Raison d'être - Metamorphyses

The master of dark ambient/industrial music is back with his seventh full length release. On this new Raison d'être album, Metamorphyses, Peter Andersson continues further down the path that he took us on with his last release, Requiem for Abandoned Souls.

This marvelous output is massive in it's scope and is an album that will captivate you and totally enthrall you from the initial seconds to the very last. The droning sounds you heard with his last release, along with the ones that you heard on the bonus track, "Summoning the Void" off of his Reflections from the Time of Opening release last year, are similar to what you'll find here. What you'll also find is some of Raison's most aggressive moments to date, like in the mind-numbing track, "Metamorphyses IV." 

On this masterpiece, Raison d'être mixes ominous and haunting dark ambient sounds with bubbling water, harsh banging, scraping of metal, chanting vocals, and various other sounds including some that sound like a creaking boat stuck on a rock swaying back and forth about to careen off into the depths of the ocean's abyss. Raison d'être slowly and yet sometimes violently overtakes you. It's presence is intense and yet soothing. It's almost as if someone grabs the hair of your head and shoves you underwater and gives a sinister laugh as they watch you struggle. And yet all of this is taking place in slow motion. And before you know it, you give in. Not because you want to die, but because for some weird reason you are enjoying this. Then, instead of drowning you start breathing underwater. You tell yourself it must be a dream, but the longer it lasts the more you realize that this is real. And such is the nature of Raison d'être. 

I only have a promo of this release, so I can't comment on how good the packaging is. But CMI says that it will be cased in a "beautiful 
4-panel foil printed digipak." However, even if the label were selling these on CD-R's, it would still be worth your time. 

Raison d'être fans of the past...you know the drill. Get this at your first opportunity cause you KNOW it's good. Those who've never heard the band...what are you waiting for? Do you think I'd lie to you? Peter Andersson is the master of the genre, and has been for some time. It doesn't get better than this.

Rating: 98/100

Review By: Matt Morrow

Label: Cold Meat Industry

Total Songs: 6

Total Time: 54:54

Tracklisting: 1. Metamorphyses I, 2. Metamorphyses II, 3. Metamorphyses III, 4. Metamorphyses IV, 5. Metamorphyses V, 6. Metamorphyses VI.

Best Songs: Tracks 1 & 4.

Band Lineup: Peter Andersson

Band Website: http://raisondetre.coldmeat.se/