Title: Icolation
Band: yelworC
Genre: Electro
Release Date: 19th October 2007
Label: Baal Records / Minuswelt Musikfabrik
Introduction
YELWORC was founded in 1987 by Peter Devin and Dominik van Reich. Back then the name of the project was LIVE DF YELWORC but a year later the name was shortened and has never changed again. If you read the name backwards you'll get 'Crowley' and Aleister Crowley, a magician, philosopher and adventurer had indeed an influence on YELWORC's experimental forms of expression in musical as well as formal regards. The debut 'Brainstorming' was released in 1992, followed by the 'Blood in Face' MCD in 1993. Dominik van Reich left the band in 1994 due to personal discrepancies and Peter continued. Peter also started working on the album 'Trinity' which is the first part of a conceptual trilogy inspired by 'Dante's Divine Comedy' in 1994. It took ten years until 'Trinity' was finally published in 2004 and now after 3 years of hard work, 'Icolation' is released. It pushes the Trilogy forward into the next phase: The Purgatory.
Members
Peter Devin - Composing, Arrangements, Production, Vocals
Website
http://www.yelworc.de/ / Http://www.myspace.com/yelworc
Track Review
01. Lord of the three - 3:15
I may be wrong, but the title sounds like a hint on ‘Trinity’. Not impossible, as it is part of the same album cycle. It starts out very quiet with sounds coming out of the background and disappear a second latter. Then marching drums appear, but also disappear just a moment later. But after some seconds with strange noises they're fading out of the background again accompanied by chorals. Orchestral elements appear as well as some wide melodic synths and additional drum sounds.
02. In the Purgatory - 4:06
And now we enter the purgatory and see... an ice desert. A little bit different than the purgatory how Dante described it, but this isn't an exact repetition of the divine comedy. It is an own interpretation and if I imagine this picture it makes me shiver. 'In the Purgatory' sounds very organic to me; due to the drum sounds used (Or maybe real drums??). The guitar samples add a very rocking feeling to the song.
03. Without Remorse (Remix) - 4:45
'Without Remorse' already appeared on a sampler in 2004. I never heard that version on that sampler, so I’m unable to make a comparison. The 'Remix' starts out with many different sounds and noises as well as some percussion elements. A rather fast rhythm appears shortly after that, but disappears into nowhere a little bit later. Another rhythm appears; this time located in the mid-tempo area and with some distorted beat patterns. A short break and.... the drumming changes again. Chorals get audible now and then and even bell sounds were added. Strange noises are echoing out of the dark throughout the whole song. There are lots of things to discover, but you need to give it a few spins.
04. Icolation - 4:15
This track really surprised me. I mean piano sounds appeared on ‘Trinity’ as well, but on 'Icolation' they are numerously represented accentuated with wide strings and chorals as well as samples. The spare vocals are floating on the soundscapes and express the mood and atmosphere of the song very well. The melancholic and melodic elements are contrasted by a very dominant yet complex drum programming.
05. Lost futile - 5:45
Now it's getting faster, but don't expect the usual dance beat here. It is much more straight than usual, but not one-dimensional. A wealth of detail is captured within the arrangement. The orchestral arrangements and synth layers seem to be covered by a layer of ice. They radiate such a cold atmosphere. It is hard to describe that properly, but listen for yourself. The integrated guitars or guitar samples in combination with the vocals add a certain aggression and rage to the song and pushing it more forward. This song is also porcupined again with lots of samples and sounds that are waiting to be discovered.
06. Phantoms of Conscience - 5:12
“The conscience is a mirror in front of which a monkey torments itself.” A very disturbing picture! Maybe the monkey is a metaphor for the soul, which is mutilated more and more with every time, a person acts against its conscience. Every deed is like a torment for the soul until one day it's almost dead and gone. So much about my interpretation, but let's switch over to the arrangement, which is again far away from being standard. Again there are too much elements to name them all. Melodic fragments, chorals, distorted guitars and vocals as well as some disturbing sounds, all mixed up to a complex and gloomy mid-tempo track.
07. Inner monologue - 3:34
“We are not evil because of the evil we do, but we do evil because we are evil.” Is someone evil because he/she was forced to do something really bad because of pure desperation or was he/she just able to do this because the predisposition already existed and there just had to come to the right place and time to unleash the dark side? “Cogito ergo sum” (Lat: I think, therefore I am) is a well-known philosophical statement used by René Descartes. In the lyrics of the track appears a quite different form “pecco ergo sum” (I sin, therefore I am). The mood of the song is very dark and haunting. Starting with a sample and dark strings and suddenly out of nowhere the massive beat starts and Peter’s vocals are sounding like an evil whispering.
08. Ecce Mundo - 4:05
'Ecce Mundo' was already included on the ‘Eclosion’ EP. The version included on 'Icolation' is a little bit shorter, but also integrates a few new elements to differ from the other version. Still remarkable about this track is the pumping beat and the guitar sounds. They are sounding quite awesome and almost real.
