Туман - 2006 - Freezing Moon

Here we have this Hungarian Black Metal horde's second demo rereleased with a bonus track and a rather nice video (for the track "Transylvanian Dreams"), to boot. This demo is a tribute to Dead of Morbid and Mayhem fame, which explains both the title and the fact that there are two Mayhem covers on this recording, both the classic De Mysteriis tracks that were released with Dead on vocals. What's really amazing is how close to the original these two covers sound. The music is fast and harsh Black Metal, and that's that. There's a nice aggression to it, that is so rare these days.

The vocals are are a bit deeper than on the fullength, but that might be due to the over all murkier sound of the recording. Slightly Burzum-esque growls. The vocals sound slightly more desperate here than on the album.

The soundquality is ok, but there is a distinct demo sound to it. Despite it being somewhat muffled, it is remarkably clear, somehow. You hear the instruments, and as with the fullenght, the vocals are most prominent in the mix. It is interesting to hear the differences between this demo and the album, the guitar sound is completely different. The bonus track was recorded more recently, and sounds like the material presented on the album. I would say that this is a recording you get if you enjoy the

album, not really something to start with. It's not bad, it's just that the album is better.

Standout tracks are "Transylvania", "Dark Forest of the Evil" and "A Gonosz Sötét Erdeje".

Saturday October 21 2006, by :Vragh:

Туман - 2005 - Transylvanian Dreams

Out of Hungary comes this Black Metal horde with their first fullength. Fast and harsh Black Metal is what we are presented with, and this is actually really good. Musically this reminds me of the good old days in general. There is a slight melodic feel at times, but this soon changes back to breakneck speed. This album reminds me of Ulver's Nattens Madrigal in its uncompromising sound and execution.

The vocals sound like possessed and hatefilled shrieks. A comparison to Burzum is not entierly wrong, although this is raspier and not as annoying. Apparently the vocalist is a woman, which makes these sounds even more remarkable. What's really interesting is how the vocals are used as an instrument more than is common.

The production is sharp as a knife. You hear all the instruments, with focus on the vocals and the guitars. The drums follow, slightly further back in the mix. There is actually a slight De Mysteriis dom Sathanas sound to the drums here. The snare is clear and in the front, but the toms are a bit muffled. What makes this album a winner is the aggression, speed and hatred that is present, something that I haven't heard in quite a few years. This is absolutely a band to check out further, and keep an eye out for in the future.


Standout tracks are "Átoklátomás", "Vihar" and "Holdlény".

Saturday October 21 2006, by :Vragh: