effect if consolidated into better song structures.

GRIMLAIR's "Self Inflicted State" while imperfect and spotty is an intimate prozac crawl of hypnotic riffs, a bleak and dismal soundtrack to a psychic confrontation and you don't want it to end, until your life does.



ITP RATING: ***
PRODUCTION: ** 1/2
SONGWRITING: ***
PERFORMANCE: *** 1/2

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-