THE SOUNDBYTE - "Rivers Of Broken Glass" - REVIEWS

[Emi]

from the DARKEST HOUR (Canada)

http://www.thedarkesthours.com/main.htm

rate: 80%

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]BAND >>[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]CD >>[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]LABEL >>[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]NOTE>>[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]THE SOUNDBYTE[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]RIVERS OF BROKEN GLASS[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]AMARANTH RECORDINGS (2004)[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]80%[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Soundbyte is a solo project of the main writter of the band 'The 3rd and the Mortal', Trond Engum. It may sound weird but he recorded this album on a boat in open North Sea. This probably contribute to the band's sound. It's pretty hard to categorize a band like that. I don't even know you can call that metal. This is about dark vibe, unique atmosphere...this is about sound. Weird sound! Yes, we can call those track songs even if they're not built in the old fashion way. You got male dark gothic voice, angelique female voice that fits perfectly with the mood. This is all about mood & vibe. There's good melodies but it's kind of hard to remember something at the end of all this. This is more a record to relax, a record to think, a record to pray if you know what I mean. This cool be a soundtrack of a very dark japanese horror flicks a la The Ring or something. Those sounds are mysterious, very mysterious. This is very deep and came from the bottom of his heart without a doubt! This guy tried to innovate and this is exactly what he did. My only problem is that since it's very slow music (soft even if some part are more powerfull) is kind of monotone and some of you could find that a bit boring. Having said that, when I'm in the mood for that kind of atmospheric music, this is definitly something I like to hear. Fans of gothic dark ambiance should take a listen to that album. This won't please to anyone, this is pure art and with all the different taste, people can love art but they can hate it....This isn't commercial at all, it's a very personal record and you just have to listen to it to fell it...

Patrick[/font]

 

[Tetsuo unit]

Its like someone cellotaped Mike patton, Devin townsend and Portishead together force fed them seriously large quantities of LCD, made them watch all episodes of silent Hill and Twin Peaks simultaneously then gave them instruments and recorded the results.

Absolutley fantastic stuff!

 

[Bard F]

From HARM magazine

(www.harm.us/reviews/showreview.cfm?albID=3356&visitor=0)

I would like to point out a few things regarding this release. Amaranth Recordings is a sub label of Aural Music group. It is owned by Davide Tiso of the Ephel Duath fame. “Rivers of Broken Glass” is their very first release. The Soundbyte is a solo project of Third and the Mortal main man Trond Engum and this is its debut album. To continue the list of firsts, it is mentioned that “Rivers of Broken Glass” is probably on of the first album completely recorded on a boat in open North Sea…Impressive isn’t it?

I hope Amaranth will keep promoting as good musical ventures as this newborn. Trond is another talented, multi instrumentalist coming from my musical homeland, Norway where a lot of brilliant musicians were born. Even if what he came up with is a bit hard to describe, it is somewhere around melodic and experimental / ambient. The mood is rather sad, dark, and melancholic or something not precisely defined but not really depressing as such. The keyboards are present but not overwhelming either. The guitar, bass and drums are being used as well as electronics, industrial sounds and water samplings. The compositions are easily approachable and hypnotizing, not too technical, a bit catchy at times and highly emotional. Trond’s vocals are superb and on a couple tracks (Monyon & Addiction Complete) his low tonality coupled with dark keys remind me of Ayreon’s Dream Sequencer. A lady by the name of Berit is also present on many songs especially enjoyable on “Til Ungdommen” all sang in what I would guess as being Norwegian.

“Rivers of Broken Glass” is a very pleasant album with a dark ambient mood creating a comforting and relaxing moment where you can let yourself sink in for a while.

