Bardoseneticcube & Noises of Russia — New Orthodox Line
New Orthodox Line is a collaboration between two very prolific Russian noise and dark ambient practitioners, Bardoseneticcube and Noises of Russia. The concept of this 47 and a half minute piece seems to revolve around the role of religion, or perhaps the influence of religion on modernised society, particularly in the post-communist Russian Federation. This supposition is quite possibly either a gross over-simplification of their intent or well wide of the the mark altogether. Whether accurate of not, that's what I got from it.
New Orthodox Line is an intense and strange journey which includes more than its fair share of religious imagery. There are choral vocals and church bells, along with intoned speeches in and out of the background. Everything, with little let-up, is overlaid with industrialized drones consisting of clanking and feedback generated from various unidentified sources. The sections which work best are the toward the end of the album. The incidental sounds are backed out of the mix and a swirling drone takes over, held together by what might be called dark ambient backing, consisting mostly of keyboards. The chanted vocals work better toward the end of the piece, as the noisy backing tapers off.
Though the first half of the album is interesting and intense, it's also a bit stifling as a result of so much going on. The "noise" aspect of the music is relatively harsh, and it doesn't always blend seamlessly with the solemn backing. Collaborations often experience lapses in continuity as a result of the players unfamiliarity with each other, and this album is no exception. New Orthodox Line undoubtedly works at times, but since it is presented as one long piece of music, it suffers from its fitful cohesion.