In recent years, so much has been written about the North Moravian doom scene that there is probably little point in repeating here everything that happened in the mid-nineties. If, nevertheless, someone who has no idea what this is about happens to come across this article, they have most likely just woken up from a thirty-year coma — and if not, they are probably here by mistake. (smile)
REACTION ECSTASY TRANCE (also spelled EXTASY) were among the pioneers of the slowest metal subgenre, and their album “In Memories” is still considered, alongside the early works of DISSOLVING OF PRODIGY and HYPNOTIC SCENERY, one of the fundamental building blocks of the Czech doom metal scene. R.E.T. originally started out as a heavy metal band, but under the influence of foreign slow-tempo bands, they gradually became more attracted to darker music. Their first effort was the 1993 cassette demo “Depression”, which was released two years later on CD by Taga Rcs., with a bonus in the form of a re-recorded version of “Confession.” A year later, it was time for “In Memories,” released jointly by Taga and Sheer Rcs. Twenty years later, “In Memories” was reissued on CD by Pařát, and two years after that, the first two recordings were released on a 2LP bearing the Pařát logo. It is another gift to fans of old treasures that were created under completely different conditions than today, yet still have plenty to say.
“In Memories” is a surprisingly diverse album. This is not doom metal that simply crawls along monotonously while someone growls over it. Quite the opposite: the Třinec-based band created a colorful cocktail that is not built solely around earthy guitar riffs and a gloomy atmosphere, even though death is the main lyrical theme. The instrumentation already gives you a hint of what to expect. Alongside the standard instruments, keyboards were an integral part of the setup from the very beginning and consequently received quite a lot of space. On top of that, there is an impressive list of guest musicians contributing flute, violin, cello, piano, acoustic guitar… and, last but not least, the singer Tania, who, despite not being a member of the band, was given a considerable amount of room.
Speaking of vocals, lead singer Yarin had a very distinctive voice, and his performance was full of emotion, drama and expression… unmistakable in every sense, making R.E.T. sound truly original. On the other hand, quite a few people simply could not get into Yarin’s vocals and found them unpleasant, but that is always a matter of personal taste. What nobody can deny, however, is that the recording contains plenty of fantastic melodies — monumental as well as mesmerizing — along with a wide range of vocal approaches that can send chills down your spine. At times, Yarin’s delivery is pure agony.
The climax of the recording comes with the closing trilogy. The very first part, “Memory,” is exceptionally powerful thanks to Tania and the cello. Tania also sings partly in Czech (accompanied from somewhere beyond the grave by a male voice), which naturally makes the whole thing even more haunting and urgent.
The older material, “Depression,” does not possess quite the same depth, but you can already trace hints of what was to come, as well as echoes of the band’s heavy metal past. Yarin had not yet developed his tortured, yet muffled and harsh vocal style at that point, whereas Tania was already delivering her part with confidence. The lighter, almost rock-oriented passages featuring violin and female vocals are probably the greatest strength of “Depression.”
The guitars play a greater role in shaping the overall sound, while the keyboards are used more sparingly or pushed further back in the mix. The production is noticeably weaker than on its successor, which, by contrast, has a very successful sound. Of the three tracks, I would highlight “Confession,” with its distinctive and instantly memorable central motif, fine guitar solo and interesting duet between the two singers. The re-recorded version of the song also appeared on the compilation “Masters Of Czech Metal 2,” which was one of the first official releases to showcase doom metal bands on a larger scale.
Those familiar with both recordings have probably already realized that not everything could possibly fit onto two records… “In Memories” runs for roughly 73 minutes, while “Depression,” without the bonus track, lasts 25 minutes — around 100 minutes in total, whereas two vinyl records can accommodate roughly 88 minutes. But there is no need to panic: the sequencing makes perfect sense, and most of the tracks appear on the vinyl in their full length. Two tracks were shortened of the fifteen-minute sections of “Trilogy” (so that they would fit on one side), while from “Depression” a section of “Devastation” and the one-minute outro are missing. So, overall, it is not really such a major intervention in the integrity of the material.
The double album was released in an edition of 250 copies, and although it does not come in a gatefold sleeve, fans are not missing out on anything important. Each record is housed in a double-sided printed inner sleeve, with one side dedicated to a message from the label, and the other featuring lyrics, line-ups, photographs, and more. And if that still isn't enough information, you can simply pick up issue No. 80 of Pařát, in which keyboardist Miroslav Holub looks back on the recording sessions.
Both records come in a sleeve with a reinforced spine. The front features the familiar gravestone bearing the names of musicians who passed away between 1969 and 1995 and to whom the album is dedicated.
For fans of the history of Czech doom metal and the domestic metal scene in general, this is another fantastic gift, following the previously released vinyl editions of DISSOLVING OF PRODIGY. Let's hope that more long-forgotten recordings will see the light of day in the future. Personally, I would particularly welcome ENDLESS and “Among The Trees.”
Reissue – not rated.
Tracklist:
Side A:
- Sacrifice Faith
- For the Burried Alive, for the Living Dead
Side B:
- Satan's Saviours - Envoys from Hell!
- Just Now
- Trilogy - I Memory
Side C:
- Trilogy - II Eyes from Crying, Soul from Hope
- Trilogy - III Time of Joy
Side D:
- Honour to Hippies
- Confession
- Devastation
Running time: approx. 88 min.
Line-up:
- Roman Kufa – guitar
- Daniel Matuszny – guitar
- Miroslav Holub – keyboards
- Yarin Sliž – vocals (lead), guitar (acoustic)
- René Kaleta – bass
- Jiří Szotkowski – drums
Guests:
In Memories:
- Tania Chadziantonidis – vocals (female)
- Leo Skuplík – flute
- Zdeněk Mikušek – guitars (acoustic & lead)
- Štefan Riho – violin
- Nikos Engonidis – cello
- Jiří Krejčí – guitar (lead)
- Mariusz Mrózek – piano
- Ilias Chadziantonidis – vocals (child)
Depression:
- Tania Chadziantonidis – vocals (female)