8.9 / 10

 

[Emi]

from HI-STANDARD Magazine

rate: 9/10

no text yet

 

[Bard F]

From Chronicles of Chaos

(www.chroniclesofchaos.com/Articles.aspx?id=2-3644)

by: Pedro Azevedo (7.5 out of 10)

Trond Engum, best known for his guitar work and songwriting in The 3rd and the Mortal, apparently recorded this solo effort over a period of two months spent on a boat, somewhere in the North Sea. The Soundbyte is made up of mellow electric guitar and strings, drums and bass, male and female vocals, brass, keyboards and programming. Despite the presence of female vocals, there isn't much for old The 3rd and the Mortal fans here: the music is far from the realms of metal, and the focus is more on low-key gothic male vocals. Most of the songs relate to the suggestive album title, _Rivers of Broken Glass_; though not overly dark by extreme metal standards, the feeling Trond Engum managed to create using mainstream sounds comes across as quite refreshing and effective. Forget the annoyingly upbeat "Waiting" -- it only serves to mark the beginning of the second half of the album, with such interesting tracks as "The Line", the atmospheric "Reflections of Broken Glass", "The Dark" and the female-sung "Til Ungdommen". This isn't to say there is nothing of interest in the first half of the album, but I tend to find the generally darker tone and compositions of the second half much more enjoyable. If you feel like embarking on a cold voyage outside the realm of metal, then I would advise seeking _Rivers of Broken Glass_.

 

[Emi]

from METALLUS

http://www.metallus.it/recensione.asp?id=3582&p=0

by: Roberto Lato

Rate: 8,5/10 (debut of the year!)

La classe non è acqua: un’affermazione che suona perentoria e che potrebbe addirittura risultare paradossale, se consideriamo che ‘Rivers Of Broken Glass’ è stato completamente registrato su una barca al largo del Mar Del Nord, ma Trond Engum ci ha abituato a questo ed altro.
Un momento. Trond Engum? Sì, proprio lui, la mente dietro ai norvegesi Third And The Mortal, band dalle molteplici facce e capace di comporre sia quella gemma di ‘Tears Laid On Earth’, graziata dalla divina prestazione di Kari Rueslatten, quanto un album come ‘In This Room’, ancora oggi, ad anni di distanza, un disco altero ed alieno nel profondo della sua anima, sicuramente avveniristico.
Ma torniamo al presente: torniamo ai The Soundbyte, sorprendente fusione tra natura e digitale, che si concretizza innanzitutto nella pura ricerca di suoni ed atmosfere che sembrano riflettere la superificie di uno specchio d’acqua torbido e limpido al tempo stesso. Un disco essenzialmente rock nell’anima, un rock oscuro dove non mancano i richiami alla band madre, come nella title-track, ma che sembra anche filtrare la lezione impartita dai connazionali Seigmen, criminalmente sconosciuti al di fuori dei patri confini e autori di quel ‘Total’ che resta tuttora una vera e propria esperienza di vita (recuperatelo!).
Ma ‘Rivers Of Broken Glass’ si conferma un’opera prima di rara bellezza dove confluiscono gli spunti più svariati, tra rimandi al limite dello shoegaze di My Bloody Valentine e Slowdive negli episodi arrichiti dalla voce femminile di Berit Stensland, si veda ‘Lie’, oppure azzardando con successo spunti in territori avantgarde, con una ‘Waiting’ a metà tra Arcturus ed ultimi Ulver.
Detto questo, non possiamo fare altro che consigliarvi questi fiumi di vetro rotto e tributare ben più di un plauso alla Amaranth Recordings, sottodivisione della Aural Music gestita da Davide Tiso degli Ephel Duath, per avere creduto in questo strepitoso progetto: assieme ai The Vision Bleak, il debutto dell’anno.

 

[Emi]

from METAL REVIEW

http://www.metalreview.com/viewreview.aspx?ID=1284

Rate: 5,25/6

There are three things you need to know about The Soundbyte’s Rivers of Broken Glass: It’s a very, very good album; it’s as unusual as it is good; and it has very little to do with metal. This is one of those rare albums that has a sound and personality all its own. Difficult to describe and impossible to pin down into a genre, The Soundbyte are content to do their own thing. And when I say difficult to put in a genre, I’m not kidding. One could make an argument that this is rooted in rock, alternative, or metal, and be both completely right and totally wrong. Does it matter? Not really, it’s The Soundbyte, and if you are an adventuresome music lover with diverse tastes, this is an album that deserves attention.

