Favna Abisal - Rerum Imaginaria review
| Band: | Favna Abisal |
| Album: | Rerum Imaginaria |
| Style: | Post-metal |
| Release date: | May 05, 2012 |
| A review by: | Milena |
01. El Juicio De Aronnax
02. El Observador
03. Energía Demencial - Parte I
04. Océanos Mentales
05. Energía Demencial - Parte II
06. Imaginaria
07. Rey Abisal
Do you like being surprised by metal but avant-garde is usually too incoherent and dissonant for you? Or perhaps you like incoherence and dissonance, but would like to hear something different this time? Don't mind bands singing in their native languages? Are you in the mood to be taken on a journey? You've come to the right place.
Imagine someone asked you to write a soundtrack for a big-budget adventure movie. Perhaps one about mountain climbers trying to reach the summit of Aconcagua. Or, since Favna Abisal = "fauna of the abyss", a movie about adventurers trapped in a submarine in the deep waters of the Pacific, battling horrifying sea monsters on their way (which would be a rip-off of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea", but hey, it's a Hollywood production, and that is to be expected). Your only problem is - the only thing you feel like writing is really weird metal. So you write some bad-ass prog-based avant-garde stuff in such a way that it completely reflects on the subject matter - fill it with highs, lows, introspective parts, ridiculously epic parts, the whole deal. Make it as non-linear as possible. Slap some theatrical, slightly folky male vocals on top, write lyrics in Spanish and finish with a couple of non-metal touches. That's Rerum Imaginaria in a nutshell.
And it works great. A friend of mine once said genres should be treated as ingredients and not recipes for making music, and if that is the case, you're in front of one complicated dish. It is both psychedelic and calm, electronic and organic, trippy and down-to-earth. There's some flirting with black metal and jazz going on, too. It sounds like a bizarrely specific niche to be in, but Favna Abisal are lounged so comfortably in it, you won't question any of their solutions while listening to this, not even for a single second. And if your tastes are eclectic enough, every niche should be your niche, right?
It took me almost two months to write this review, because, in all honesty, I had no idea how should I tackle such a mature, ridiculously multi-faceted debut. Let me set you straight - if you're on the same mental page as this Chilean band, you're in for a ride. Balls will be busted, jaws will drop.
 | Written on 23.07.2012 by A part of the team since December 2011. 7.0 means the album is good. |
Comments
Comments: 27
Visited by: 333 users
| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18389  |
Definitely will check out the full album. Thank you for the review 
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| PocketMetal Posts: 750 |
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| Zap Posts: 3589  |
Checked it out, it's quite unique and once you get used to the vocals, it's... rewarding, for lack of a better term. PS: The thing your friend said is true and very cleverly put.
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| Dark Blood The Avenger Posts: 1435  |
Very interesting and well written review. Though I'm very demanding with vocals, specially when singed in their native language, this is certainly something to check out.
---- It is humanity who must pay homage to the greatness of the Universe... not the Universe to the human narcissism. 
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311  |
This is definitely for me. Well, I don't usually like music sung in my native language, but this seems worth the shot. Wise saying by your friend.
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| Nefarious Doom Knight Staff Posts: 5548  |
Will check this out soon 
---- "FUCK!!! You're the fucking 5th person asking me in an interview about the woman in the bathtub?The problem is that I AM the fucking person in the bathtub, and I AM a fucking MAN, for fuck's sake! I hate you all!" ~ Herr Morbid
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18389 |
Written by Unhealer on 24.07.2012 at 05:18 I guess that opinion which I shared a few years ago was the fault of many power/heavy metal bands that sing in spanish. But bands like Mar De Grises, Poema Arcanus and this one (just to name a few) are awesome.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603  |
Written by Unhealer on 24.07.2012 at 05:18 This friend of mine reminds of you, actually, especially his preferences in music
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Starchild Posts: 111  |
Great review I really want to check this out, but unfortunately the band/album is so obscure that I can't find it nowhere...
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by Starchild on 24.07.2012 at 14:00 There's a couple of tracks over at their bandcamp.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 24.07.2012 at 11:57 Yeah, I also think it is because of that. Same with music in oriental languages, I keep relating them to anime openings and I can't stand awesome music such as Dir En Grey's latest outputs. I'll get over it one day.
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| Anoplogaster Posts: 4 |
Written by Milena on 24.07.2012 at 15:41 Hello i'm the drummer of Favna Abisal, and since it's difficult for you to reach us, we decided to let you listen the full album in streaming, please go to this url. http://favnaabisal-rerumimaginaria.bandcamp.com/ Greetings and sorry for my english!
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18389 |
There's some pretty brilliant folky touches in this album. Check it out guys! Written by Anoplogaster on 25.07.2012 at 04:15 Very nice of you guys. Thanks a lot for the link! Keep it up!
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311 |
Written by Anoplogaster on 25.07.2012 at 04:15 Awesome! Gracias 
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Uh oh, an album that Mora loves. That either means I'm going to dig it or be absolutely terrified  . Or both. We'll see *jumps right in*I love that they sing in Spanish, which means that I'll understand maybe 1 in 10 words. My highschool Spanish teacher would be so proud... This is a great review by the way. Talent with words!
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| K✞ulu Seeker of Truth Posts: 2573  |
Man, I wanna take that ride! Thanks for the review!
---- Savor what you feel and what you see Things that may not seem important now But may be tomorrow R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Thanks for the comments everyone. Now hurry to their bandcamp, go, go, go, go.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Starchild Posts: 111 |
Written by Anoplogaster on 25.07.2012 at 04:15 that's amazing, thanks. 
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| Spirit Molecule spirit molecule Posts: 1918  |
Their bandcamp had a couple of tracks earlier, which I did check out, but I didn't really like it too much. The vocals were a little of a put off for me :/ Not coz it's in spanish, but just the style. Anyway will give the whole album a spin and see if it sits better Good review by the way. Made me want to check the band out.
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by Spirit Molecule on 27.07.2012 at 15:03 Yeah, the vocals might be a bump, but they clicked with me at once.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Anoplogaster Posts: 4 |
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It was really good. Progged to hell and back and a very powerful and impressive sounding guy singing in Spanish. I would follow that guy into battle
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by [user id=106198] on 01.08.2012 at 08:10  
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Unexpectedmetal Posts: 5 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 25.07.2012 at 19:58 THANKS
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| Mechaniacal Posts: 107  |
The things I'd do to see these guys with Mar de Grises. This is such a great album. I couldn't imagine these beautiful lyrics translating well into English. I wish all of you knew Spanish in some way. Milena, your taste in music is something else. 
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| Anoplogaster Posts: 4 |
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