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▓█▌▐█▌  ▓▀    ▀▀ ▓▀   ▀▓    ▀▀▀    ██▓ ██ ▀▀               ▀  █▌       ▓ ▀▀▀▀ ▀ ▐█▓ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▓██▄█▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▌▀ ░▓█▓░ ▀█▄                ▓▐█▀▀                      ░▓█▓░ ░█▓░░  ▓                      ▓        ▓░▓█░  ░▓▄█████▄░   ▄ ▄  ▓▄██████▄░  ░▐██▀▀▀▀███▓░ ▀▓▀ ▀▓▀ ░███▀▀▀▀██▄▓ ▀▀▀   ▀▀▀▀▀▀  ▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀ ███  ████▀    ▄▀▀▄▄█████▄▄ ▄▄█████▄▄▀▀▄   ▀████   ██  ██   ▀██▄▐▄  ■ ▄██▀▀ ▀██▄ ▄ ▄██▀ ▀▀██▄ ■ ▄ ▄██▌   ▐█▓  ░▓▄   ▀██▄▀▓█▄▄▄█▀▀ ▄ ▄▓▓▄ ▐█▌ ▌ ▀▓▀ ▐▓▓▌ ▄▓▓▄ ▄ ▀▀▓▄▄░▄██▀   ▄▀      ▓░▓▄███   ▐▀ ▀▓▀ ▀▀ ▄██▀ ▀██▄ ▀▀ ▀▓▀  ▀███▄ ▓▓        ▄██▀▓   ■ ▀▄▀ ▀▄▀ ■   ░▀███░       ▓███▓     ░░ ▐▌ ▐▌     ░███▓      ███▌░  ▀ ▀ ███▓    ▐██▀ ▀███░   ██▌  Artist...: Veldes ░▐██▌  ░▐██   Album....: To Drown in Bleeding Hope  ░██▌░ ▓▐██   Year.....: 2013  ▓▐██▓ ▓▐██   Rel.Date.: 2021-05-02  ░▐██▓  ▐██   Genre....: Black Metal   ██▌░ ░ ██▌  Label....: Razed Soul Productions   ██▌    ▐██  Source...: CD  ▐██    ░▐██▌ Type.....: Album ▐██▌░  ▓▄████ Quality..: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo ████▌░ ▓▄████ ████▌░   ███▌░  ███▓   ▐██░░▀█▄░         ▓█▌  ███  ▀██▓ ▓█▄        ▄█▀ ▓██▀    ▓██▄ ▓▓▀▄    ▄▓▀  ▄██▓░     ██▌    ▓  ▄▄▄ ░    ▐██▓░       ██▌    ░ ░▀▄▓▓█▀█▄▀▀░     ▓██░         ░██░     ░ ░▄ ▄▄██▐▓▓█▄░▄█▌██▀▀ ▀░ ░ ▄▄▀▀█░░▐█░      ▄  ▐█▌░    ░▄▄▀▓▓███▀▄░ ▓▄▄█▌▓▓█ ▓█░   ▀░▀  ██     ▀▀▀ ░█▓▄▄▄█▀░ ▓█        ░▐█▌    ░█▌▐▓ ▓▄▄░ ▌         ░█░     ▄  ▐▓▓▀▀▀░▓█▄▄░       ░░▄█▄ ▄ ██▄ ▀░▀ ▀█░▄▄▄  ▄█░▄▀▀▄▀▀▄░▀▀▄       ▀▀████████▀░ ▀▀░  ▄█▓░░░░▀░░█ █▄█▓        ▐█░▀██▀ ▄█▓░░░ ▐ ▄ ░▓█▄        ▓  ▐▌  ▐ ▄█▀█░ ░  ░ ▄ ▀█▄▓█░    ░▓▓▀▀░▄ ▌▓   ■░▒ ░ ▄ ▐▀▀▓▄█▓░░ ░ ░ ▄█▀█░█▐▓▌▀▄         ░▀█▌  ▓▬ ▓▀▓ ░▄▄▓▀▓░      ░▀█░▀█▄░░  ░█░ ██ █░▀█▐▌       ░▓░░▐▌   ▌ ░░■  ▄█▐  ▐       ▓▓▓█░▓█▄▄█░  █▓█▓▌░ ▀  ▄         ▓░▓ █▓▐░▌ ▓ ░▓▓ ▓▐▒▄░░▐▓█  ▌         █▀▀░▐▀░█▀▓  ▐▌ █▌    ▀░▀     ▄ ▐░▌░▐█ █▌ ▓   ░█░░█▀ ▐▓▐░ ▀▄▄▀▀▌░   ▄▄███▐████▄▓  ▌        █  ░   █ ─▀▀▀█▓░█▄▌  ▐░▐░ ▄▄▄░██  ░ ░ ░▓░  ▐▌▓▄▌▓▓▌▓▐▓█▀  ■                ▄ ▌     ▀█▄█▌ █▌▐▓░█▓ ▀ ░░░ ░▓█▄█  █▓▓▓▓▓█▄▓▓▐▓  ░        █  ░  ▄ ▀ ░  ░  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▓█░▓▄▄▄████▄▓▀ ▄▄▓ ▄▄▄░█▌ ░▄▀▀▄█▓░ ▓▓█░████▓███░██▀▓▓███▓ ▓██▓▐█▌ ███▄▄   ▐███▄ ▓▄█▀▀  ▐█▄█▀  ▄▀▀░ ▄█▀░ ░ ▓████████▐██████▓█▓ ▓█ ██  ░█▓ ▐█▄▓██▄██▄▐█▌░   ▐██▌▓▄█▀▓    ▄▄▀▀▀▀▄▄▄ ▓██▓▓▓▀▄████▐░███ █░█▌▄ ▐█▀██▀ ██▀   ▀███▄▄█▓ ███████▄▓▀▀▀▀▄▓  ░▄██▓ ▓ ▓██▓▀▄█████▓ ▄▄▀▀▓▄▄█▄▐█▄▄▓▄▄▄▄▄▄▄░▄░░░▄▄▀▄▄▀█░▄▄▄▄▄▄▐█▌ ▄██▀▄▄▄▄▄▄ ██░████ ▓     ░  ▓██░                        ▓█▄█▀     ▓██████            ▀▀▄▓                      ▓▀▀▀       ▓ █    1. Through the Bitter Flame 6:04 2. Featherless Across the Burnt Skies 7:03 3. Earth as a Nest of Bones and Debris 5:09 4. Within These Roots Only Sickness Dwells 7:28 5. Beneath the Grieving Waters 10:38 ------ 36:22 'To Drown in Bleeding Hope' is the debut album from one man band Tilen Simon of Slovenia, under the project name of Veldes. The Metal Archives calls this atmospheric black metal, but there is so much more to this release than that. If someone tried to tell me this was atmospheric/melodic black/doom metal, I wouldn't be able to entirely disagree. There are all of those elements and more, expertly woven into a starkly beautiful picture postcard of life, death and despair. The atmosphere is provided by heavily distorted guitars, muted bass, a minimalistic playing style and a special vocal performance that is undeniably black metal whilst managing to keep almost every word understandable. There is so much emotion in Tilen's somewhere-between-growl-and-shriek vocals. For example, the lines "featherless they fly, across the burnt skies, where death is a fire, and life remains ash" aren't particularly inspiring on paper, yet through his vocal chords simple phrases become incredibly powerful and evocative, conveying strains of futility and melancholy with ease. Tilen also seems gifted with a natural understanding of melody, evident on every track but especially noteworthy on 'Within These Roots Only Sickness Dwells,' a hauntingly beautiful song that uses mournful notes plucked from his guitar and left hanging in the air to conjure images of grey landscapes in a dying world. When Simon needs to switch it up and generate momentum he turns to the rhythm section as seen on closer 'Beneath the Grieving Waters,' which had me headbanging through the faster sections. Both drums and bass are solid throughout the album, with every note of the bass audible in the mix and a rich and satisfying drum tone. 