Negur Bunget - Vîrstele Pmîntului - REVIEWS & PREVIEWS

http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=8960 (2nd review)

Virstele Pamintului is my first taste of the Transylvania black metal act Negura Bunget, and it certainly won't be my last. Not willing to take the easy way out and release a Norwegian styled blast beat/tremelo picked shred fest, Negura Bunget incorporate plenty of atmosphere, nature sounds, choirs, and symphonics into their majestic repertoire. Though there's plenty of fury and menace here, the band doesn't pummel you to death with brutality, instead using their extreme metal thunder to incorporate ferocious visions in between their gorgeous soundscapes.

Tracks such as "Umbra" and "Dacia Hiperboreana" just drip with tranquil atmosphere, but there's an undercurrent of terror that builds and builds, so when the band unleash into full blown black metal chaos, it's all the more enjoyable. Expect plenty of vocal styles here (all sung in their native tongue), from clean operatic passages, to deathly growls and evil rasps & screams.

A wide assortment of folk instruments, sound effects, and keyboard layerings mix in with the extreme metal bombast, making for a wildly enjoyable album that has plenty of variety. This is one of the most unique black metal albums you'll hear this year, so make sure to seek this one out.
 
http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2010/...ant-blackened-folk-metal-falls-in-the-forest/

The 2006 release by Romanian folk-inspired black metallers Negura Bunget, titled simply Om, was a landmark for those who heard it. Up and down, the record was praised for its masterful balance of influences, its groundbreaking genre-defiance, and the fact that, where so much “folk metal” is goofy beyond repair, Negura Bunget seemed able to affect a serious and dark atmosphere that was neither laughable nor steeped in black metal cliché (some would argue the two aren’t mutually exclusive).

The story goes that after Om, the central parties responsible for Negura Bunget – namely multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Hupogrammos Disciple’s (real name Edmond Karban), guitarist Sol Faur and drummer Negru (real name Gabriel Mafa) – had a falling out, and the band effectively broke up in 2009, only to be revived by Negru alone, with a new lineup, whose first album together is Vîrstele Pamîntului (Aural Music/Code666). Joining Negru in this new Negura Bunget are guitarists Corb (also vocals and dulcimer) and Spin, bassist/flutist Gadinet, keyboardist Inia Dinia and vocalist/percussionist aGer (real name Ageru Pamîntului), who’s been in the band since 2003 and also handles pan flute and sundry folk instrumentation I’m not even going to pretend to know the first thing about.

In a way, it’s silly to expect this lineup of Negura Bunget to be able to top the majesty of a record like Om, since Vîrstele Pamîntului is more like a band’s first album than it is their fifth – though it should be noted that Negura Bunget’s Maiestrit, which showed up earlier this year, is not a new full-length, but rather a re-recording of 2000 opus Maiastru Sfetnic, so technically speaking this isn’t the first time we’re hearing this new incarnation of the band, just the first time we’re hearing them perform new material. In any case, to think these players will be able on their first outing to stand up to the fully realized vision that was Om is nonsensical. Rather, in listening to Vîrstele Pamîntului, one hopes Negru will be able to get his band to that point again, or even surpass it in terms of style and atmosphere.

For now, Vîrstele Pamîntului shows marked potential for Negura Bunget to do just that, and for anyone who’s never heard the band before, which should be plenty of people, they’ll be thrilled to discover the moments where the band issues sonic references to Enslaved, Drudkh or even early Opeth, deftly switching back and forth between black metal and folk, and, at its finest moments (see the eight-minute “Ochiul Inimii”), blending the two so seamlessly that the listener doesn’t think to question what they’re hearing. The blending of acoustic and electric guitars (they often play simultaneously) heightens the folk ambience without sacrificing sonic heft or distortion, and there are plenty of black metal squibbly lines to keep the purists in line.

The production, always a sticking point for black metal, introduces Negru’s double kick bass drum so gently almost three and a half minutes into “Dacia Hiperborean?” that you almost don’t notice when it shows up amidst the flute, keys and vocals. I point this out not as a complaint, but rather as an example of the intricacy of Vîrstele Pamîntului, on which the ambient/folk moments of “Umbra” and “Jar” are every bit the highlight as the blasting, blistering metal of “Arborele Lumii.” Despite essentially having to be reborn, Negura Bunget are able to pull off a complicated sound and present an album that, while given to flights of incredible self-indulgence, also stands up to anything any lineup of the band has accomplished prior. Vîrstele Pamîntului is the kind of record you could sit for a week and point out all the sonic turns and twists, which elements are in what balance where, but what it all adds up to is the spirit of not being held into one genre is alive and well for Negru and company, and especially for those who never encountered Om or any of Negura Bunget’s previous work, this latest outing should land with a remarkable impact.

I don’t speak Romanian and I don’t consider myself much of a fan of black metal, but Negura Bunget’s sheer creative will and obvious drive to follow inspiration wherever it takes them is respectable no matter what you listen to on any given afternoon. Vîrstele Pamîntului is a work of impressive depth and scope, and if you take anything away from listening to it, take away the impression that this band, this Negura Bunget, are only getting started.
 
http://www.jukeboxmetal.com/2010/negura-bunget-virstele-pamintului/

There’s a disturbing trend in the black metal scene coming out of Eastern Europe right now, and it’s putting the scene in danger of being able to really call itself black metal at all. Romania’s Negură Bunget are, along with Ukraine’s Nokturnal Mortum, at the forefront of this movement that is slowly replacing guitars with strange, unidentifiable folk instruments and the traditional black metal vocals with distant, entranced chanting. Negură Bunget execute this style well, but even a well-executed dose of such a bizarre sound is tough to sink one’s teeth into. The first three tracks on Vîrstele Pamîntului take over twenty minutes to elapse, and only about two or three of those minutes are spent on anything remotely metal. Woodwinds and chants recalling the sounds of Mayan rituals from some unreleased Indiana Jones movie dominate the vast majority of that time, and rarely do they feel like anything more than an intro or an interlude. When an actual black metal song finally shows itself in the form of the excellent Ochiul Inimil, an indescribable feeling of relief washes over the listener, but after a few songs of excellently blended black metal and Romanian folk music, the latter once again overtakes the former. It’s not that Vîrstele Pamîntului is an exercise in futility because there are obviously people who are interested in black metal that sounds so Eastern, but it’s difficult to picture many metalheads west of Bucharest listening to this album. It’s good for what it is, but it’s an acquired taste with a very steep curve.

