Atrox first reviews

orgasm in musica magazine -Poland

ATROX
"Orgasm"
(Code666)

A very strange project recording for an experimental label. Isn't
it nice that ATROX has landed in a proper place to give us their
new album? I liked one of their previous releases "Contentum" for
an approach that was far from any cliches, so I was asking
myself "are these Norwegians will keep their avantgardish style, or
maybe go further?". At first it looks like a stagnation, because
the bands such as that one need much more than the bands that are
easy to be recognized, and it's too bad that every of the opening
songs from "Orgasm" has a similar main guitar line being electric
and acoustic alternately. Also drum parts play the same role,
building a massive background for a real showcase for brave vocal
parts of Monika Edvardsen. Unfortunately, from time to time she
jumps in the boots of Anneke von Giersbergen with more jazzy
and "naive" (here and there she uses childish-like voice)
quotations brought into that. That's what always characterized THE
3RD AND THE MORTAL and bands of that kind. No wonder if we know
that Monika singed in that band earlier... All that better starts
with a fourth song titled "Burning Bridges" beginning a more
unorthodox and varified side of ATROX. Strong bass lines are
supported by strange cosmic sounds of keyboards (played by Monika
by the way) and everything becomes more interesting and attractive.
A bottom line is that a good note written below is not because our
magazine also have a word "Orgasm" in a name, because it's just a
really well done and performed album predestining ATROX to be out
of cliches of today's music.
Wojciech Szymanski (7,5 / 10)
 
www.metalireland.com

Atrox | "Orgasm" </B>
Album of the Month Nov 2003



atrox.gif


Its hardly worth reiterating, but for the sake of helping to knock some real passion back into extreme metal I'll do it anyway; the best music truly is to be found amongst those who genuinely do their own thing, without fanfare, often in the background, waiting to be discovered like a tenner in your pocket that you didnt know you had, found before throwing your strides into the washing machine. Its the same feeling. But I digress, and November's eminently worthy Album Of The Month comes in the eagerly awaited (at least by me) "Orgasm" from Norse arch-experimentalists Atrox. I dont quite know if they have topped "Terrestrials", their last effort, and indeed maybe this one isnt up to the zany greatness of the aforementioned - but this cd still beats the living daylights of everything passing for creativity recently.
Its rare that so many disparate strands of metal coalesce so well, and even rarer that great underground metal from the heady days of scenes past make a blinding reappearence in their adoption by latter day artists. Remember how everyone enthused over Katatonia's more or less thievery, but actually nice reinvention of Paradise Lost's tones when they released BMD? Atrox are doing something similar - fusing the techy stomp and guttural appeal of Meshuggah, to whom they have always owed a large stylistic debt, with the genius early nineties out-there work of Cynic, Pestilence and Atheist. All this is brought right up to date with many a connection, not least the sisterly one, to Third and the Mortal with the very Kate Bush-esque vocal sometimes reminiscent of the latter's rocking "Violin". In the same way as everyone's favourite eccentric, Monika Edvardson provides a challenging and soulful performance in much the same way as her sister. So Atrox basically have it sussed as far as Im concerned, melding varying styles of extreme metal with laid back ambience and reflection. They have the intelligence to know when enough is enough, dragging every exploratory passage back to fierce immediacy with some crushing polyrhythmic guitar grunt, making this album an essential, full to the brim with ideas and variety. Like I said, I dont think its as good as "Terrestrials", but the wealth of creativity and expression on here simply cant go uncommended, and as such I recommend immediate purchase. 4.5 / 5. -Ciaran Tracey ::: 08/11/03


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http://www.powerlord.tk/

Atrox - Orgasm 8/10
2003
Code666 / Aftermath Music


Fra barteby stepper nok et band inn i eliten, Atrox er navnet. Som med Scariot har ikke Atrox slått helt igjennom enda, mye på grunn av labelen (e) de har vært på hittil. Nå har de altså havnet på italienske Code666; en spennende label med mye snadder i stallen, uten tvil.

