:: Triptykon - Shatter

Triptykon

Although having only released their debut full-length effort ‘Eparistera Daimones’ earlier in the year, Triptykon have wasted little time in putting together a bits and pieces EP by the way of ‘Shatter’ in order to tide fans over while the band lay down the foundation for their next full-length assault. Comprising of three studio recordings and two live tracks, Triptykon’s latest release starts off with the title track ‘Shatter’, which was initially released as the Japanese bonus track on ‘Eparistera Daimones’. Despite initially being relegated as a bonus track, ‘Shatter’ itself definitely fits within Triptykon’s familiar post Celtic Frost morbid music landscape, with the song’s grim two chord guitar work from V. Santura and thick bass presence from Vanja Slajh providing a suitably blackened atmosphere to rival Thomas Gabriel Fischer’s characteristic soulless delivery on the vocal front. The addition of Simone Vollenweider on vocals adds a bit of a gothic element to the songs atmospherics, while the innovative and dark looking promotional video clip produced for the song is very fitting in terms of mood and feel, and well worth checking out. The lengthy follow up track ‘I Am The Twilight’ is certainly the EP’s heaviest efforts, and easily comparable to either ‘Goetia’ or ‘Abyss Within My Soul’ from the band’s debut. Although a strong effort, at eight minutes long, the track does tend to overstay its welcome a little towards the end with the bulk of the song continuing to maintain the same rhythmic heavy doom-like groove pattern it initially started with, with no real detours throughout its entire running length. Finishing out the studio efforts is the instrumental piece ‘Crucifixus’, which was the first Triptykon effort to be offered to fans via the band’s MySpace way back in May 2008. Despite being remixed and remastered, the song itself is largely for diehard fans as its pretty much a dark ambient soundscape reminiscent of ‘Totengott’ from Celtic Frost’s masterpiece ‘Monotheist’. Finishing up the EP are live versions of Celtic Frost classics ‘Circle Of The Tyrants’ (From 1985’s ‘To Mega Therion’) and ‘Dethroned Emperor’ (From 1984’s ‘Morbid Tales’ E.P.), which were recorded at the band’s headlining performance at the Roadburn Festival in Tilburg (Netherlands) in April 2010. As you would expect, the recordings are of high quality, and when coupled with Fischer’s unique vocal approach, that unique low end guitar sound and a guest appearance from Darkthrone’s Nocturno Culto on ‘Dethroned Emperor’, the inclusion of the live tracks definitely make this EP all that much more appealing. Quite simply, if like me you were a huge fan of the sound and direction found on Triptykon’s ‘Eparistera Daimones’ then this is a definite must have. If on the other hand you only had a passing interest in Fischer’s post Celtic Frost outfit’s first offering, then ‘Shatter’ may not fully measure up as an essential release.