By Brad Sanders
Rate: 3/5
 
http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/20037/tempidx/4/menuid/2

Negura Bunget hails from a country rooted in the old ways, Romania. From the superstitions to their infamous leader Prince Vlad Dracula to the beautiful-yet-harsh landscapes of the Carpathian Mountains—Romania is a country steeped in a mysterious and majestic history. Negura Bunget’s latest release Vîrstele Pămîntului is an album overflowing with Romanian culture. Their instrumentation owes much to their ethnic background; the group has its ear to the earth, so much that a special, limited edition of Vîrstele Pămîntului comes packaged in a handmade wood box, tied with rope and filled with earth from their native country. Talk about living up to their country’s vampire legends!

Because Vîrstele Pămîntului contains Romanian lyrics, I can’t say one way or another if this album is about vampires. Due to a large intake of Dracula films that have persisted ever since Hollywood’s Silver Screen days, America may have a skewered perception of Negura Bunget’s country. If not full of vampire lore, the album definitely gives its listeners, American or otherwise, a true look into Romanian culture.

Here, one will not find the typical beer-swinging, table dancing rhythms of today’s typical folk metal band. Vîrstele Pămîntului is one of those mood-based albums of slow paces and awe-inspiring atmosphere. It is the kind of album perfect for sleeping (not a bad thing). Various instruments such as Xylophone, Pan Flute, Kaval, Frula, acoustic guitar and multiple percussion conjure visions of medieval bonfires burning on Eastern European country sides. The flute sections even bring to mind Native American instrumentation. Inia Dinia’s keyboards envelop all of these sounds in an early-morning, foggy mystique.

Few black metal groups compare to Negura Bunget when it comes to atmosphere, but part of the problem with Vîrstele Pămîntului is one has to look hard to find the black metal. Sure, tracks such as “Țara de Dincolo de Negură” and “Arborele Lumii” are black metal cuts, all the way, characterized by traditional metal instrumentation, clean and rough vocals (stereotyping or not, his clean voice sounds vampiric) and the ever-apparent melodies. The album comes across as being too ethnic and not enough metal, and the songs simply drag on far too long. Vîrstele Pămîntului is more authentic and original than a lot of the pagan/folk metal bands of today, but I would rather listen to early Ulver or In the Wood’s classic opus, The Heart of Ages.

By: Darren Cowan
7/10
 
http://www.uberrock.co.uk/cd-review...gura-bunget-virstele-pamintului-code-666.html

Transylvanian black metal band Negura Bunget have a mighty task ahead of them. Their last album 'OM' was classed as a black metal masterpiece by the underground metal fraternity, ranking a very credible number 6 in the top 100 albums of the last decade by Terrorizer magazine. 'Virstele Pamintului' translates as 'The Ages Of The Land/Earth', and is an album embracing your destiny, choice and consciously assuming a way of life. And if you were one of the lucky 555 people who bought the special limited edition wooden box edition of 'Virstele Pamintului' you would now be the proud owner of your piece of earth from the band's homeland. The earth being a symbol of where we come from and where we go back to...apparently!

Recently my knowledge of black metal has vastly expanded thanks to my less satanic colleagues at Über HQ, who have supplied me with an array of dark offerings this last year, and like most musical genres you have the good and bad. I have discovered there are so many styles of black metal from the OTT metal onslaught of Immortal to the pantomime antics of Dimmu Borgir to the more extreme Mayhem. Whilst researching Negura Bunget on the web, I found that apart from their loyal legion of fans unlike so many others in the genre they appear to distance themselves from the usual black metal attire, no corpse paint or black leather and spikes on offer here. Instead they simply let the music do the talking.

Opening with the not so obvious choice of black metal instrument, "the panpipes" via 'Pamint' the band then continue into what I would describe as a musical voyage. From my understanding (but I could be wrong here) the band are far less about preaching to Satan and sacrificing virgins at the alter, and more about celebrating their native land and the spirituality of their ancestors. The album being something of a spiritual voyage; just listen to the music as I did to find it musically gratifying as well as exigent. Being recorded in the local Carpathian Mountains somehow helps give the music a touch of the wilderness and sovereignty.

A large portion of 'Virstele Pamintului' is simply an instrumental soundtrack and it's when the vocals are introduced that any casual listener not experienced in the fine art of black metal will be put to the test. Personally I feel Negura Bunget have managed to construct the perfect blend of vocals, both spoken in their native tongue and with the devilish growl that we expect from the black metal scene.

From that recent research I mentioned earlier I have discovered that legions of devoted metal fans are already hailing 'Virstele Pamintului' as a masterpiece, and who am I to argue?

Written by David Whistance
 
http://heavymetal.about.com/od/negurabunget/gr/Negura-Bunget-Virstele-Pamintului-Review.htm

A new version of Romanian progressive black metal masters Negura Bunget emerges with the release of Virstele Pamintului. The last full-length album, Om, was a masterpiece of atmospheric, progressive black metal that is widely regarded as one of the best releases of 2006. After the release of Om, the core members of Negura Bunget concentrated on re-recording a more modern version of Maiastru Sfetnic, the band’s second full-length album from 2000. Released in 2010 as Maiestrit, the album is a tour de force of more straightforward, harsh black metal.