Rivers of Broken Glass is the first album from The Soundbyte, a solo project from The 3rd and the Mortal’s Trond Engum. It’s a lush, expansive affair that manages to incorporate great variety between tracks and still maintain a very consistent feel. Engum blends dark ambient, experimental, and gothic elements, among others, to create a sound that is simultaneously familiar and unique. Much of the charm comes from Engum’s cold, gothic-like vocals. A clear comparison is difficult, sometimes the vocals are a little reminiscent of The Church, and at others someone a bit grittier, like Leonard Cohen. His voice often matches the mood of the music, like the cold, percussive “The Dark”, but just as often his somber tone is contrasted by more upbeat or brighter sounding music. This contradiction gives the songs great personality, and the James Bond theme on X sounding “Waiting” is a track that will be stuck in your head for days. The swaying trumpets and guitar riff is offset by cold, layered vocals that make the song seem darkly exotic. There are also prominent female vocals, sometimes as lead, sometimes as backup for Engum. Although the voice is different, the style is similar to some of PJ Harvey’s work. These vocals are fantastic, and are at their best when used as a moaning, wordless voice like on the Angelo Badalementi tinged “Monyon.”

The genius of Rivers of Broken Glass is that Engum manages to create something that is both unique and entirely listenable. There is nothing truly new or challenging about the music, The Soundbyte are just highly skilled at combining elements in an unconventional way. This dichotomy between dourness and melody makes the compositions sound more complex than they actually are, revealing Engum’s talent for songwriting.

Although The Soundbyte have little in common with most of the other bands reviewed at MetalReview, this is an intriguing album that will appeal to many of the same fans. If you’re an open minded sort with an interest in the unusual, the melancholy Rivers of Broken Glass is a must hear. This is a wonderful find and an album I’ll be listening to for a long time.

 

[Rc-VoS]

Album semplicemente stupendo!
Complimenti Davide ed Emi!

 

[Bard F]

From: Lords of Metal webzine (NL)

(www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=4799&lang=en)

'River Of Broken Glass' is the debut album of Third And The Mortal's main composer Trond Engum. The band has been founded in 1998. A fun fact about this debut is that it has been recorded on a boat in the open North Sea. It is of no true value for the quality of the album.

The first song sounds depressed and is quite slow. The vocals are charming and the repetitive guitar chords are quite alike. During the rest of the cd this remains the main feeling of the music. Introvert, monotonous and sad. Still there are a lot of parts that spread warmth. It's a welcome alternative for the pounding records music that finds its way to my speakers on a daily base. 'Monyon' has some nice female vocal parts. The strange harmonies do sound a bit out of tune sometimes, making the music sound even more sad. 'Addiction Complete' is more noisy than the other songs. The drums push the broad guitar parts to a higher level. A lot of reverb has been used so the whole sounds really fuzzy. 'Lie' contains nice string arrangements, wining slide guitar parts and some more aroused vocals. 'Waiting' has a great combination of a brass section and guitar that reminds of James Bond movies. Unexpected, but it suits the rest of the music. 'Water' opens with a tight bass part and groovy drums. Again the music has another feel. The vocals remain monotonous, same as the synth melodies. 'The Line' has remarkable vocals. They are more present than in the rest of the songs. The lyrics of 'Til Ungdommen' are Norwegian (at least I suppose so, since the band hails form Norway). It's a really easy going song, mainly focussing on the female vocals. Just before the end of the song the band accelerates. Unexpectedly nice. 'Reflections Of Broken Glass' sounds quite the same as 'Til Ungdommen'. The last songs, The Dark' consists of slow sounds capes, spoken word, samples and guitar and drum parts.

The songs are connected by soundscapes that are recorded in the negative time on the record. Which is the time between songs. On most records two seconds, but in this case they contain all sorts of sounds. Because they are in the negative time on the record you don't hear them of you skip songs. Very when in case you get tired of them. Although synths and samples have been used the music still sounds pure. The instruments really fit together in the songs. I can imagine this music will be great to 'experience' live.

The sound of The Soundbyte sometimes reminds of Tiamat. But it has to be said that The Soundbyte sounds more experimental. Almost every song has something new to offer. 'River Of Broken Glass' is a diverse and great album. It's one of those albums that you really have to get into. Once you've managed that, you just flow along with it.