For å være helt ruvende ærlig, så har jeg ikke hørt noe av Atrox, uten om det sporet som er å finne på Dausprængt Kailkauk-skiva som kom for mange, mange år siden. Inntrykket var vel ikke det beste får en si. Hvem skal vi sammenligne Atrox med da ? Tja.. det er vanskelig å si, bandet har sin egen, litt sære stil. Spesielt på vokalen, vokalist Monika har en atmosfærisk, hypnotiserende og sær måte å synge på. Litt teatralsk, veldig drømmende... Eller, den er egentlig ganske vanskelig å definere, en kamelon kanskje ? Den åpner med ekstremt fyldig riffing ala Mesuggah, for å fortsette dette en stund utover. Mot låt 3 og 4 stepper det mer teatrale og progressive inn. Når vi i tillegg får litt mannevokal gjort av Pete Beck ifra Griffin og Anti Depressive-Delivery er det et faktum at vi har med kvalitet å gjøre her.

Det er litt vanskelig å si noe spesielt om denne skiva, den er såpass sær, dog mer tilgjengelig enn mye annet som finnes å få tak.. Produksjonen er fet og grov, vokalen er veldig bra, skiftende fra mer angripende til ganske atmosfærisk. Alt det instrumentale er på sin plass, så lenge labelen greier å promotere denne godt nok, regner jeg med Atrox kan gjøre det ganske godt. Jeg sliter stort med å finne i en tracklisting på skiva, så denne får passere uten spesielle favorittlåter. Jeg kan nevne at starten av skiva er best for min del, den høres middelbart mer agressiv ut. Resten trenger litt mer tid, men innimellom dukker det opp greier som kan være litt, tja..Kjedelig ? Som promoskrivet sier: Progressive Schizo Metal. Ganske dekkende, egentlig.

Kreditos for fett cover forresten !
--Crenshaw

 
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www.gutsofdarkness.com

Le nouvel album d'Atrox (les Norvégiens, pas les Parisiens !), le quatrième du quintette, constitue pour moi le premier contact avec la musique du groupe. Les voir signés par Code666 me donnait déjà un indice : on va avoir droit à quelque chose de pas commun ! Et encore une fois avec le label italien, de ce point de vue, on est servi ! La musique est très froide et très sombre, avec une basse et une batterie très présente. Le mélange des genres semble être une religion pour ce groupe tant il est difficile de caractériser le style pratiqué. Il y a à la fois du metal, de la pop, du gothic, du rock, du prog, et j'ai même trouvé du ska ! il s'agit d'un véritable melting pot de tous ces styles et pourtant, le résultat est compact et homogène. L'album est aussi très technique avec des syncopes et des contre-temps à n'en plus finir. De ce fait, au premier abord, le CD parait carément indigeste, mais passé quelques écoutes, on ne ressent plus trop ce côté lourd et baré. La musique devient alors limpide et n'est plus du tout difficile à digérer. Passons au chant, parce que là aussi, c'est particulier. La chanteuse est vraiment très bonne, très puissante, et surtout elle possède un timbre très varié et variable ! Je me hasarderais à dire qu'on peut y voir un mélange entre Anneke van Giersbergen de The Gathering, Siouxsie Sioux pour le côté gothic et Kate Bush aussi un peu, avec en plus un soupçon de folie qui peut faire partir son organe dans tous les sens ! Quelques parties de chant masculin clair apportent aussi encore plus de diversité à la musique. Atrox nous propose ici un album très riche et de qualité qui pourrait en rebuter plus d'un (au premier abord...) de part sa complexité, mais devrait ravir les amateurs de musiques sombres atmosphériques avec aussi pas mal de technique ! (November 2003)
note
 
When I was in Göteborg last week on my trip to Oslo (from which I´ve just returned) and looked through some English metal magazines in an international press center, I noticed that "Orgasm" received 4 out of 5 K in Kerrrang!!!-magazine. Quite good, I´d say!
 