Unfortunately, the process of re-recording Maiastru Sfetnic led to the break up of Negura Bunget. After originally agreeing to lay Negura Bunget to rest, drummer Negru decided to resurrect a new version of the band, and went about recruiting members to do so. (The two other original members of Negura Bunget, Hupogrammos and Sol Faur, are collaborating on a new project called Dordeduh.) The result of Negru’s efforts is the release of Virstele Pamintului.

Even after such tumultuous events, you cannot help but compare any releases from Negura Bunget to Om, so good was that album. Although a different animal, Virstele Pamintului measures up very well to the best work from the former version of Negura Bunget. Virstele Pamintului is a wonderful combination of progressive, dreamy black metal with loads of atmosphere. There are plenty of harsh moments, but Virstele Pamintului heavily emphasizes acoustical guitars, flutes and mild keyboards, and other atmospheric effects.

Virstele Pamintului is at its best when able to weave together the different elements into songs that ebb and flow amidst folk melodies, achievable with the cadre of strong musicians and songwriters that Negru has managed to assemble after the breakup of the previous incarnation of the band.

Virstele Pamintului is probably not quite as strong as Om, as the album’s harsher moments seem out of place at times. The transitions that occur between softer and harsher moments are not quite as seamless as what has been previously accomplished.

That said, though, Virstele Pamintului s a strong album, and bodes well for the future of the newly reborn Negura Bunget.

Rate: 4/5
From Dave Schalek
 
http://fullmetalattorney.blogspot.com/2010/08/negura-bunget-virstele-pamintului-2010.html

Negură Bunget is a Romanian pagan metal (black metal / folk metal) who made huge waves with their 2006 release Om. Everyone in the band left, except the drummer, and he forged on to create Vîrstele Pamîntului, which came out yesterday in the US.

Now, I have never listened to Om. I would go on Youtube, listen to a song, and say to myself that it was good, but not quite THAT good. I think a person could get the same impression from listening to a track or two from Vîrstele Pamîntului. But this is meant to be a complete experience, not to be judged on the basis of one song.
At an hour long, it can be a bit daunting to tackle the whole album. But it is worth it, without a doubt. To get a taste for the flow of the album, the first two tracks are the best place to start. "Pamint" starts out with some kind of pipes, and after a while traditional percussion comes in. Eventually a dude starts screaming--your first hint this is a metal album, coming about five minutes in. When the guitars break in, you know what it is. Following that is "Dacia Hiperboreana", a much more metal track with some psychedelic elements. The whole album is like this--folk parts giving way to black metal and blending together superbly.
A few tracks could stand alone. You could check into "Ochiul Inimii" with its Indian sounds and the flute as a suitable substitute for lead guitar, or "Cara De Dincolo De Negura" with its metal and horns mix. But don't judge them on that basis. If you like it at all, get the album and set aside an hour. It's worth it.

The Verdict: This is a great album, and Negură Bunget has sold me on their album-oriented approach to folk black metal. This is the first real competition for folk metal of the year since Finntroll. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
 
http://www.x-plosiveentertainment.c...1-negura-bunget-virstele-pamintului-cd-review

When a band goes through as severe of a line-up change as Negura Bunget did, there’s an ever-present fear of a drop-off in musical quality. Could the band touch their 2006 opus, Om, retaining only one original member? The answer is mixed. The music is still a blend of black, folk, and atmospheric metal, bordering on pagan or nature worship set to electric guitars. There are build-ups and crescendos and sweeping musical passages, embraces of somber melodies, and grips of haunting anguish. But once it ends, it ends; there is little staying power, with few of the songs remaining in your head long after the album strikes its final notes. The journey is great, to be sure, but the pay-off will leave you wanting more.

Despite the fact that the only original NB member left in the band is the drummer Negru, the new line-up does a wonderful job of maintaining the sound that NB created. The tracks on Vîrstele Pamîntului are in the vein of the band’s previous work, in that they blend the intensity of black metal with the somber elements of acoustic folk music. Album opener Pamînt is mostly an acoustic affair, with vocals tearing their way into the song towards the end. Later on, Umbra and Jar serve as musical stop-overs, the former being a drum-driven, bombastic track with a creepy dulcimer melody, and the latter as a sort of homage to fire and ghosts, with synths layered over ethereal whispers and the gentle crackling of flames. Tracks like Arborele Lumii and Ochiul Inimii are a more traditional NB mix of black metal wrath interspersed with acoustic interludes. Blast beats, tremolo guitars, and raspy vocals rage before dropping off to clean guitars, synths, and spoken-word vocals.

Individually, the tracks are strong. Dacia Hiperboreana is stupendous, as it builds up from a spattering of light and clean guitar notes, to a storm of howling screams and double-bass kicks, before clearing away to a choral synth, the melody of which brings a portent of dark clouds. Closing track Întoarcerea Amurgului has one of the best uses of a pan flute, as bassist Gadinet complements Corb’s clean chants before using the tiny little instrument to carry the melody over thundering drums and strummed acoustic guitars. The layering of instruments is superb, with most of the harsh black metal passages overlaid by acoustic guitars. It certainly lends the music that folk touch – not that acoustic guitars are the key to making folk-inspired music, but they certainly help to change the mood of the black metal. It maintains its harsh, distorted nature, but also stirs the natural and organic elements in which all music finds its roots.

Despite this, the album is flawed: the songs just don’t stay in your head. Great though they may be, they’re not very memorable. There are passages within them that you will find yourself whistling – the previously mentioned pan flute melody, for example – but once they’re done, they’re done. It’s strange considering that while the songs are playing, you can enjoy them fully: relish in their intensity, grip your heart in their misery, and reflect in their atmosphere. But when it ends, it’s over, and there is little that really sticks with you. After a week of listening to the album, it is most certainly a grower; perhaps in due time, it’ll grow to be even more entertaining. As it is, it’s a great release, and one that, hopefully, will become greater with time and repeated listens.