Rating: 85/100 (review by Niels)

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

HMP.it
http://www.hmp.it/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=3667
90

Mare a perdita d'occhio, onde di suono attraversate da sottili ed incantate vocals filtrate da strati e strati di "rumore". "Rivers Of Broken Glass", registrato a bordo di un'imbarcazione a largo del mare norvegese, rispecchia pienamente il suo particolarissimo metodo di registrazione: così come Trond Engum (compositore dei Third And The Mortal) si è trovato in mezzo all'infinità del mare, noi ci troviamo dinanzi ad un infinito panorama musicale fatto di mille sonorità e di un suono più unico che raro. Sin dalle prime note del debutto dei Soundbyte, si intuisce di trovarci al cospetto di un vero e proprio capolavoro, un autentico monumento fatto musica, capace di rispecchiare l'essenza stessa della sperimentazione. I "fiumi di vetro infranto" sono delle vere e proprie rapide composte da schegge di diverse sonorità, che al termine del proprio corso confluiscono in un immenso mare di cui non si scorge il termine. Se "Fall" ci travolge grazie ad un continuo scontrarsi/incrociarsi della cupa voce di Engum con quella eterea dell'eccellente Berit Stensland e grazie ad un suono stratificato che porta alla mente i migliori My Bloody Valentine (autori di uno dei migliori album della storia), con "Addiction Complete" si rimane storditi da una marzialità che diventa una vera e propria tempesta sul mare dei Soundbyte e che porta alla mente sonorità proprie dei Third And The Mortal. Un mare continuamente preda di sensazioni contrastanti che lo rendono mosso ed emozionte, un mare capace di partorire gemme di altissimo spessore come l'elettronica "Water" e l'incredibile "Waiting", brano a metà strada tra l'avantgarde ed una viziosa marcia (aspetto enfatizzato dall'apporto di Peder Drege al trombone). Questo panorama sonoro, che si conclude alla perfezione con un trittico a dir poco commovente, fatto di sonorità cadenzate, dream-pop à la Slowdive, shoegaze, rock e tantissimo altro, si condensa in quarantacinque imperdibili minuti che travolgono l'ascoltatore conquistandolo totalmente. E ormai giunti alla dissolvenza finale, nel momento stesso in cui cala il sipario si intuisce in minima parte la portata dell'album, la sua funzione di cura dell'anima e di oblio ristoratore che ci cullerà per molto tempo.

"...Perché allora vorremmo cancellare la memoria e rimanere per sempre nell'oblio, non tanto del dolore in sé stesso, ma della mano che lo ha guarito." Edgar Lee Masters

05-12-2004
Fabio Stancati

 

[Bard F]

From: Obskure webzine (France)

(http://www.obskure.com/fr/index_2_redir.php/?url=/fr/kro_model.php3?n_kro=2670)

Inattendu et surprenant, le premier album du projet The Soundbyte marquera cette fin d’année 2004. Si ce nom n’est pas familier, l’identité du géniteur Trond Engum ne laissera pas insensibles les inconditionnels de The Third and the Mortal puisque Engum en est le principal compositeur.
Se dissociant momentanément de The Third…, Engum a construit de toute pièce et en solitaire l’architecture de ce « River of Broken Glass », laissant s’échapper les essences fondatrices de sa pensée, le rock gothic mis en exergue («Lie» ou «The Line» proches de l’esprit Fields of the Nephilim) par les sonorités très US et une noirceur persistante.
Enregistré selon la légende sur un bateau au beau milieu de la mer du Nord, une ambiance langoureuse enrobe chaque titre, consistance résultant d’un vent froid s’écrasant sur une musique au cœur brûlant et animée d’un mouvement chaloupé, conférant une singularité étonnante à cet album, à l’instar de l’introductif « Fall ».
On croise les intonations de Jeff Buckley et PJ Harvey, les cuivres puissants sur basse ronflante («Waiting») qui ne sont pas sans rappeler « Memoirs », et toujours ces couches de lap steel en arrière plan créant des notes aigues et glissantes qui filent entre les doigts.
Intriguant d’un bout à l’autre mais terriblement attirant, proche des récents travaux de The Third tout en étant véritablement différent, « River of Broken Glass » nous place en permanence face aux tourments tout en restant calme et distingué, une sorte de classe toute britannique adaptée aux rudes contraintes nordiques. La renommée de The Third and the Mortal ne s’est pas construite au hasard et The Soundbyte nous prouve que quel que soit le nom d’emprunt, le talent transpire si le créateur est là : Engum défriche une voie parallèle et magnifie l’atmosphère, la preuve qu’il reste encore des choses superbes à créer !