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2239185#post2239185

Atrox ? Orgasm
code666 ? Code21 ? 27th October 2003
By Russell Garwood

Atrox. Weird schizophrenic gothic metal? Whatever you think best categorizes this Norwegian group?s unusual sound, one thing is certain ? it?s unlikely to be a label you?ve used before. Their original mix of subtle electronics, progressive structures, a technical feel and female vocals is rare indeed, and will no doubt not be to everyone?s taste. Guitars (Ole Marius, Eivind) are reminiscent of Meshuggah in their riffing, while clean tones compliment the softer sections, showing more melody and a less technical feel. The bass of Peter is very prominent and occasionally lends a jazz feel, his complex lines verging on soloing. Start-stop sections and time changes prove no problem, while the drums of Tor Arne complete a tight rhythm section. These are &shy;? by necessity ? varied, odd beats and well timed fills appear in abundance. Monika?s vocals are very unusual and fully utilise her range, mad lines traversing extremities in a matter of bars. Very rarely does the singing rely on slow graceful sections, yet this is to the music?s advantage as they wouldn?t fit the odd time signatures and complex layering. Infrequent male vocals (Peter), provide another interesting angle, yet are not prominent enough to have any true impact, and Monika?s restrained synths are used to good effect. One drawback of the group?s sound is that, at times, it feels lacking in cohesion.

?Orgasm? is an accomplished album, by five technically proficient musicians showcasing a real avant-garde feel. Such complexity requires numerous listens, and even then can be an acquired taste, yet Atrox comes highly recommended to fans of off the wall metal.
 
ATROX
Orgasm
Code 666
KKKK
Norwegian nutters break the extreme metal mould

FIRST THE brutal, juddering riffs kick in and then
Atrox frontwoman Monika's astonishing voice wafts
gently into earshot and, unless you're a complete tit,
the only response is to rejoice at a the arrival of a
genuinely original and unprecedented approach to
metal. The obvious statement to make is that this has
an edge of Meshuggah-meets-Kate Bush about it, but
Atrox are far more individual than that as the
ethereal quirkiness of 'Heartquake' and the dizzying
complexity of 'Pre-Sense' prove beyond doubt. This is
remarkable, eclectic stuff; a bold and almost
jazz-like dedication to creative freedom allied to the
disciplined rhythms of metal at its most compulsively
hypnotic. If Ephel Duath rocked your world earlier
this year, here's another essential dose of mental
medicine.

DOM LAWSON
 
New review in french on the website www.chuul.fr.st

Presque deux ans après la sortie de « Terrestrials », voilà le retour d’un des groupes norvégien les plus talentueux, j’ai nommé Atrox. Injustement sous estimé et incompris par le public et les media, ce groupe nous propose néanmoins une alchimie musicale passionnante, franchement originale et exaltante.

Pour définir le style du groupe, qu’il définit lui-même comme du « Skizo-metal », je dirais que c’est la rencontre entre des éléments jazz et metal, le tout accompagné de la voix singulière et parfois déroutante de Monika Edvarssen. Précisons aussi que chacun des musiciens est extrêmement doué et maîtrise parfaitement son instrument. Tout ça donne un côté barré au groupe et de ce fait assez peu accessible.

« Orgasm », le nouveau prodige d’Atrox ne déroge pas à la règle, même si depuis le groupe a quitté le label français Season of Mist, pour rejoindre les italiens de Code 666.
Autant le dire tout de suite, cet album est une merveille est s’adresse à tous les fans de musique qui n’ont pas peur d’être surpris et déroutés dans leurs écoutes. Car faites écouter un album d’Atrox à un fan de musique radiophonique populaire et vous verrez le résultat. Il va probablement vous proposer l’internement, mais passons…
Dans « Orgasm » on retrouve l’homogénéité de « Terrestrials », mais avec cette touche de créativité qui avait défaut à ce dernier et qui pouvait rendre son écoute lassante. Il est toutefois selon moi inférieur au culte « Contentum », chef d’œuvre absolu du groupe par son inspiration, sa variété et sa composition.