RATING: 7 / 10
REVIEWED BY: Paul Dorsz
 
http://www.themetalforge.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=2986

With some new members, Negura Bunget are better than ever

Negura Bunget have continued to evolve and progress with every album. With their sixth full length album, Virstele Pamintului, the band has reached their pinnacle in their folk inspired black metal. The music is epic, just pure epic. Part of this is thanks to the addition of a new vocalist and guitarist who each add their own dynamics and help the band bring out some extremely atmospheric and traditional folk music while keeping up with their black metal aggressions. As always though, there's something new an exciting for each Negura Bunget fan who takes the time to listen to everything that the band has to offer.

The first thing fans will notice is atmosphere. Right from the opening track, "Pamint," the horns, chimes, and flutes mixed with percussive drums let listeners know right away this is a new kind of Negura Bunget. Eventually the music picks up due to some snarling, and a synth in the background makes things more frantic before leading into some familiar black metal hymns with the guitars, but for the most part, it is a beautiful, non metal track. Of course, this changes with "Dacia Hiperboreana" which features heavy drums and a mix between angry snarls and tortured moans. However, Neguar Bunget keep the folk atmosphere intact by adding backing percussions, haunting keyboards, and the guitars aren't always razor sharp blast beasts. They are aggressive, yes, but there's a cold, whispering attitude to them that makes it more than just standard black metal. Certainly, compared to their last album, Om, everything sounds a lot cleaner and better produced. "Umbra" brings things back into folk territory by leading off with epic keyboards and thick, yet still percussive drums. "Ochuil Inimi" sounds a bit symphonic and haunting for a black metal track and injects more melody than some of the others. Taking on a formula similar to bands like Old Man's Child, Negura Bunget show that they aren't afraid to step into other territories but still keep their folk influences with the percussion and flutes.

"Chei De Roua" is a mix of brutality and melody with the guitars, but the vocals offer some clean, deep singing in Romanian along with the usual black metal snarls. Things don't slow down until the keyboard driven track, "Jar," which is extremely haunting and calming at the same time compared to the vibe of the other tracks. Those who love black metal for its intensity will enjoy "Arborele Lumii." This is pure black metal here with the speed of the guitars and drums and screaming all the way. It lacks the acoustic beauty that the other tracks have, but Negura Bunget couldn't just give up their black metal furies from previous albums altogether now, could they? However, it is clear that with Virstele Pamintului Negura Bunget has become something new. The closing track returns to the folk atmosphere of the first track, and acts a calming, refreshing breather before the album ends. Whatever these new members have brought to the table to mix with the original members, it is very good.

So does this mean that Negura Bunget have gone soft? Never. The music is still black metal, and the band is still Negura Bunget. They still keep their epic track lengths and mix songs between English and Romanian languages. But, it is safe, and perhaps sad, to say that they may have softened up a little. Although Virstele Pamintului isn't as intense as some of their other albums, one could certainly compare this to Satyricon's fantastic Dark Medieval Times. While this album is much cleaner in production and doesn't have that raw, fuzzy feature a lot of black metal bands put out, the balance between electric and acoustic instruments add just as much atmospheric beauty as the former did ten years ago. For those that have been waiting for a masterpiece similar to that, this is it.

Reviewer: Colin McNamara
Score: 9/10
 
http://www.massmovement.co.uk/wordpress/?p=6799 (wow...)

Negura Bunget are one of the most innovative and exciting bands I’ve ever heard in my life—and I make this statement without a trace of hyperbole. Hailing from Transylvania (seriously—it’s a part of modern Romania, not a mythical place created for books and movies), they are essentially masters of black metal, with a gorgeous mix of evil and clean vocals (all delivered in their native tongue); the most aggressive wall of black metal guitars and drums to be found this side of Watain; a cacophony of lush instrumentation in all the right places; and an overall delivery so emotionally powerful that it could drive a horde of alien invaders to their knees (assuming that said aliens had knees, of course) without even a hint of resistance. I am particularly impressed by the huge, lush production on display throughout—so-called purists be damned: the fact is that the typical ‘kvlt’ (read: shitty) production found on most ‘true’ (sic) black metal releases is both utter rubbish and an admission of weakness as artists. Negura Bunget impress and overwhelm the senses at every turn, and ‘Virstele Pamintului’ is a masterpiece of epic proportions. Founding member/mastermind Negru (also responsible for drums and percussion) has assembled an all-new lineup for this release; Negura Bunget is now a staggeringly huge 6-piece band rather than a 2- or 3-man project, and to state that the entity is better for it is an understatement. Negura Bunget albums have always destroyed the competition, but with this release they’ve proven that there is no more competition—this band stands alone on top of the black metal heap.
The Impaler
 
http://www.metalrage.com/reviews/3313/negura-bunget-vîrstele-pamîntului.html

After Negura Bunget's 2006 release Om, a lot had happened to the band. First of all the record was very well received, even praised by some as Negura's best work to date. They went on intensive touring with the likes of Kathraarsys, Ephel Duath, The Vision Bleak and Farsot, until 2009. After a disagreement between some of the band members, all members but drummer Negru decided to leave the band. Only a year after, Negura Bunget is back with the follow up to Om and a new lineup.

And there we have Vîrstele Pamîntului, which actually turns out to be a great album. The band went on working on the same sound as the previous albums. Expect mid-tempo black metal ala Wolves In The Throne Room, mixed with the sounds of bands like Drudkh and Agalloch and traditional/folk elements. I'm totally not into the whole folk black metal genre but Negura Bunget does this in a nice way,. This is specially due to the fact that the folk elements are usually between tracks or faster parts, adding it some atmosphere, but not taking over the tracks like most bands in this genre do. I'm not a fan of keyboards either, as they usually sound way too cheesy when combining this with black metal, but Negura Bunget does this in a proper way as well.