RATE = 86%

 

[Emi]

from BRIGHT EYES

http://www.bright-eyes.de/baseportal/CDs/kritikendetail&Id==5401

rate: 10/13

Hinter THE SOUNDBYTE verbirgt sich der ehemalige 3rd And The Mortal-Komponist Trond Engum, das vorliegende Debüt “River Of Broken Glass” soll angeblich komplett auf einem Boot in der offenen Nordsee aufgenommen worden sein. Der düstere Avantgarde-Sound bringt einen aber, im Gegensatz zu einer steifen Brise, nicht gerade zum Reihern, sondern man wiegt sich in den teilweise majestätischen („Fall“), teilweise bewegteren („Monyon“ – geiler Bassgroove!!) Soundwellen angenehm auf und ab. Um mal wieder eine Stilschublade aufzuziehen, würde ich THE SOUNBYTE in die Düster-Industrial-Dark-Ambient-Ecke einordnen, die natürlich etwas von dem nordischen Charme der eingangs erwähnten Göttertruppe hat, aber auch finsteres Metal-Geriffe der Sorte Type O Negative, Fields Of The Nephilim und die frühe Gothic Doom Death-Schiene nicht verschmäht. The Gathering haben sich mit ihren letzten Outputs auch in dieser Ecke bewegt, wenngleich nicht ganz so düster wie THE SOUNDBYTE. „River Of Broken Glass“ klingt wie ein 45minütiger Soundtrack eines Herbsttages, mal düster, mal mit einem Sonnenstrahl versehen („Lie“) und sobald die Sonne verschwindet, wird es sofort dunkel und kalt. Trond hat bis auf die Drums fast alles selbst eingespielt, nur die weiblichen Vocals (u.a. beim von norwegischer Folklore inspirierten „Til Ungdommen“) hat er Sängerin Berit Stensland überlassen, die mit ihrer warmen, klagenden Stimme hervorragend zum Sound des Soloprojekts passt. Gebrochenes Glas kann zwar schön aussehen, aber auch ziemlich wehtun. So verhält es sich auch mit dieser Scheibe, die schöne Momente wie die erwähnten Songs enthält, aber auch abgedrehtes (und weniger tolles) Material wie „Water“ oder „The Line“. Trotzdem ein guter Einstand für Musiker und Label (Amaranth ist eine Untergruppe von Aural Music und THE SOUNDBYTE die erste Veröffentlichung).

10 von 13 Augen
Oliver Vollmer

 

[Emi]

from Musik Terrorverlag

http://www.musik.terrorverlag.de/musik/index_single_frame.php?select_cd=1827&kategorie=metal

Ein Boot auf hoher See, trübe Gischt spritzt an der Reling empor, am Himmel kreisen ein paar Seevögel und suchen nach Beute. Aus dem Maschinenraum klingt dumpfes Grollen und Stampfen und Trond Engum (THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL) hockt irgendwo unter Deck und arbeitet. Spielt Instrumente ein, nimmt seine Gastmusiker auf. So in etwa muss man sich wohl die Bedingungen vorstellen, unter denen „Rivers Of Broken Glass“ entstanden ist. Zwei Monate lang Aufnahmen weit entfernt vom Festland, da mag sich so mancher schon nach dem Grund fragen. Unter anderem wohl deshalb, um organische Sounds in den ansonsten digitalen Studioprozess einfließen zu lassen, denn zwischen den einzelnen Tracks befinden sich z.B. nicht wie sonst zwei Sekunden Leere, sondern eben jene Schiffsgeräusche. Und eine nette Erfahrung dürfte solch ein ungewöhnlicher Ausflug ohnehin gewesen sein.

