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Nibiru - Netrayoni review




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Band: Nibiru
Album: Netrayoni
Release date: January 2014


Disc I [Ritual I: The Kaula's Circle]
01. Kshanika Mukta
02. Apsara
03. Sekhet Aahru
04. Qaa-Om Sapah
05. Arkashani

Disc II [Ritual II: Tears Of Kaly]
01. Kwaw-Loon
02. Sekhmet
03. Celeste: Samsara Is Broken
04. Viparita Karani
05. Sothis

It's that time of the year again. Leaves are dying, Metalsucks and Pitchfork are making try hard Top 2014 lists, and meanwhile more curious metal listeners are seeking to explore albums from this year that they may have carelessly glanced over, what with more honorable warriors such as Thou and Agalloch consuming the majority of their attention. Albums such as Nibiru's Netrayoni, for example.

The Italian trio of Nibiru play a psychedelic brand of sludge and drone (tending to lean more towards the latter), described on their Facebook page as "a huge abuse of watts, tribal rhythms, and Enochian chants." The double disc album that is Netrayoni sees the band journeying through a massive wall of feedback, underlaid with intense use of electronics to create a "whooshing" effect, and audio samples that run the span of everything from monk chants to The Matrix. An excellent use of more tribal percussion occasionally helps to greatly enhance the shamanic feel ("Arkashani"), and, while mostly an instrumental release, subtle harsh vocals creep in here and there as well, buried in the mix and adding to the mysterious vibe, such as on "Kwaw-Loon."

For those not too familiar with drone or psychedelic music, Netrayoni can be pretty uncompromising, as here Nibiru don't so much blend these styles with more accessible forms of music, but rather embrace them in force and go into full trance mode with them. At times it's best to not even view the album in terms of individual tracks, but in terms of one massive sonic ritual that has an inherent sense of flow and interconnection. This is definitely one of those albums where at many points you may find yourself losing sight of what track you're actually on, but thankfully not in an "every track sounds the same sense" and more in an "everything's linked together seamlessly" sense. It's a pretty mandatory technique for this type of music, and here Nibiru are hitting the nail right on the head with it.

In their Facebook bio, Nibiru mention that "What makes Nibiru an individual project compared to the mass is that every single piece is born from improvisation." While this may sound like an incredibly pretentious statement to the layperson, indeed, with Netrayoni the band do seem to capture the creative, improvisational nature of psychedelic music in full. It doesn't sound too pre planned, or preordained, but rather like Nibiru just started off with a single idea and took it in whichever direction it felt like going. The result is a double disc monster that, though it sometimes lags, is a pretty commendable addition to this ever growing and ever diversifying form of music.

Turn it on, tune it in, and drop it out right over here. Disc two is on the sidebar.





Written on 29.12.2014 by Metal Storm’s own Babalao. Comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable since 2013.


Comments

Comments: 13   Visited by: 148 users
29.12.2014 - 18:32
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Still haven't listened to this, but your review has adequately intrigued me. I'll definitely check this out at some point today
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29.12.2014 - 18:45
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Alex F on 29.12.2014 at 18:32

Still haven't listened to this, but your review has adequately intrigued me. I'll definitely check this out at some point today

It's definitely right in that trippy psychonaut department man, if you enjoyed Atomikyla you're gonna like this one.
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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29.12.2014 - 19:24
Rating: 8
Diverge

Celeste: Samsara Is Broken is probably one of my favourite moments in 2014. Glad you managed to find this one.
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29.12.2014 - 19:26
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Diverge on 29.12.2014 at 19:24

Celeste: Samsara Is Broken is probably one of my favourite moments in 2014. Glad you managed to find this one.

To be honest, I was just browsing around on MA for drone albums released this year. Seems that site is useful for something
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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29.12.2014 - 20:13
Lokaeda
Account deleted
Makes me think of Dark Buddha Rising and Sons Of Otis.
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30.12.2014 - 02:09
Rating: 9
mz

Have you heard Haikai No Ku - Ultra High Dimensionality ? I't something you'd like I think. Also worth noting that it's done by the frontman of Bong.
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Giving my ears a rest from music.
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30.12.2014 - 02:52
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Guest on 29.12.2014 at 20:13

Makes me think of Dark Buddha Rising and Sons Of Otis.

Yeah, I get major DBR vibes from this. Can't say I've heard of that other one you mention though
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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30.12.2014 - 02:53
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by mz on 30.12.2014 at 02:09

Have you heard Haikai No Ku - Ultra High Dimensionality ? I't something you'd like I think. Also worth noting that it's done by the frontman of Bong.

No, but your mention of the Bong association has definitely piqued my interest, I'll get around to it this week.
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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30.12.2014 - 15:01
PocketMetal

So much want.
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30.12.2014 - 18:30
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Written by mz on 30.12.2014 at 02:09

Have you heard Haikai No Ku - Ultra High Dimensionality ? I't something you'd like I think. Also worth noting that it's done by the frontman of Bong.

I second the Haikai No Ku rec. Fantastic band, and if you enjoy Nibiru, I suspect you'll find something to like out of them as well
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31.12.2014 - 02:27
Rating: 9
mz

Written by Alex F on 30.12.2014 at 18:30

Written by mz on 30.12.2014 at 02:09

Have you heard Haikai No Ku - Ultra High Dimensionality ? I't something you'd like I think. Also worth noting that it's done by the frontman of Bong.

I second the Haikai No Ku rec. Fantastic band, and if you enjoy Nibiru, I suspect you'll find something to like out of them as well


So, did you like Nibiru, too?
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Giving my ears a rest from music.
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31.12.2014 - 03:35
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Written by mz on 31.12.2014 at 02:27

So, did you like Nibiru, too?

Yes I did, quite a bit in fact.
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01.01.2015 - 10:54
no one
Account deleted
Listened to the second disc today, was pretty good on a first listen. Looking forward to hearing the first.
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