If you're looking for a well produced black metal album with some great atmosphere, this is your thing. New singer Corb sounds really damn good as well and the folk elements are well added in between the tracks. There are not really stand out tracks on this album, but the album in its completeness just works well. Make sure you somehow get hold of the special edition wooden box, containing an amount of Transylvanian soil. Very cult and true of course.
 
http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/index_cdreviews_display.cfm?id=102706

You're going to hate this if you like music wrapped up into neat little categories. I honestly have a hard time describing what Virstele Pamintului sounds like...at least, without going into an awkward exposition of the multitude of sounds found here. Above all, let's say the record is "mystical.” That's the overwhelming atmosphere one gets upon hearing Negura Bunget.
After that, let's call them "Romanian,” or better yet, "Transylvanian.” This is a very important distinction to make, especially to the band. Although they hail from the country of Romania, they belong to the land of Transylvania. The translation of "Pamintului" is "ages of the Earth" and this music does indeed sound like the foggy, forbidding mountains and forests of ancient Transylvania. Despite using modern instruments like electric guitars and synthesizers, the music has a very archaic sound, like something from the dawn of history. The lyrics won't help you much unless you speak old Romanian, but even so, you'll understand the feeling the band is trying to transmit.
How again to describe Negura Bunget? They started as a raw black metal band and there is certainly black metal remaining in their style, but there's also a huge preponderance of authentic Romanian folk music as well as eerie keyboard ambience. Add in a very progressive tendency towards complex layers of sounds both ancient and modern and you have a very unique band - and a very mesmerizing one. Few bands can claim to inhabit their very own genre. Negura Bunget is certainly one of these. Adventurous listeners should have a field day here.

Track by Track Review

Pamint
The album begins in very pastoral fashion with the clink of what sounds like cowbells and a mournful sounding flute. Tension begins as the strummed tones of a balalaika or mandolin chime in. This song is a gradually building tapestry of earthy, mystical sounds, with wooden percussion and droning keyboard tones adding to it. We are waking to the dawn of another world. A spoken voice incants in a foreign tongue and rises in intensity until it becomes a hoarse shout and a shriek. Finally, electric guitar, bass and more typical drumming join in. It's a mysterious, powerful cut!
Dacia Hiperboreana
Haunting high pitched ambient tones kick this off, soon joined by a wonderfully eerie chorus of electronic voices. It sounds like we are floating above storm clouds, looking down on the world below. A simple but insistent guitar arpeggio again adds tension to the sound and we have another tune built upon constantly growing layers. It becomes more folky, almost gypsy-like, as another spoken voice again chants in ancient Romanian. The voice gets hoarser and there's a sound almost like a scream in the background. A heavy electric guitar buzz adds its weight and the track ends almost triumphantly...a hymn to the glorious world of the past.
Umbra
A hunter's horn calls us to this showcase of percussion. It's a great workout from the drummer, featuring booming kettledrums, xylophone and a cascade of pounding tribal drums, all over more melancholy keyboard ambience. It builds up to another huge climax.
Ochiul Inimii
This is the first really black metal song on the album, yet it also features plenty of traditional folk instruments and atmosphere. It's a very dark track even when the more traditional instruments dominate, as they do in the beginning. The moody gypsy-like folk and somber spoken vocals proceed for a while before a raw black metal scream announces that metal has finally arrived. Blasting away at a fast pace, the song is still pretty complex, shifting riffs and never entirely losing the keyboards or ancient instruments like flute. It's a perfect mixture of dark folk, raw black metal and progressive elements.
Chei De Roua
Continuing in much the same vein as the previous track, this is another mixture of metal and gypsy-like folk elements. These two styles don't exist independently of each other, they are constantly intertwined. Some of the folky vocals seem kind of corny to me here, but like the rest of the album, the song exists in its own universe. The heavy parts this time around are really heavy and the harsh vocals are pretty extreme.
Tara De Dincolo De Negura
That mournful horn is heard again, a call to battle, and it introduces the heaviest cut on the album. Even though the lyrics are a mystery, I'm pretty sure this is the tale of some huge battle or massacre. It's quite aggressive and war-like but again features some mystic, eerie atmosphere. Viking metal fans should really love this one...I know I did.
Jar
A spooky woodwind tone leads back to the more ambient side of Negura Bunget. This is a creepy soundscape full of eerie keyboard tones, dripping water and whispered vocals. This stuff should be on the soundtrack of "Lord of the Rings"...I can see hooded figures moving through the depths of Fangorn Forest during a drizzling mist. This is an amazing exercise in moody sound manipulation.
Arborele Lumii
A harder, guitar-dominated feeling takes root here. I wouldn't describe this as “black metal,” but there is a dark feeling amidst the strong guitar hooks and Negru's drumming is also powerful. Differing from most of the other songs, this has a strong and recognizable chorus. A sort of loud hollering type vocals mixes with the most typical rasps and a brief acoustic interlude makes an appearance. I'd say this one was a tad longer than it needed to be.
Intoarcerea Amurgului
A huge bassy boom serves as an intro to this tune. As is typical of the album and Negura as a whole, other elements start to gradually appear and soon we're in a very sprightly, peppy bit of acoustic folk that will almost make you feel like dancing. There's more solemn spoken vocals and the song becomes huger and darker sounding with layers of keyboards. Then, believe it or not, the xylophone takes over for a while! This is quite the progressive epic to cap off a pretty amazing record.