'Earth as a Nest of Bones and Debris' begins with a sample from the movie The Road (2009), spoken by Viggo Mortensen of Aragorn fame. It's an interesting idea, as the quote portrays a bleak picture and one assumes it is intended to add to the atmosphere, however on first listen the appearance of a 40 second audio sample at the start of a black metal song surprised me out of the grim reverie created by the previous tracks. I liked the idea though, and on summary listens it works well, barring the transition from sample to actual song, which I find too sudden for an album of this meandering pace. Another minor complaint for the album is its length, clocking in at 36:15. This is just not long enough for a release of this style and quality. I feel another couple of songs are needed to bring it up to the 50 minute mark so as to have enough time to properly submerge myself the themes and emotions portrayed in this record. Overall however 'To Drown in Bleeding Hope' is an excellent debut and one of the best albums I have heard so far this year. I will be keenly waiting to see what Simon follows it up with in the future. --- In familiar atmospheric black metal fashion, Veldes is a one-man project of Tilen Simon, who has previously performed a share of duties within a slew of Slovenian metal bands: Nephrolith, Within Destruction, and Wintersoul. Naming this most recent undertaking after the archaic name of his town of residence Bled, Veldes has tapped into the fallout of post-black metal bands like Drudkh and Wolves in the Throne Room; traditional atmosphere and lo-fi instrumentation is mixed with an acknowledgement of post-rock and shoegaze, and a cinematic attitude towards composition. Though I've never had the chance to travel that far east, I hear Bled is renowned for its stark natural beauty and historical significance. With this in mind, it seems fitting that Veldes has been so named; To Drown in Bleeding Hope is a gloomy paean to the search of meaning in nature when none can be found in society. The album's generic elements cannot go without mention, but the effective atmosphere and set of memorable compositions make Veldes' debut to the world a strong step in the right direction. For what Veldes initially lacks in terms of a unique or distinct execution, Tilen Simon demonstrates his greatest strengths here to be related to composition and songwriting. Before I even mention the project's performance-based merits, the songs here feel fleshed out and memorably arranged to an extent I have rarely heard in atmospheric black metal. No previously held genre-rules are broken, but Tilen Simon seems to know exactly how to make a musical idea reach its potential. Each of the five songs on the album have at least one riff or motif that stands out in the listener's mind after the album has finished. Although Veldes is not immune to the atmospheric black metal epidemic of repetition, the said repetition is handled in such a way that the music never feels boring. Even when Veldes treads softly into slower-paced territory with "Within These Roots Only Sickness Dwells" and "Beneath the Grieving Waters", Simon's skill with building compositions doesn't fail; the music stays interesting, and the atmosphere continues to broil. In spite of the slower sections' tendency to recall funeral doom aesthetics, To Drown in Bleeding Hope draws a great deal from the preexisting formulas of its style. Veldes' nature-inspired, lo-fi angle could be drowned in a flood of like-sounding bands if based on style alone; the lack of an inherently engaging style does seek to hold Veldes back, but it doesn't get in the way of the songwriting, which gives every impression of having come from a place of inspiration and sincerity. "Earth as a Nest of Bones and Debris" opens with one of the most effective uses of