NEGURA BUNGET – Virstele Pamintului CD
Aural Music/Code 666
In the ancient Romanian language the word “negura” means fog and “bunget” means the forest. I have experienced walking through a forest that was layered in fog to the point where I was bumping into trees that’s how thick the shit was. That experience would have been much more intense if I was listening to this band’s brand of atmospheric Black Metal at the time. Then again I would probably be armed with a projectile firing weapon of some type. I should correct myself here since calling this band’s music atmospheric does them a disservice. NEGURA BUNGET have more in common with ENSLAVED’s blackened progressive leanings while still adding plenty of traditional Folk instrumentation to their sound. For some time now NEGURA BUNGET has had a cult status which stems back to their beginnings and their incredible 1996 debut Zimindu-Sa. Nowadays as more connoisseurs of the musical darkness are learning to appreciate the uniqueness of Eastern European Black Metal, bands like NEGURA BUNGET as well as DRUDKH and ROOT are being admired just as their peers in Norway and Sweden once were. Having your releases accessible to the West helps as well. This band’s 2006 release Om had as much impact on the West as the falling of the Iron Curtain.
This new one from NEGURA BUNGET is like stepping outside your door to view a beautiful landscape only to be hit by a harsh wind that doesn’t chill you to your bones; it rips the flesh from them. It starts out with a pleasant Folk intro which leads into harsh Metal reality. This Romanian band’s signature sound is like the ancient winds that howl throughout the valleys of the Carpathian Mountains. The first couple of tracks kinda draw the listener in which is different then past works. Once inside then the long knives come out to cut you to pieces. It’s orchestral with keyboards that drone on as a back drop while the other instruments come in to play their part then leave to be replaced with another. Remember those holes on the sides of your head are not for air they’re for listening. To just drop this into the stereo and go about the house while this plays, even at high volume, is a complete waste. The vocals scream out for your intense concentration whether they’re growled, howled, sung clean or just spoken word recitals. Yeah sure it’s all in Romanian and you wouldn’t understand a line of it, but if you haven’t vomited away your senses than you can understand the passion beyond the words. The music will just take care of the rest.
This is the second release for NEGURA BUNGET in 2010. The other is Maiestrit which is a reworking of their 2000 release Maiastru Sfetnic. That one is definitely a must have release in fact since it’s also the classic band line-up which is involved in the re-recording. While comparing the two, Maiestrit would be the one to get into first before grabbing this one. It’s more of the band’s older sound albeit recorded again. Nowadays Negura aka Gabriel Mafa is the band’s only original member. It’s he who has kept the spirit of this band alive by gathering same minded musicians to continue on. Although I wouldn’t rate Virstele Pamintului as highly as one the band’s previous efforts it still possesses the majesty, the beauty and the essence of Eastern European Black Metal.
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