Review by Mike Korn
 
http://goatsend.blogspot.com/2010/09/negura-bunget-virstele-pamintului-cd.html

This veteran pagan black metal outfit from Romania has definitely evolved far beyond the stereotypical with this album, which as I understand is their first with a new lineup and new vocalist. Exploring the band's native roots with plenty of synthesizers and folk melodies, "Virstele Pamintului" opens with the surprisingly atmospheric soundtrack of "Pamint", which comes complete with flutes and a very Earthly, primitive vibe. Only within the final couple of minutes plus does it erupt into a more traditional black metal sound. Recorded in a secluded forest, "Virstele Pamintului" roughly translates to "Age Of The Land/Earth", and indeed that concept is evident throughout this diverse and visionary album.

Often mixing pagan folk, progressive rock, black metal, and symphonic elements within their tracks, Negura Bunget have created a conceptual monster here. The album flows from track-to-track as a whole, so choosing individual cuts to comment on seems fruitless. Suffice to say, Negura Benget bring out non-traditional instruments like flute and xylophone to add mood to their aggressive and epic metal. It's as if early Dead Can Dance met up with Watain and had a wicked jam -- that worked. I give these guys credit, as they are certainly expanding the language of black metal. This album is a true journey, ripe with medieval adventure, drama, and maybe a little bloodlust. Yes, these guys have more to offer than just blastbeats and juvenile aggression. Kudos to them for breaking the mold, and convincing me listen multiple times!

Posted by Goatsden
 
http://www.crossover-agm.de/cdNeguraBunget10.htm


NEGURA BUNGET: Vîrstele Pamîntului
von ta
cdNeguraBunget10.jpg
(Code666)
Keine Frage, Negura Bunget haben mit jedem ihrer Alben etwas Besonderes geschaffen. Der warme, atmosphärische, progressive Ethno Black Metal der Rumänen überzeugt sowohl in den majestätischen als auch in den sparsamen Momenten und ist durch die eigene Melodieführung, den eigenen Sound und die eigene Instrumentierung mit Panflöten, Xylophon etc. stets eben das: eigen. Den Höhepunkt der Entwicklung markierte 2006 "OM", ein Album, das für den Black Metal ähnlich visionär ausfällt wie Arcturus' "Aspera Hiems Symfonia" 1995, Emperors "Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk" 1997 oder Enslaveds "Below The Lights" 2003, ein moderner Metal-Klassiker, der in jede vernünftige Sammlung gehört.
Nun, 2010, liegt mit "Vîrstele Pamîntului" der Nachfolger vor, eingespielt mit beinahe komplett neuer Besetzung; lediglich Schlagzeuger Negru ist vom "OM"-Line-Up übrig geblieben. (In die dem Split folgende unerfreuliche Schlammschlacht liefern zwei Interviews bei metal.de Einblick:
Interview Hupogrammos
http://www.metal.de/stories.php4?was=story&id=1648
Interview Negru
http://www.metal.de/stories.php4?was=story&id=1873)
Um die naheliegendste Frage zuerst zu beantworten: Haben Negura Bunget "OM" noch einmal getoppt? Meines Erachtens nein. Haben sie ihr hohes kompositorisches und konzeptuelles Niveau generell halten können? Zweifellos. "Vîrstele Pamîntului" ist der nächste logische Schritt nach "OM": Noch mehr Folklore, noch mehr Melodie, noch mehr Atmosphäre, noch weniger Black Metal. Der Opener "Pamînt" treibt es etwas auf die Spitze, repräsentiert jedoch dabei die prinzipielle Marschrichtung des Albums gut: Fünfeinhalb Minuten lang bauen Negura Bunget mit Rohrflöten, Panflöten, Percussions, akustischen Gitarren und Gesang eine unglaubliche Spannung auf, die sich in einem meisterlichen Riff entlädt, das in die für die Band so typische, vielschichtige Klangfläche aus Synthies, Geschrei, perfekten Drums und perkussiven Nebengeräuschen eingewoben ist. Kompositorisch extraklasse, aber auch ein kurzes Vergnügen, denn der metallische Teil ist nach anderthalb Minuten bereits wieder zu Ende. Der erste Moment, bei dem einem wirklich auffällt, dass hier eine Band musiziert, die aus dem Black Metal kommt, stellt sich in "Ochiul Inimii" ein, immerhin das vierte Stück des Albums. In diesem Song gibt es denn auch einige der inzwischen raren Blast Beats zu hören. Deren Rarheit wiederum ist vollständig angebracht, sie passen anno 2010 nur noch bedingt zu Negura Bunget und der nächste logische Schritt wäre es, sie komplett über Bord zu werfen. "Ochiul Inimii" leitet den harten Mittelteil des Albums ein, der mit "Chei De Ruoa" und "Tara De Dincolo De Negura" fortgesetzt wird; in diesen Songs tauchen viele der Elemente auf, die man auch an "OM" liebgewonnen hat, darunter die folkig-melancholischen Melodien, die einzigartigen Akustikgitarren und der Klargesang. "Vîrstele Pamîntului" liefert ein perfektes Beieinander aus drei Stimmen, dem genannten, zurückhaltenden und manchmal beschwörenden Klargesang, einer traditionellen Schwarzwurzel-Keifstimme und einer Brüllstimme, alle wie gewohnt in Rumänisch singend. Auch das trägt zur Einzigartigkeit der Band bei. Dass eine Handvoll Gitarren- und Keyboardlinien nur haarscharf am Kitsch vorbeischrammen, sei nur der Vollständigkeit halber erwähnt - das war bei nüchterner Betrachtung auch auf "OM" der Fall.
Und damit soll zur Musik alles gesagt sein. Manche Alben sprechen viel mehr für sich selbst, als man sinnvoll über sie reden könnte. Fans der Band und Pagan/Ethno Metaller generell müssen dieses Album besitzen, denn auch wenn die Dichte und der Überraschungseffekt von "OM" nicht erreicht werden, sind Negura Bunget nach wie vor eine der tiefgründigsten, originellsten und besten Bands, die man in dieser Richtung finden kann.
 
http://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php?revid=6456

Negura Bunget is probably one of the most harmonic and unique Black Metal bands to date. Bands that creatively use so many elements from the worlds of Folk and Avant-Garde Metal are truly hard to find. Similar to, yet much finer than the old Norwegian style, Negura Bunget unleash their Black Metal via the new album Virstele Pamintului.