Das Ergebnis kann sich hören lassen. Um einiges gitarrenlastiger als bei THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL geht es zur Sache, die Riffs kriechen düster und schwerfällig aus den Boxen. Kommt der Opener „Fall“ noch etwas vertrackt daher und lässt sich erst nach mehreren Durchläufen so richtig greifen, scheint das restliche Material – gerade in den Refrains - immer eingängiger zu werden, hat man sich erst einmal in die Klangwelt von THE SOUNDBYTE hineingehört. Ein Gutteil der Eingängigkeit ist den weiblichen Gastvocals von Berit Stensland zuzuschreiben, welche sich die Gesangsparts mit Engums warmem Organ teilt. So klingt manches nach doomigem Rock, dann wieder überrascht ein Song wie „Waiting“ mit Streichern und prominenten Bläserparts, welche Soundtrackcharakter vermitteln: eine Mischung aus Bondfilm und amerikanischer Gangsterserie wird hier erweckt. „Till Ungdommen“ beschert dagegen eine Prise skandinavische Folklore mit Berits zauberhafter Stimme. Mit einem mystisch-schleppenden „The Dark“ wird der Hörer wieder an Land entlassen, findet sich aber – wie nach einem beklemmenden Film - nur schwer wieder in die Normalität zurück.

Grundsätzlich bewegt sich „Rivers Of Broken Glass“ zwischen Avantgarde, Ambient und Alternative. Düster, aufwühlend und irgendwie andersartig entgleitet es einem trotz Ecken und Kanten, entzieht sich konkreter Beschreibung. Will auf ein Neues erlebt werden, nicht nur gehört und mitgeteilt - allenfalls noch uneingeschränkt empfohlen. Gute Reise auf dem Geisterschiff!
heliante

 

[Emi]

from EUTK portal

http://www.eutk.net/rece.asp?id=2941

rate: 7,5/10

“Rivers Of Broken Glass” è il debut album del solo-project di Trond Engum, mente principale dietro i compianti Third And the Mortal. Il disco in questione si dice sia stato registrato su una barca in aperto Mare del Nord, al largo delle coste della Norvegia. Non so se ciò corrisponda a verità o sia leggenda, quel che so è che questo disco, almeno nel mood, è decisamente “liquido”.
Parliamo di un rock a forti tinte elettroniche con tessiture ambient, le quali rivestono di un’aurea ipnotica e melanconica il disco. Ad accentuare queste sensazioni c’è la voce stessa di Trond Engum, una voce stentorea e teatrale che squarcia il velo oscuro di pezzi come l’opener “Fall” o “Lie”. La vera sorpresa del disco è però la voce femminile e stupenda di Berit Stensland, molto evocativa, che impreziosisce il trip-hop di “Monyon” oppure quella sorta di cantilena dal sapore folk che è “Til Ungdommen”, donandogli fragile tristezza e quel tocco di lascivo languore che ammalia e conquista.
Altra sorpresa è il pezzo “Waiting” nel quale le atmosfere si fanno jazzy, con l’intervento di un trombone suonato da Peder Drege, con un risultato decisamente inconsueto. “Reflections Of Broken Glass” si muove in una dimensione acquatica e lungo i suoi oltre sette minuti sembra quasi di abbandonarsi alle onde, lasciarsi trasportare lontano alla deriva, per poi inabissarsi al suono della melliflua nenia di Berit, novella ondina o sirena che dir si voglia. Chiude il disco “The Dark”, la quale tiene fede al proprio nome e regala momenti di inquietante oscurità, sempre accompagnata dalla sinfonia delle onde del Mare del Nord e dalla tetra voce riverberata di Trond.
Il disco si configura come un viaggio, sarebbe meglio dire trip, notturno, ricco di trame crepuscolari, di decadenti richiami a paesaggi depressive-gothic, pur essendo nella sostanza tutt’altro che gotico come disco, ma il passato non muore e soprattutto non tradisce.
Un disco poeticamente decadente ed espressivo che farà la felicità di coloro che amano l’introspezione e le atmosfere cupe.

