Far East Ghost - Emperor / Return of the Bastard 2xCD (Triplag Music)

Author: Dr. Krelm
Date: Aug 12, 2009
Score: n/a

The first disc “Emperor” is conceptually strung together with each track loosely related to themes of dominion and control within the mental states.


Cover Artwork:


Tracklist:

CD1: Emperor
No.: Track: Speed: Duration:
1. Call of Thunder 146bpm 8:17
2. Saturation 148bpm 8:34
3. Rebellion 150bpm 7:36
4. Empire 153bpm 7:42
5. Emperor 156bpm 7:16
6. Revolt 159bpm 6:48
7. Transition 164bpm 7:06
8. Resurrection 172bpm 7:45
9. Destruction 172bpm 5:11

CD2: Return of the Bastard & Bonus
No.: Track: Speed: Duration:
1. Return of the Bastard   7:44
2. Return of the Bastard (Savage Scream remix)   8:16
3. Return of the Bastard (Fatal Discord remix)   8:00
4. Return of the Bastard (Baphomet Engine remix)   8:01
5. Return of the Bastard (Datakult remix)   6:41
6. Return of the Bastard (Adi remix)   7:37
7. Rebellion (instrumental version) 150bpm 7:37
8. Revolt (instrumental version) 159bpm 6:49


Review:

Nice concept, but what about the music? The mood ranges from the more deep and entrancing numbers such as the opening “Call of Thunder” (also my personal favorite) to unwieldy and chaotic industrial-metal hybrids such as “Rebellion” and “Revolt” (which appear in instrumental form on the second disc for those who don’t get along with the thrash vocals). One of the strongest points of the album is its relative uniqueness from track to track, which flies in the face of the seeming status quo for many which often sound like a rehashing of the same song. “Transition” especially stands out in this regard, ripping through a fierce 164bpm technoid backbone, before briefly dropping back into a brief jazz-inspired interlude which serves as a warm-up for its explosive final surge. Certain points throughout the trip do feel as though they get lost in a cacophony of frenzied discord and lose my interest, however the appropriately-titled closing number “Destruction” manages to harness the anarchic release into a well-executed collage of distorted hardcore, vicious psychedelics and bulky tech-trance. Don’t try to figure this one out – just listen.

The second disk brings together a collection of respected names from the harder end of the psytrance spectrum such as Savage Scream, Datakult and Baphomet Engine to remix Takeomi’s song “Return of the Bastard”, which is included on the disc in its original form along with instrumental versions of “Rebellion” and “Revolt”. The title track is a fair example of the Far East Ghost sound, however loses its luster in contrast to several of the best songs appearing on the companion disc “Emperor” which have more of a unique style. Of the remixes, the relentless and eerily atmospheric interpretation by Savage Scream stands out as a high point, while the rest somehow miss the spot. The bonus instrumental tracks are of little difference than those appearing on the first disc, and only appear to appease those who don’t like the vocal work in the original versions.

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