Actually, Negura Bunget gave us two wintery albums this year, Virstele Pamintului, reviewed here, and Maiestrit. Both albums are marked by the same distinctive sound as the band's previous material. Despite the lyrics being sung in Romanian, the band's affinity for nature comes through clearly. They combine their top-notch writing skills with percussion, pan flute, xylophone, kaval, tulnic, keyboards and other Folk elements from their Transylvanian heritage. Negura Bunget amazed me with the extremeness of "Dacia Hiperborean?" and the melodies of "Chei De Rou?" and "Ochiul Inimii." Most of the songs on Virstele Pamintului are long but are well worth the investment in time.

The one thing that bugs me about Negura Bunget has to do with the production. I certainly wasn't expecting a modern job, but if you are going to go raw, do it right. The same mastering problems I've encountered on several releases this year crops up on Virstele Pamintului; phase resolution. It is a shame that, while trying to enjoy the atmosphere of Virstele Pamintului, this nagging problem sticks out like a sore thumb. A band like Negura Bunget, with their long experience in the music business, should have noticed something like this. There are also some inconsistencies with the volume of the rhythm and lead guitars.

Although there are some problems, the magic of Negura Bunget is there, alive and kicking, evil to one side, the tenderness of nature to the other. Hopefully they will try English in the future and open up their music to even more fans.
 
http://gaspetc.com/Trax_Fall10.html

After reviewing the masterful Măiestrit on the site recently, I was very excited to check out the newest release from Romania's Negură Bunget, entitled Vîrstele Pămîntului. This is also the first release since two of the original three members left the band, leaving only drummer Negru the sole long time member of the band. How does the new lineup handle the bands mesmerizing blend of black, folk and progressive styles?

"Pamînt" opens things up with an extended intro featuring flutes, varied percussion, and some chanting vocals, before briefly ending with some more familiar metal sounds and instrumentation. "Dacia Hiperboreana" once again has a very long intro, this time with acoustic guitars, synths and heavy bass providing the majority of the soundscape. Somewhere around the midway point, the vocals kick things into high gear, and the distorted, layered, guitars follow suit. There is still a whole lot going no here, with cleaner, more melodic guitars in the forefront, and some pretty good synth work looming in the background. There really is a whole lot going on here at all times, it can be somewhat overwhelming. The only real strike I can give this release is that a lot of the songs have a very similar structure, with a very long, quiet intro, and then building to a big, loud finish. While it works on a per song basis, you kind of lose the momentum from track to track when you go from the big built up ending of one song, to the long, quiet folky intro of the next. Not really a big deal, though. One song that has no such problem is "Arborele Lumii", which starts right off with the heavy guitar riffs and barely lets up.

So to answer the question, how does the new lineup handle the music here? Quite well, if you ask me. It is quite possible that Negură Bunget could have two releases in my best of list at the end of 2010.

B+ -Goz
 
Grande était la tentation d’enterrer Negură Bunget, après le départ de Sol Faur et Hupogrammos, en 2009. C’était compter sans la pugnacité de Negru. L’homme a réussi le tour de force de remonter le groupe et de l’installer sur des terres sonores que l’ancien line-up avait à peine cartographié. Le batteur évoque le début de ce nouveau chapitre, le plus riche de l’histoire du combo roumain.

Lorsque tu as annoncé que tu continuerais avec Negură Bunget malgré le départ de Sol Faur et d’Hupogrammos, les réactions ont été très dures à ton encontre. Certains fans affirmaient que tu ne parviendrais pas à garder le groupe à son niveau. Deux ans plus tard, quelle est ta réponse à ces critiques ?
Chacun a ses propres attentes et tu ne peux jamais convaincre tout le monde. Tout ce que je peux dire, c’est que chacun au sein du nouveau line-up donne le meilleur de lui-même. L’album que nous venons de sortir, ‘Virstele Pămintului’, n’est que le commencement d’une nouvelle ère. Nous sommes sur le point de dévoiler de nouvelles choses. Il y aura un mini-CD, qui doit être notre dernière livraison pour Code666. Nous nous mettrons ensuite à travailler sur de nouvelles sorties avec Prophecy Productions.

Doit-on s’attendre à quelque chose de très planant, dans la veine de ‘Virstele’ ?
Encore une fois, cet album est un commencement. Nos prochaines réalisations emprunteront quelques éléments à ce disque mais elles nous emmèneront également dans de nouvelles directions. C’est ce que le groupe s’efforce de faire à chaque sortie.

Le son de Negură Bunget est unique. A-t-il été aisé pour les nouveaux membres de se fondre dans cette entité ?
Sur les six personnes qui composent le groupe aujourd’hui, trois, dont moi, jouaient dans Negură Bunget depuis un certain temps déjà. Ils connaissaient donc bien notre manière de fonctionner. Pour les nouveaux arrivants, les choses n’ont pas été simples. Mais nous avons beaucoup travaillé, et, au fil des semaines, ils ont compris ce que signifiait ce groupe… Et pas uniquement sur le plan musical. Mais je dois te signaler qu’il y a à nouveau eu du mouvement et il faudra encore s’attendre à quelques changements de formation dans un avenir proche.