 

[Bard F]

From: VS webzine (France)

(http://www.vs-webzine.com/ind.php?a...php&id_news=4144&actdroite=kmenunew-first.php)

Amaranth Recordings est une autre sous branche d’Aural Music (le label de la tête pensante de la formation italienne particulièrement barrée : Ephel Duath)... Bien évidemment (parce que cela devient spontanément un axiome), comme tous les boîtes de prods associées à ce label hors norme (citons Code666 et Dream Cell 11), le management d’Amaranth ne fait rien comme les autres... Signer un groupe standard et facile à classifier serait une hérésie !!! Prenant le risque de rester (ad vitam æternam) underground, les objectifs de ce label sont clairement énoncés par les dirigeants eux-mêmes : « Les styles prônés concernent aussi bien le Post-Rock, les musiques électroniques, le Trip-Hop, le Post-Hardcore que la Dark-wave... ». La musique du projet solo de Trong Engum, l’un des membres fondateurs du combo Norvégien The 3rd and The Mortal (dont les sonorités profondément mélancoliques ont perturbé plus d’une oreille non avertie...), est un savant mélange entre tous ces genres et bien plus encore...
Au premier abord, ce « Rivers Of Broken Glass » (entièrement enregistré à bord d’un bateau et qui a vu le jour après sept longues années de gestation) commence par déranger l’auditeur, car les éléments disséminés autour de la trame principale sont nombreux, parfois presque antagonistes. Puis, écoute après écoute, on tombe sous le charme... « Fall », la première plage de cet opus, débute par une rythmique presque industrielle enrobée de nappes synthétiques glauques et profondes, qu’accompagne par la suite une guitare aux effets ensorceleurs. La voix de Trong envoûtante et presque apaisante se marie avec perfection aux cœurs féminins quasi-cristallins. A dominante ambiante, les 45 minutes de cet album conservent comme composante principale la présence de mélodies simples, mais inspirées... Qu’elles soient générées par les claviers, les guitares aux relents parfois Pop/Rock, par les cordes vocales du sieur, par les instruments à vent ou par la basse, elles sont le moteur de ces dix compositions à l’atmosphère lourde et pesante. Puisant aussi bien ses sources d’inspiration dans le Gothic, dans la Cold-Wave, dans la Country (« Lie ») que dans l’electro-Rock, le scandinave surprend parfois par l’habileté de ses arrangements. Comme si The Cure avait copulé non sans délectation avec Das Ich, My Bloody Valentine, Endraaum, Switchblade Symphony et The Coil...

RATE: 15/20

 

[Emi]

from Nocturnal Hall

http://www.nocturnalhall.de/reviews/S/soundbyte_brokenglass_e.htm

rate: 9,5/10 (!!!)

Imagine going on a boat-trip for two months, looking for musical inspiration on the open sea - what kind of music would you create? Actually I don't know what ideas would come to my mind but I suppose it would be calm and harmonical. Trond Engum - mastermind behind The Third & The Mortal - did this weird trip and came back with the debut of his solo-project THE SOUNDBYTE. And I must say the result is astonishing but also somehow sounding the way I imagined it to be. Actually most of the songs had been written within the last six years, nevertheless recording took place onboard(!) and it is to assume that this fact still contributed loads of atmosphere and ideas to the product.
River Of Broken Glass is a trip into dark ambience, beseeching atmosphere, mixed with dirty guitars and energetic drumming, "Cold Cutting Music", as Engum calls it. And although I don't quite get the essence of this strange description, I have to admit that these 10 tracks have their own identity. Cold but nevertheless organically warm, dark but still containing lots of hope and eventually they are hypnotising and addictive. From the Massive Attack-like songwriting on Fall or Monyon, over to the malicious Addiction Complete (sic!), the Nick Cave-inspired Lie or the Paatos-incluenced Reflections Of Broken Glass, Engum's debut is a stunning peace of music, which has its only real fault in the displaced track Waiting which destroys the flow and homogeneity of the album due to its too positive and jazzy song-structure. Damn! River Of Broken Glass ends in the final and most downtearing song, The Dark, reminding of Moonspell's Tired (without guitars) and leaving the listener mentally in the void.
THE SOUNDBYTE is some of the most impressive works I have heard within the last months afar from the metal-genre, giving me the intention to listen to this piece of avantgardistic art again and again. After having just quit smoking this is a quite positive addiction now

 

[Emi]

from Eternity magazine

www.eternitymagazin.de

rate: 6/6 (!!!)

