Kult of Red Pyramid - Broken Mirror

Kult of Red Pyramid is a Croatian duo which consist of Ivan Rogar and Josip Fackovic, both who are immensely involved in music, as well as film. Though the duo has been involved within the music scene since 1993, the electronic project really didn't get started until about 2007 as an official group. However, once started, it didn't take long for them to get steamrolling,

As shown on their site, they've evolved a lot since their roots, making way for a ton of variations in style. From 2008-2010, they revolved mainly around the doom, drone, and industrial areas, releasing the original version of Void Zero, which would later on be remastered for a 2012 version underneath the Glory & Honour record label.

From 2010 to 2012, under various names, they released more material, including a harsh EBM set of tracks underneath the title of VOID.INJECT, as well as releasing an ambient/orchestral album titled Last Songs On Earth underneath the name of Shinrei Project.

And, if that wasn't enough, they have also released an independent film in 2010 called Vektor, which they also scored the entire soundtrack. However, despite the amount of creativity this duo has, recent controversy was spurt from their mouths, as they cancelled the project for a bit in 2012, stating, "...the meaningless existence of the stale electronic industrial scene without any true & real fandom in it's roots..." was the reason for doing so.

Thankfully, the break only lasted for a few months, coming back later on in the year to reform the project. Coming out with a few songs here and there, another side project called CALEB [UNIT], they eventually came to now, with the release of Broken Mirror.

With the banner of Xperiment XIII held over their heads, the Croatian duo has released a two part, limited edition CD which has nine new tracks, as well as eleven remastered tracks from their discography. Going back to their electronic roots with this release, the duo has created a pretty good album that may sound similar at certain parts, but still manages to hold through.

I think, however, the strongest element within this release is that it is a culmination of all their past works put forth into one project. The title track of the album, Broken Mirror, showcases an electro-industrial phenomenon, with not necessarily a hard beat, but one that is bouncy enough to make you want to dance. The synths conglomerate into one giant epic piece. However, I sometimes feel as if everything combined can make for a bit of a muddy sound, sometimes screwing with the vocals.

And that stays true with me for a lot of the songs. But, the lead vocals on the album are still well enough on their own. They are different in a sense; it's hard to put it into words. I have heard voices similar to this in the past, however, if I sat down to listen to this guy's chords, I could say that it was from a KORP album.

Salt takes the album, surprisingly, for a sort of Synthpop approach. Whether or not this was intended is beyond me, however, it makes for one of the better songs on the album. Everything Was Taken Away From Me, the intro track, took things slow, not wanting to slam us straight into the foray of the album, but to smoothly work us into it. Burn took a harder approach, making the song heavier compared to others, while The Wire actually took a lot out to make a well rounded song, and much more appealing to listen to.

Sovereign served up some more electronics, not really drawing out many synth lines in other songs, but, more or less focusing on short notes to deliver a decent track. Stillborn brought us back to the slow style of the first track, while Haze created for a very tense atmospheric track. You can see the ambient influences on this album. With the sensual voice backing the track, it came out as a beautiful piece. And Widow continued this trend, being the final track on the album, it served its purpose well.

And, that's where the first CD ends, and the second begins. As much as I enjoy remastered tracks, I always find myself being on the fence about them. It's always nice to see an artist appreciate their tunes enough to revisit them, but they're also songs we've already heard. It kind of just makes me feel as if they should have been working on new material rather than old. Still, I suppose it's a nice little effort for fans of the duo who haven't experienced their entire musical ensemble as of yet.

However, this is a great introductory point for anyone who hasn't heard of KORP up until this point. I mean, this goes for myself as well. I never heard of these guys in the past up until now, but I am more than pleased to have discovered them. Not only that, but they created one kick ass music video for Broken Mirror. Check out that, and everything else these guys have to offer. Mar 16 2014