Ce dernier album est tout d’abord plus rentre dedans que ses prédécesseurs, il suffit pour s’en rendre compte d’écouter les riffs de « Methods of survival » ou Secondhand traumas ». Mais les atmosphères et les arrangements si riches du groupe sont toujours présents, écoutez pour cela « Flesh city » et « This vigil », deux perles de ce cd.
Monika a aussi progressé dans son chant et prouve qu’elle est une merveilleuse chanteuse, contrairement aux dires de certains. Peu d’artistes ont un registre de chant aussi vaste et avec tant de possibilités et d’originalité. On notera aussi la présence d’un chant masculin sur certains titres (celui de Peter le bassiste qui a récemment quitté le groupe), qui navigue dans un registre assez metal-prog.
Pour ce qui est des paroles, elles collent parfaitement à la musique et à l’atmosphère dégagée par les compositions et mériteraient une explication de texte approfondie (les dessins accompagnant les textes les illustrent d’ailleurs fort bien). Mais l’auditeur n’à pas besoin d’en saisir tout le sens pour se laisser aller et pour partir en voyage dans le monde d’Atrox.
Enfin, attardez vous sur l’artwork du cd, qui méritent le détour par sa beauté (et sa drôlerie) et qui a été une fois de plus réalisé par Monika.

Quelque soit les réalisations de ce groupe, tout ce qu’ils font est d’une grande qualité (écoutez aussi Manes, Tactile Gemma ou encore Anti-Depressive Delivery) et prouve une fois de plus la qualité et l’originalité de la scène norvégienne (3rd and the Mortal, Arcturus…).
En résumé, « Orgasm » est un album fabuleux qui vous emmènera vers l’orgasme musical si vous prenez le temps d’adopter et de comprendre ce groupe hors du commun. Préparez vous pour un voyage extraordinaire, avec assurément l’un des meilleurs cd de l’année 2003.

Eric
 
Atrox-Orgasm-CD (Code 666)

I really hated the 2 Cds they released on Season of Mist. But this is a very different case. The Vocals arent so annoying in that out of key way and the new male vocals add an element that was missing . Also the Music this time out is more experimental and Bizzare and not trying to be Weird and metal at the same time. All I can hope is this will be the direction the band follows as Avantgarde metal like this is something we need more of and get so little of. Nice work Atrox. Just well Done
 
If I should find the time, I may try to translate it for you, Monika, but I can already tell that the reviewer used some words which will be difficult to tranlate into proper English. By the way, one sentence says "The secret weapon of the Norwegians is a lady called Monika Edvardsen." - Sounds like a compliment, doesn´t it?

In the December issue of the German Hard Rock & Metal Hammer, "Orgasm" got 4 out of 7 points.
 
Don't think this one has been shown here yet... or...?

From:http://hem1.passagen.se/metalmusique/urkraft/mainpage.html

Just a glance upon the cover art of Atrox’s latest release tells the listener there is something different about this band. The various misshapen figures represent the music incredibly well, as it too is very deformed, misshaped and most of all schizophrenic. It’s Goth metal but very different from anything I’ve heard in the genre. Atrox must have gone through incredible birth-pains to conceive this musical monstrosity. Being from Norway it comes as a surprise to no one that an angel-voiced female fronts the band. In this particular case one Monika who does her job in an extraordinary fashion; what an amazing voice! Do they grow female Goth singers on trees in Norway!? Anyway, as stated this is an extremely diverse album, ranging from sombre Goth to jazzy and progressive structures with a healthy dose of metal as base. They tie the bag up in a great way and make all the various influences come together right. A strong album and an absolute must have for fans of progressive rock and metal!
Rating: 7 of 10 - Reviewed by Stefan Lejon