Ja leckt mich doch Arsch, das ist vielleicht geil. Nein, Metal wird auf diesem Album nicht wirklich viel geboten, nicht wenn man dafür zwingend harte Gitarren vorraussetzt. Ja natürlich gehören harte zum Gitarren zum Metal mag man da sagen, was denn sonst. Okay. 1:0 für euch. Aber deswegen kann ein album trotzdem geil sein oder? The Soundbyte ist das Solo-Project von Trond Engum (The 3rd and the Mortal) und es ist tatsächlich alles andere als ein Metal Album. Vielmehr mutet das alles eher wie ein Soundtrack an. Experimentelle Sounds, keyboards, abgefahrene Atmosphäre, teils jazzige Rhytmen, bisweilen ein paar kleine Chöre und über allem ein leicht mystischer, geheimnissvoller Schleier. Aber anders als Ulvers Perdition City kann man diese hier nicht als reine Electro Platte abtun, denn es gibt sie sehr wohl die Gitarren und zudem kann man ein rockiges grundfeeling bei allem nicht verleugnen. Ich würde mal sagen Rivers of Broken Glass füllt exakt die Lücke zwischen der genannten Ulver Scheibe und Diabolical Masquerade\'s \"Death\'s Design\". Möglicherweise finden Gothics hier mehr gefallen als Metaller, ich für meinen Teil finde die hier geschaffenen Soundwände recht beeindruckend. Der \'Tipp\' ist daher mit Vorsicht zu genießen, aber diese Scheibe kann man einfach nicht mit einer herkömmlichen Benotung bewerten, dafür ist sie zu außergewöhnlich. Freaks sollten aber unbedingt mal reinhören. Abgefahren!

 

[Emi]

from FLASH MAGAZINE (printed)

rate: 80/100

 

[Emi]

from INFERNO Magazine (printed - finland)

rate: 6/10

 

[Bard F]

From: Rock Impression webzine (ITA)

(http://rock-impressions.com/soundbyte1.htm)

Trond Engum, una delle menti principali dei The 3rd And The Mortal, ha finalmente portato a termine il suo progetto solista a cui stava lavorando da vari anni. Per l’occasione ha fatto più o meno tutto da solo, ma troviamo come guests Rune Hoemsnes alla batteria, Berit Stensland che canta in cinque brani e Peder Drege che suona il trombone in uno.

Trond per comporre e registrare la musica di questo album si è ritirato su una barca nei mari del nord per due mesi e in questa ambientazione decisamente insolita ha partorito un album sorprendente, in effetti è riuscito a creare un disco piuttosto originale, difficile da catalogare e da ricondurre in una struttura determinata. Con questo non voglio dire che si tratti di un capolavoro assoluto, ma è certamente un album di grande spessore, anche se si tratta di musica di non facile assimilazione, ma questo è comunque un pregio.
I dieci brani che compongono River of Broken Glass sono molto intensi e si rifanno alla dark wave dei primi anni ottanta, ma si tratta di una rilettura attualizzata, non di una sterile imitazione.

E’ un disco ruvido, acido, scomodo, disturbato… forse ha trovato il mare mosso? A parte gli scherzi Engum ha espresso in musica i suoi sogni più cupi e sofferti e ha dato vita ad un album veramente intenso, invernale, come capita raramente di ascoltare. Ballate malinconiche, cariche di un romanticismo disperato si alternano a partiture tribali, che vengono inserite su uno stile cantautorale alla Nick Cave (che forse è il nome più accostabile a questo album), aggiungete del post punk e un tocco di sana sperimantazione che si contaminano a vicenda e il gioco è fatto. Comunque sia questo è un gran disco che non mancherà di piacere alle anime più notturne. GB

F. - No rate, but a very good review