Negură Bunget a joué sur pas mal de festivals tout au long de l’été, sans parler de votre tournée automnale avec Black Messiah et Adorned Brood. Il semble que vous n’ayez jamais été aussi actifs…
Oh oui ! Cette année est de loin la plus chargée de notre histoire, en ce qui concerne le live, comme le studio. Il y a eu pas mal de concerts, la sortie de ‘Virstele’, celle de ‘Măiestrit’ (remake du deuxième album, du groupe, ‘Măiastru Sfetnic’, paru en 2000, ndr), nous bossons sur un DVD live, il y aura également ce mini, peut-être vers la fin de l’année… Nous avons tourné le printemps dernier avant d’enchaîner sur les festivals et nous repartons sur la route dans quelques jours (interview réalisée le 10 septembre, ndr). On ne manque pas de travail (rires).

Était-il plus difficile de tourner avec l’ancien line-up ?
Non, je ne dirais pas que c’était difficile. On tournait déjà pas mal à l’époque. Mais je pense que les choses se sont accélérées depuis la sortie du dernier album.

Tu disais que ‘Virstele’ marquait un nouveau départ dans la carrière du groupe. Comment vois-tu l’ancienne période, comparée à celle qui s’ouvre aujourd’hui ?
C’est très difficile à dire. Nous avons ajouté de nouveaux éléments mais tu retrouves aussi de choses qui existaient à l’époque. Je ne sais vraiment pas quoi te répondre. Chaque enregistrement correspond à ce que nous voulons faire à un moment donné. Nous n’essayons pas d’être plus ceci, moins cela. Le résultat est simplement le fruit de nos idées du moment et de la manière avec laquelle nous les transformons en musique. Nous ne contrôlons pas ce processus.

Sol Faur et Hupogrammos étaient très impliqués dans l’écriture. Comment s’est déroulée la composition, sans eux ?
Nous sommes repartis de zéro avec ‘Virstele Pămintului’. Les anciens membres du groupe n’ont pas eu la moindre influence sur ce disque. Nous avions très peu de matériel datant d’avant leur départ…

Comment se passe désormais l’élaboration d’un titre ?
Quelqu’un amène une idée, nous essayons de la structurer, de la compléter, de la modifier si elle ne nous satisfait pas totalement… C’est un processus compliqué à décrire. Il n’y a pas de recette. Chacun a amené sa propre touche aux nouveaux titres.

Qu’en est-il des paroles ? Quel est le concept qui se cache derrière le titre de l’album ?
‘Virstele Pămintului’ peut se traduire par ‘les âges du monde’ ou ‘les âges de la terre’. Nous explorons différentes époques de nos traditions locales. La spiritualité est encore très présente en Roumanie. Nous en examinons différentes facettes mais elles se rejoignent toutes, d’une manière ou d’une autre.

A ce propos, la spiritualité a toujours constitué une part importante de votre art. Comment définirais-tu ce terme ?
(longue hésitation). Ça peut signifier tant de choses différentes. En définitive, c’est une sorte de fil rouge qui te dit où tu te situes, ce que tu veux devenir. Pour moi, c’est ce sentiment qu’il y a plus que les choses que tu traverses quotidiennement.

Te considères-tu comme croyant ?
J’ai mes croyances mais elles ne sont pas liées à une doctrine ou une religion. J’essaie de ne pas avoir des idées trop arrêtées. Je m’efforce de rester ouvert.

Vous avez toujours été très proche de la nature dans votre musique. Vous vivez pourtant en ville, à Timisoara. Est-il facile, dans ce contexte urbain, d’entretenir cette relation avec la nature ?
Timisoara est la deuxième ou troisième ville de Roumanie mais elle ne compte que 250000 habitants. Ce n’est pas non plus une cité gigantesque. Mais pour te répondre, tu découvres plus facilement la nature lorsque tu t’y retrouves. Nous essayons d’aller nous balader dans des endroits magnifiques, près de chez nous, le plus souvent possible. Je ne dirais pas qu’habiter en ville nous ‘handicape’ mais il serait effectivement plus agréable de vivre en permanence en pleine nature. Cela dit, quand tu es dans un groupe, que tu répètes régulièrement, avoir tout le monde au même endroit est bien plus pratique. Je pourrais déménager pour m’installer hors de la ville. Mais il faudrait quand même que j’y retourne sans arrêt pour les répets.

En parlant de nature, vous ‘exportez’ une partie de vos forêts avec l’édition limitée de ‘Virstele’, la Earthbox, dans laquelle on trouve un peu de terre de chez vous…
Oui, ce box élargit un peu le concept de l’album. A chaque sortie, nous essayons d’explorer différentes pistes au niveau de l’artwork. Cela faisait quelques temps que nous voulions sortir un album dans un coffret de bois. Mais avoir recourt à des boîtes de ce genre, fabriquées industriellement, ne nous plaisait pas. Nous avons donc décidé de proposer un objet totalement fait main. Nous fabriquons nous-mêmes ces boîtes. Nous sommes allés en forêt chercher de la terre. Mais faire tenir la terre à l’intérieur, l’empêcher de se répandre partout, s’est vite révélé un vrai cauchemar. Au final, je trouve que cette version limitée n’est pas si moche.

C’est important pour vous de proposer de tels packagings à vos fans ?
Nous cherchons avant tout à nous faire plaisir. On aimait cette idée et on espère que les gens qui l’achèteront ressentiront cette connexion plus étroite avec les chansons. Ecouter un mp3 ou manipuler ce coffret sont deux expériences totalement différentes. C’est pourquoi nous cherchons à étendre au maximum le concept de l’album au travers de cet artwork.

Cette édition est-elle toujours disponible ?
(sourire) En fait, elle n’est même pas encore sortie officiellement. Nous avons eu quelques problèmes au niveau de la fabrication et nous sommes en train de les terminer. Mais la plupart ont déjà été précommandées. C’est une édition très limitée.

www.negurabunget.com

Dave

Interview réalisée le 10 septembre 2010 à Hüttikon
 
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