samples I've heard in recent listening. Veldes' sampling of a particularly bleak monologue from the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road seeks to put my stomach in knots each time I hear it. Although the transition back into the black metal feels a bit abrupt, the rest of the song's tone matches the sample's atmospheric precedent perfectly. I know it's only a miniscule touch with regards to the album as a whole, but the way the despair and melancholic pessimism of The Road weaves itself so seamlessly into Veldes' emotional tapestry makes me wonder why I haven't heard that film sampled on more black metal albums. Lyrically, To Drown in Bleeding Hope gives an apt indicator of its content and relative quality in the title itself. Tilen Simon's poetry is solipsistic in its attitude, revolving almost entirely around sorrow, loneliness and death. It's such standard fare for the genre that it virtually denies analysis or criticism for good or bad; at the very least, it fits the album's despondent atmosphere. Though the lyrics may verge on the cliche, Simon's vocals offer an impressive presence in the music, a tortured howl stretched to a greater expanse with the help of some tastefully moderate reverb. On the topic of effects and production, Veldes is the result of an artist with some obvious experience in the field; the guitars, while a bit dry at times, have been kept pleasantly raw, and the synth textures are cleverly innocuous to the point where an inattentive listener might not even pick up on them. The only real disappointment regarding Simon's realization of his music lies in the use of artificial drums, which sound dull and unpleasantly monotonous in execution, in spite of being relatively well programmed and arranged. While Veldes' raw production, emphasis on atmosphere, gloomy mood and Romanticized handling of depression all feel like resoundingly average fare for atmospheric black metal, Tilen Simon's memorable, careful skill with composition makes the album a worthy experience. To Drown in Bleeding Hope offers a rare experience in black metal where each track feels distinct from the others; Veldes doesn't serve to innovate any of the genre's lasting trademarks with this one, but Tilen Simon's first foray into atmospheric black metal with this fresh project has proved bountiful, not only in terms of the atmosphere it conjures, but the emotions that atmosphere has provoked. --- Veldes is the solo work of Slovenian guitarist Tilen Simon, otherwise known as Isvaroth from Nephrolith, whose debut I reviewed a couple years ago. Unlike that act, which was a more decidedly face-scathing brand of Scandinavian-styled black metal, here the focus is largely upon swaths of involved, atmospheric sound reliant on more minimalistic chord patterns and melodies, secondary drum beats and even some samples. I suppose it sounds like it belongs in the Summoning camp, though this is directly centered around the guitar itself, and not the synths and masterful use of electronic percussion that those Austrians are known for. While To Drown in Bleeding Hope is not a long album by any means (36 minutes), it's certainly one that demands some patience on the listener's part. These aren't dense compositions loaded down with riffs, and really only the first track "Through the Bitter Flames" casts the hue of a more traditional black metal blaze, with warm and mildly dissonant chord patterns that are refreshingly not all that predictable; though some of the tremolo guitar fills are bland, and even if this has the most intense beats throughout the album, they're still incredibly passive beneath those shimmering, bright guitars and Tilen's desperate, immense rasping vocal inflection. The other four tracks are more the norm, spacious and gracious and often involving catchy clean guitars accompanied by slightly swelling synth synth lines that give you the impression your watching birds take off over a lake. For instance, the openings to "Featherless Across the Burnt Skies" or "Beneath the Grieving Waters" are quite stunning, and when the metal element arrives it all feels like this vast, rustic space opening above you, as profound as the onrush of