09. Personal Hell - 3:07
Even though the song is quite calm, don't expect it to be less complex than the others. Multiple layers with noises, chorals and a voice sample start the track. Piano chords appear and are gone, just a moment later and you hear something like a scream coming from deep underground...then the massive but slow beat starts. And we also hear piano sounds again. The beats are again much layered and complex, but in YELWORC terms, one can call the instrumentation of the song rather minimal. You'll surely hear samples and sounds on every corner but the mood of the song is mostly created by those dark piano chords and Conni’s voice.
10. The Bells of waiting - 4:38
The melodies at the beginning are somehow uplifting, but it doesn't stay like that. May orchestral sounds were integrated like mighty strings, marching drums and chorals. If I'm not mistaken I even heard trumpets. Some minor violins also appear. I'm not quite sure but I guess they're sampled. The song even picks up some elements of 'Personal Hell' and also integrates nice percussion elements.
11. Dark Thorn (Version 2) - 6:16
The drum programming is almost the same as in Version 1 on the ‘Eclosion’ EP, so the basic structure remains intact, but new elements were added. Some additional drum gadgets for example and Conni is now also doing some Vocals on the track. The instrumental part where the tempo and drumming changes has been extended and also new melodic elements appear. I really like this part of the song because of its melancholy and atmosphere. Could have been a little bit longer for me!
12. The Shrine of Illusion (Version 2) - 5:02
Same case here! The basic structure… well if one can call that structure is till the same, but new elements were added here as well, that increase the atmosphere a lot and making it at times almost impossible to cut through. I also recognized some new vocals in the track at the beginning. Short but new. Some new drum sounds also appeared if I heard that correctly.
13. Masks off! - 4:20
Imagine something like a dark opera and Peter Devin is the director, so you could get at least an impression how this track sounds. Marching drums and sometimes monumental orchestral passages with chorals pervaded by the voice of Peter Devin. And now something follows, what always happens, when you least expect it - a break and the tempo changes. The arrangement's getting faster and more demanding and an acoustic guitar appears. Don't know if it's just a sample or if it was played by Peter. Either way it's ingenious.
14. Purple Blood - 5:32
After this monumental piece of music, it's getting a little bit straighter for YELWORC conditions of course. The rhythm right at the beginning accompanied by a large amount of sounds slowly fades out after some seconds, while another one simultaneously fades in. This rhythm in combination with the sample sounds a bit like it belongs to some kind of ritual ceremony. As mentioned before, the song is straighter and almost danceable - highly melodic and with a cold and dense atmosphere. It reminds me a little bit of 'Lost Futile'. A layer of ice seems to cover the arrangements in this song as well.
15. Reason and Refusal - 3:56
Standing in an ice cave and looking upon a frozen sea. That was my first impression, when I heard the beginning of 'Reason and Refusal'. The melody sounds like it's played on some of the icicles. Slowly a quite danceable beat fades out of the background to replace the melody. After a short while, bells join in and the cold atmosphere is back again. Sounds from a pan flute are added and clang through the ice.
16. Essence awake! - 4:11
“Essence awake!” Those words also appeared on the track 'After Laughter' on 'Trinity' and they made their way through hell into the purgatory as well. A big part of the song is instrumental so you'll get the chance to delve into the track's atmosphere, while the song slowly moves on. Many sounds, voices and melodies emerge and disappear, just to get replaced by new ones.
17. Secret's Trace - 4:38
We already reached the end of this journey through the purgatory. The drum programming is complex as always and includes various elements like the well-known march drums and also massive electronic beats and sounds. Peter teams up again with Conni on the track. I like the contrast between Peter's distorted and Conni's clean vocals. Some parts of the lyrics are performed in German as well.
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 10
Sound: 10
Extras: -
Total: 10
Conclusion
We had to wait over three years for this album, but it was worth every single day. The level of complexity on this album is almost frightening at times. Some elements of ‘Trinity’ have been picked up like the well-known bell sounds but Peter Devin integrated a lot of new elements and sounds into his compositions. 'Icolation' is also much more melodic than ‘Trinity’. Sometimes I just sat there with a wide opened mouth and was simply stunned by such monumental arranged tracks like ‘The Bells of waiting’ or ‘Masks off’. The use of female vocals on some of the tracks was a great idea. They perfectly fit into the YELWORC soundscapes as already experienced on the ‘Eclosion’ EP. I would like to hear her on the next album as well. The album demands a lot of attention from the listener. It takes time to grow on you, but after a few spins you'll surely love it. The artwork of 'Icolation' was done by the Viennese artist Joachim Luetke who already worked for bands like SOPOR AETERNUS, PERSEPHONE or DIMMU BORGIR. The first edition of the album will come in a lavishly digi-pack with a 24-sided booklet and all lyrics. The album exceeded all my expectations and to cut it short: fantastic!
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