Artist: Madder Mortem
Title: When Dream and Day Collide
Type: EP
Label: Peaceville Records
I went to the theatre at the weekend. True story. I went to see a musical; Carousel to be precise. Not my usual choice for Saturday evening entertainment, though not unpleasant and a few beers helped to wash it down. Twas something of a vaudevillian affair with colourful dance numbers and dough-eyed damsels strutting about the stage, jolly upbeat choruses and belting quasi-operatic solos. As an audience, we laughed, we tapped our feet and some (not myself, I hasten to add) even cried. It was visually vibrant, delicately droll and, in places, too nauseating for words. Now, I’d hate to imply that the word nauseating even belongs in the same sentence as Madder Mortem, but there’s something about listening to this EP just before a night at the theatre that just seems right. They themselves have that theatrical display of madness; granted, it’s much, much darker than what was displayed on the stage but theatrical doesn’t have to mean gay.
I’ve been a fan of this band for some time now and as far as I’m concerned they are one of the most unique bands in the world of metal. The real attraction of course is the vocals of Agnete M. Kirkevaag, who never fails to deliver a showstopping performance. They may not be as technically perfect as some of her more classically trained contemporaries, but that’s part of her charm in that she has a rather down-to-earth style and it’s the range of emotions that she puts across through her singing that makes her stand out. The EP begins with the video edit of ‘When Dream And Day Collide’ which will sound familiar if you’ve heard the excellent album Eight Ways from last year. Straight away this pulls you through a dream-like sequence which has a warmth and texture aided along by a thick jazz-like bassline, while the smooth and sultry vocals melt into the mix beautifully. There’s an aura of wonder to this track and it’s no surprising they used it for the EP.
I was especially looking forward to hearing the three new tracks the band recorded for this. ‘Jitterheart’ is the first of three and straight away it’s clear they aren’t deviating from that Madder-madness. This one has a rumbustious rhythm that jumps and jitters all over the place until all swoops down into a bass-heavy calm. I love the hissy cymbal sound that pops up in the middle that sounds really sneaky, for want of a better word. This almost takes me back to a 1940’s jazz club and ‘The Purest Strain’ continues that vibe with a lively swinging step; it almost makes me want to put on my dancing shoes and quick step. It’s driven along by a rather cheeky little rhythm while a metallic crunch strains its way to the fore. The band are unafraid to mix up different styles and while it’s all very much the Madder Mortem sound we can all recognise, it offers something a bit different to what we’ve previously heard.
As the title may suggest, ‘Quietude’ tones down the vibrancy considerably; this one utilises more warm acoustic sounds and Agnete’s vocal style is much more wistful, almost romantic. Again, this shows her range as she is able to switch effortlessly from these mellow vocal styles to a fevered yell always portraying a degree of passion. Synths float high in the mix, while the drum patters away somewhere in the distance almost giving an African vibe to things as the track builds up to a climax. The EP is brought home with a full album version of the title track, and to bring home the review this EP has the same variation mentioned at the start; from flamboyant rhythms that will have the sharp movers on their feet, to moments that may well move you; perhaps not to tears but at least to a world where dream and day may well collide. Essential listening for any fan of Madder Mortem…and if you’ve not heard them then it’s about time you did!
http://www.myspace.com/maddermortem
http://www.maddermortem.com/
