Majdanek Waltz / Sal Solaris - Tenebrae

There are few pages in the world's history that everyone would like to forget , but which is needed to be in the memory of each and every person. One of them is World War 2, one of the greatest wars in the history of mankind. Millions of souls were eliminated, millions of destinies mixed into one huge cocktail. Those that survived those crazy times always keep in their mind the vision that stays with them for the rest of their lives.

The expressions of this brutal and ugly war can be seen in different projections of human creations, and poetry was not left behind of course . One of the best lyrical poets of post-war Europe is the offspring of a German speaking Jewish family, Paul Celan. That man, whose best years were spent under the shadow of Nazi excruciation, survived the holocaust and after the war ended, tried to put his thoughts into words which could open up the world, at least a little bit, to all the suffering and pain from the darkest years of mankind.

The words of Paul were taken as the concept for the mutual project of two Russian based collectives, Sal Solaris and Majdanek Walz. The poetry on this album is a solid statement of existence and the will for life. The music is thoroughly crafted by the partnership and is the background guide for the soul's scream.

Five tracks that can upend the inner world, deeply touching the strings of emotions. The drones pulsate, verifying each word and explodes the night with the sparks of piano and violin. The endless ruins covered with dust and ashes, rise as the eyewitnesses of the misplaced epoch. This is not the album for a background listening during the everyday life. It demands the full concentration in order to absorb all the messages. Every sound, every sample, every melody has it's own meaning and to express poetry as much as possible. Full of deprivation and melancholy .

I'm not the biggest fan of neo-folk albums, but here it is totally harmonic with the music. Two musical formations show the highest level of cooperation, during which they supplement each other in order to achieve their common goal, and to try not stand in the way of the overall feeling. Great work, worthy of the words that they try to immortalize. Pity, that those of you that don't understand Russian will not be able to perceive by listening all the depth of this piece of art, as all the lyrics are translated into Russian.

Definitely a must for everyone in search for intellectual music. Jul 21 2011