Ion isn't necessarily a new band, but is one many fans of Metal and Depressive Rock probably have yet to hear about. This is a project headed by Duncan Patterson, one of the members of Anathema, as well as with Antimatter. This group takes things into a different direction, and actually comes off as more of a piece of softer songs that are more eclectic and natural then anything, having a much more soothing approach then any of the other bands he has formed or worked with in the past, which is quite high according to many internet sources. With what seems to be plenty of Folk influences incorporated into the mix, does thism ake for a nice alternative for many, though for fans of this artist, a perfect addition to his already impressive discography?
Immaculada isn't one of the strongest recordings you will hear for the year, but the material on here is still rather impressive. Most of the music is done through acoustic means, and the production seems to vary sometimes between songs at times. This doesn't happen for every track, but it seems to be focused more on the drums, as well as the overall tone of the music. "Temptation" is a perfect example, as the song takes the Folk/Middle-Eastern feel of the music to a stronger level, focusing greatly on that Middle-Eastern sound through the guitars being played and female vocals that add some extra ambience to the mix. The drumming for this track seems to be a little more muffled in comparison. This song also seems to be bled in from the title track, "Immaculada", though it doesn't bleed into the next track, "Adoration", which is a completely different track that has a heavier Folk feel with music that comes off more with a nature theme atmosphere.
"Adoration" is also one of the lightesst tracks on here, and is heavily driven by the female vocals, though some folk instruments do make up certain aspects of the song, but traditionally during certain aspects of the main verses, which feature quite a lot of silence between the input of these instruments. while the emptiness in the song is not necessarily what some want to hear in a song, the female vocals fit and manage to kill some of the silence, though not strong enough to completely carry the song outside of it's chorus. Outside of those moments of silence, the song itself is well done, and often sounds quite beautiful too.
Of course, while "Adoration" has plenty of moments where the music has a good amount of silence, that one will feel really interesting compared to "Cetatea Cisnadioara". This track clearly focuses on utilizing atmosphere and the ambience of nature effects such as rain falling from the sky to cast a beauty to the recording. It also seems to offer up the same vocal approach that appears on "Immaculada", using a simpler structure of harmonizing with the music without utilizing any actual lyrics, mostly to enhance the Folk feel of the recording. While that performance itself suits the music and can come off well executed, making this track sound more like the kind of music one might hear in a mournful segment in a Hollywood film, or some kind of tribal scene. It does it's job well, but at the same time, there simply isn't anything all that jaw droppingly spectacular about it, and in the end it just becomes something that is more relaxing, carries some beauty, but honestly might have sounded better without as much vocal input as there is, or at least a stronger voice.
In the long run, the CD is another well crafted release from the very artistic Duncan Patterson. This release has a very strong Folk influence, though it starts off very misleading by having a Middle-Eastern sound to it, slamming the listener into a very stable Egyptian atmosphere, though the first track does wind up having a Folk input outside of a Middle Eastern feel at times. The recording had plenty of slower tracks that you can listen to, but at times they seem a bit too mellow and even hollow, which doesn't seem to be aided by much. The vocals are strong and well performed, but simply don't quite fit the caliber of what is needed to carry entire songs the way they often do. Ion's Immaculada winds up being an enjoyable album if you want to kick back and just feel at one with nature, but it's not going to be one that you'll flock to all the time, regardless of your taste in music.
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