dawn, and I think that was the point here. Emotional, outdoorsy black metal as opposed to some sinister Satanic ritual being performed in a cave, with image-heavy lyrics of renewal and decay that do well to spark the listener's imagination. Production is quite impressive here for just one guy, and though the drums feel too artificial in spots, they're not exactly the strong point, usually just keeping the pace cleanly, or informing the tempo changes. The bass lines are all rather simple and gentle, but they do their job in adding a deeper dimension to the generally high pitched rhythm guitars. I was scratching my head at the spoken word sequence in "Earth As a Nest of Bones and Debris", finding it eerily familiar, and then realized it was Viggo Mortensen's character from the film version of Cormac McCarthy's The Road! Aesthetically, it fits in rather well with the pianos and walls of distortion Simon evokes here, and inevitable eruptions of resonant snarls. In general, the whole album possesses a consistency to it which flooded my thoughts with imagery of mists, hazy golden mornings, wildlife and an absence of mankind and civilization, so those seeking out a more majestic, rural black metal sensibility will likely get something out of Veldes. It's not exactly intricate or complex, and I think the rhythm section could be a little more ambitious to produce stronger results, but if you're looking for breathing, captivating black metal with a folk tint ala Summoning, Mirkwood, Elffor, Kroda, Falkenbach, or Drudkh it's worth hearing.                                                                                                     ▀▀░                                                                                                                ░▄▀                                  ▄█▀                                             ░▄           ░▐███░               ▀█░▄▄▄                    ▄░       ▀█░░                      ░           ▀▀░                                         ▄  ░                                          ▄     █          ▀                 ▄              ▄█▄ ▄ ██▄         ▀░▀     ▄         ▀                ▀░▀   ▀         ▀▀████████▀░                   ▀ ▄      ░                      ░░       ░▀██▀                    ▀██▄                ▄               ▐     ░      ░  █▀▄    ▐▓▓▌   █                    ▄   ▄▄       ░                    ▄▄▌█  ▄▄▓▓▓▀  ▄                      ▄ ▀   ████      ░                   ▐███▌  ░ ░                  ▄██▀     ▄▄██▄▄           ░           ▄▄███▄▄ ▄  ▓                         ▐▓▓▌  ░   ▓████▄        ▀          ▀    ▓█████▓  ▀ ▄                           ▀▓▓▓▄▄   ▐▓███ ▌                       ▌█████      ▀██▄   ▄                ░▄  ▀▀██▄▐████ ▌▐ ▌▓                ▓▐ ▌█▓███       ▐▓▓▌ ▀░▀           █    █  ░ ░▓▐████▄▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▄ ▐▐·▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▄█████    ▄▄▓▓▓▀                            ▓ ▓▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐▓▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌█████ ▄█▓▀▀  ▄░ ░            ▄▄▄░      ▓     ░▐████▄▌▐▄▌▌▄▌▌▐ ▌▐▐▄▐▐▄▌▄▐▐▓▐▄▌█████ ▓     █               █████      ▐▄░   ▓▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐▓▐ ▌█████   ▓░   ▄         ▐▓    █▓███░    ▓▐█░▄▄  ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐█ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌█████    ▄██▄ ▀ ▄      █▌    █████▓   ██▀█▀▀   ▐█▓██ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌███▓█   ▐█▓██▓   ▀██▄ ▀██▀   █████▓░    ▓█▌    ▐████▓▌▐▄▌▌▄▌▌▄ ▌▐▐▄▐▐▓▌▌▐▐▄▐▄▌█████   ▐████▌    ▐▓▓▌▓█▌   ▄█▓███▄░     ▐█▄▓  ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▀█▓███   ▐████▌ ▄▄▓▓▓▀  █▓  ████████▄▄▓ ▄█████▌ ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐▓▐ ▌█████   ▓████▌░ ▄▄   ▄▄█▄▄ ██████████████████████████████▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄     █████  ░██▓████▓██▓▓██████ █░█████▄▀█▄░████████▄▄▄▄▄██████▓████████░██████▄▄▄▄▄███████░▄██░█░█████████ ▓██▀█████▓░░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░░░▓███▓█████ ████████▓ ▓██▓▐████▓ ▓██ █░███ █░██████▓ ███▓▄▀█▓ ▓ ▓█████▓███████ ▓███ ░▄▄▄▓████▓ ▓████████▓ ▓██████▓ ▓████▓