Requiem Aeternam - Philosopher review

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Requiem Aeternam - Philosopher
by Mark Hensch ..

Formed in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, South American metalheads Requiem Aeternam hit you with so many risky endeavors on their second full-length Philosopher that it will make you reach nirvana. And maybe that's the bloody goal of it all. Now, to be frank, Uruguay (or most other South American countries) are not exactly heavy metal factories constantly churning out stellar acts; so, if by chance, you inhabit the smallest nation on the South American continent, and you love metal, well, you need to stand out a bit.

Requiem Aeternam stand out like a giant in the land of the Munchkins. First of all, metal fans everywhere will probably (with some research) discover that Requiem has a fine pedigree. Formed by Martin Lopez (a drummer who should need no introduction to Amon Amarth or Opeth fans) and latter-day Opeth bassist Martin Mendez, the quartet was rounded out by talented guitarist Pablo Magallanes and vocalist/guitarist Jose Romero, once of Inner Sanctum. Though this line-up eventually disappeared (and many more would follow before the band's debut, the groundbreaking Eternally Dying album), Jose remained and brought in Maciej Kupiszewki to play some bass and skin-hitter Alex Hernandez, of Immolation fame, late in 2004 to write the album I am reviewing now, Philosopher.

What makes this CD so interesting (besides the storied history of the band) is both the weird concept behind it and the mish-mash of metal styles being played without a care. Requiem meld upbeat power metal, classic hardcore, and pieces of random Latin-influenced melodies that will astound just about any listener. Jose Romero's vocals range from (purposely) sloppy hardcore growls, passionate shrieks, and crooning that sounds like a Uruguayan System of a Down. The thing most interesting about this disc is the concept it is built on; each and every song is built around the teachings of one sagely philosopher. Taking mindsets, ideas, concepts, and world-views from very different geniuses often separated by different time periods, languages, and cultures is mind-blowing. I personally think that Requiem Aeternam wants some gray matter stewing over this CD's lyrical content.

To make this review more interesting, I am going to review each song like normal but give a few facts on each philosopher who inspired the tune, and their philosophies. To start Philosopher off, we get "Rectitude" a song inspired by none other then Siddartha Gautama, The Buddha himself. Siddartha taught a creed (still widely practiced in Asia today) of inner peace, anti-materialism, soul-searching, and mediation, all to reach Nirvana or the freeing of one's soul from the cycle of reincarnation (the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth). The song itself begins with chugging power chords transferred into frantic double-bass drums, growls that morph later into crooning, and passages of jangling, ambient, and clean guitar parts. At one part the song totally stops, feedback slowly builds from the silence, and a harmonics laden outro with some sweet guitar pieces ambles in.

"Wisdom" rocks in with a jamming yet sneaky riff of power thrash that eventually is interspersed with clean guitar pieces before breaking down into an melancholic tune with an awesome guitar melody spliced in near the end. The tune is also based on the essays of Seneca, a philosopher and a Stoic from 1st century Rome. The Stoics believed that intellectual wisdom was the key to escaping such "petty" emotions as fear, hatred, anger or envy, as they felt that someone constantly thinking about philosophy and seeking wisdom would be too busy to be troubled by the darker aspects of human psyche.

"Liberty" is one of the best songs on the CD, a crooning ballad that has clear and rambling verses but a bouncy, upbeat, and jamming power metal chorus with bass grooves and cymbal clashes. The song's melting solo is a highlight of the disc and makes this track stand alone with aplomb. "Liberty" is also based on Jean Jaques Rousseau's writings; the French thinker was famous for his railing against social injustices and the power of mankind's good natural state, corrupted by society, technology, and progression.

The grinding riffing of "Logos" and the frantic double-bass accompanying it will get the heads banging with it's old-school thrash, and Romero's desperate roars and speedy guitar solos mix to form a claustrophobic and panicky tune. This song was spawned by the works of Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who created the word Logos to showcase that all things are unified in one, even opposites. Opposites exist to balance each other through contradiction, and all things are controlled by the power of change.

The darker "Antichrist" is a frantic and spazzzy thrash piece with sinister verses and singing which melts into speed riffing and cookie-monster growls. The works of noted quasi-theologian Nietzsche inspired this piece, with his almost obsessive studying of the nature of God and whether or not Jesus was ever really the son of God.

"Desperation" is a amazing softer tune, interspersed with more heavier elements of Requiem's style. However, the Latin-inspired guitars and soft ambience are stunning here, and Requiem outdoes itself on yet another track. "Desperation" is inspired by Kirkegaard, a Danish man who is considered by many to have created the concept of "Existentialism."

"Philosopher" is several verses from Romero's own book of philosophy, Forbidden Writings. The serene strumming guitars and lyrics (some of which are sung in Spanish) are somehow combined with double-bass drums effortlessly, all while retaining a quiet elegance.

"Untitled" is a power-metal chugging beast centered on the Taosist father Lao Tzu, who taught that man should live through instinct and conscience.

Thoughtful, intelligent, unique, and compelling, do yourself a favor and check out some Requiem Aeternam. Their vocals stand out, and though a little less polished then some acts, their drumming and guitaring are superb, as well as their bass. I strongly recommend one also checks out the men who inspired these songs; listening to metal and learning life philosophies is a great way to expand one's mind.

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