2023-07-11 07:00:26
(c) Andy Ford
The mangy, unyielding extremes that the international quintet Calligram have always accompanied us, just don’t want to give in. On their last records, Black Metal, Blackened Hardcore and encrusted D-Beat found an extremely brute, destructive balance in a chaos that has long since irretrievably gone haywire. For their latest coup, they strive for a little more atmosphere and give the omnipresent madness some space to breathe deeply. „Position | Momentum“ creates depth through worthwhile fresh facets.
The concluding “Seminario Dieci” shows how this can work. Here Calligram attempt all extremes with an abundance of emotionally charged, at the same time sparse insertions of a purely instrumental nature, which are repeatedly torpedoed and shot to pieces by absolute brute force. It shouldn’t work that well, but it works. In “Frantumi In Itinere”, on the other hand, they show that they haven’t lost any of their chaotic anger. Without warning, the track goes forward, overturns itself, is rough and sprawling. However, when the tempo is taken out midway through the climax and complemented by a dense post-black atmosphere, it’s all vain. Both worlds come together fantastically here.
In “Ostranenie” the approach seems to reach its limits in places. Gradually the aforesaid atmospheric textures make their way in, leading to an oppressive and reduced caesura that probably lasts a bit too long. When all seems lost, a Matteo Rizzardo at his best raises his gnarly voice once more. Suddenly it goes really fast, the rest of the band joins in, high-speed Black Metal collides with almost Doom-like soundscapes, which works extremely well. “Sul Dolore”, on the other hand, only tries a short, but emphatically intense middle section with some loosening up before Calligram finally spins the wheel once more – and that works perfectly.
Escalation with a difference: “Position | Momentum” remains a chaotic piñata full of raging anger, but overall tries a slightly differentiated approach. Pure explosiveness collides with an entertaining atmosphere that makes the sound appear worlds more complex, but no less dangerous. Calligram continue to grow and thrive with a record that’s untamable and pushes the upkeep value into rough climes. What a board of nails.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 07/14/2023
Available through: Prosthetic Records
Facebook: www.facebook.com/calligrammusic
Category: Magazin, Reviews
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#Calligram #Position #Momentum