Yes Klaair, it was the bass player who sang on "Orgasm" and I think he'll do some guest vocals on the next album. Hope so... Check out another band he sings in (and I have done some guest vocals for this band on one of their demos as well): Anti-Depressive Delivery, their homepage is here:
http://www.snotpope.com/anti_depressive_delivery/index.htm
Check out their mp3s. I sing a tiny bit on the song "Guess who". Great band, I want to sing more with them!!! And I might...
 
http://www.geocities.com/manticorabe/CDREVIEWS.html

Before starting with the review, i would like to say that this is the most bizarre kinda sort of Metal i've heard over the last twenty years, even more! These Norwegians were found in 1988 under the name Suffocation and their style was pure Domm / DeathMetal which results in three demo recordings. A first full lenght album entitled"Mesmerized" saw the light of day in 1997after signing a deal with Head Not Found, hailing from Norway. They brooke up with that label and second in line was French Seasons Of The Mist in 1998. Two releases on that label and their style was no longer Doom or Death Metal, but in their own words "Sick and Weird" masterpieces. Later on, they made the decision inking a deal with a new and third label in line Code666 from Italy starting compose their fourth album "Orgasm". I hope to explane this weird kinda style of Metal but in terms, i would like to name it: Avant-garde, progressive, schizopfrenic music influenced by many bands like Meshuggah, Mr.Bungle,Crisis,Cynic (from the "Focus CD!"), Aghora, Devil Doll ,...So, while reading all these mentioned bands, try to imagine what you can expect from Atrox. Although Norwegian, and playing Metal combined with female vocals, Atrox can't be compared with some other country mates like Tristania or Theatre Of Tragedy at all. Check out the album, it's one of the most disturbing covers i've ever witnessed. It's their own choice going the Schizo Metal direction and i can accept everyone's decision anyway. One thing is for sure, i never was a fan of this category of Metal and idefinitely wants to hold on to that statement.
 
www.metalwillneverdie.net

Non avevo mai eccessivamente amato Atrox fino ad ora proprio per i motivi per cui la maggior parte di stampa e pubblico li lodava: gran tecnica, una bella voce (quella di Monika Edvardsen), un songwriting cerebrale. Ma anche dischi spesso gratuitamente involuti, freddi e distanti, come se, paradossalmente, la band avesse paura di svelarsi più del dovuto, di lasciar trapelare l?emozione da strutture armoniche la cui complessità spesso fungeva da paravento dietro cui rifugiarsi. Tutto questo fino ad ora: perché con Orgasm, Atrox sembra si siano liberati da qualsiasi restrizione che ne inibiva gli atti precedenti, cedendo il campo alla pura emotività e sottomettendo lo sfoggio di mera tecnica al sentimento. Questo accade in momenti preziosissimi (Heartquake, Burning Bridges, la doppietta finale Secondhand Traumas/ Pre-sense) che diventano sonde che scrutano impietosamente negli abissi inesplorati dell?animo umano e che rivelano, finalmente, la grande sensibilità artistica del collettivo, cuori pronti a sussultare ad ogni respiro, mai sordi a sollecitazioni esterne, sempre curiosi, sempre fuori dalla musica, sempre altro. Certo sono ancora presenti, seppure in piccole dosi rispetto ai dischi precedenti, discutibili lungaggini (come nella lunga This Vigil), ma d?altra parte un tale dispiego creativo, una tale sincerità, una tale fantasia impongono la promozione a pieni voti dell?atto. La proposta rimane inclassificabile (emo-death? Dark prog? Gothic fusion? Che ciò sia un bene o un male lo lasciamo a sterili dibattiti dai quali ci dissociamo in maniera totale), ma va detto che questa volta la complessità delle strutture armoniche non pregiudica la fruibilità del programma, che per ora rimane il lavoro più interessante e allo stesso tempo ?accessibile? prodotto da Atrox. Un disco molto bello, che apre diverse prospettive finora sconosciute nel discorso musical-concettuale della band e che potrebbe rivelarsi emozionante preludio per futuri episodi ancora più esaltanti.
Dragone Nervoso
VOTO: 8
 
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