Letum - Broken

They said it would never happen. Letum would never grace us with a 2nd album. Five years later, it seemed quite possible that they were right.

When news of 'Broken' was published, I saw many a person raise their fists in eclectic joy, albeit oft with cries of 'It can't be as good! So here is the question I shall answer today. CAN it?

I'll make it a public fact that 'Entrance to Salvation' was one of the albums that turned my head in this genre. One of the first that made me sit up and think 'Fuck'.

I don't believe for one minute that anyone can equal a first album with that kind of potential, but what the hell, this is Letum.

So we are taken into the underwater abyss once more, with 'Soliltation', except something is missing. This is much, much heavier and aggressive! Insane electronic work, with very distorted vocal speeches, (from what I can gather, rather sick dialogue too). Two minutes in the chaotic electronic hell dies down, to finally give us that trademark Letum sound, complete with the beautiful choral samples that graced and canonised 'Entrance to Salvation'. These work surprisingly well when coupled with aggressive electronics, and despite Letum moving in a now seemingly Martial Industrial direction, all of the old classic elements seem to be here, and the first track has promise. Just bear with it.

'Attempt (Failure)' sees the evolution of the project hatch, and manifest itself into a spectre of what it used to be. This track is Power Electronics, there is no if or but, this is pure Power Electronics, with small and infrequent dark ambient sections.

I don't know how to improve upon my description of the title track other than 'vicious snarling sounds with intricate Triangle and Keyboard melodies, sounding like a Hung-over Astronaut sobering up and seeing his nightmares become dreams', so I'll leave it at that. Oh, and the choral samples are here too.

Anyway, I feel no need to do a track by track, as you really cannot grasp the sound of this, without hearing it. The best way to describe 'Broken' is to refer to it as a cauldron with every kind of ingredient thrown in, and then exploding, leaving the guidelines of the genre burnt and charred, and rewriting the textbook.

Expect Power chords, martial industrial samples, dark eerie ambience, choral samples, bells, soundscapes, and all other catalysts for a lucid nightmare, and you have Letum mach II. Sharper, Creepier, and more evolved.

As a teaser for those of you still reading, the latter half of the album has moments you will kick yourself for not hearing. It is a Cold Meat release after all.

The final Judgement: Broken is a Colossal and intriguing work of art, which will appeal to all fans of the aforementioned genres, although not everyone who liked the original Letum album will like this, I think the vast majority will be sucked into it's charms, even if it may take a few listens.

I can't say it's worse than the original, but I cannot say it is better. Certainly worth hearing. Sep 25 2006