Blue Miasma

When I had listened to “Blue Miasma” back in 2006, I had a very good opinion about the last release of Krieg before they were split. So the re – release of the album with new production and mixture in 2013 is a nice opportunity to discover once again the compositions in an improved (at list theoretically) version. The one – man band after its long journey into the American Black Metal since 1995 and many releases, decided to split up in 2005 while in 2007 they came back and they are active until now. This album contains thirteen compositions of an hour of overall duration. Musically, this album is different by whatever we had listened by the band up to then. For sure the paranoia, the madness as also the characteristic style of Krieg exist in the album. The different thing that their fan will come across into “Blue Miasma” is the more melodic and melancholic aspect of the personality of the band.

The compositions “are playing” with the two aspects of the personality of Krieg, the old, harsh, dirty and brutal one which puts out paranoia and violence, but also the new, more melodic, more atmospheric personality which puts out melancholy up to depression. The riffs are fast, dark, of Scandinavian school filled with hatred and intensity, while the mid pace and slow riffs are quite melodic, atmospheric and technical and they put out an intense melancholic – depressing feeling. Also there are some rhythmic passages which bring to someone’s mind of old school Thrash. The tracks are quite interesting as there is variation regarding the riffs and the atmosphere, there are some noise elements that give a different character to the compositions and the structure of the tracks, if I exclude two – three repetitive parts, is quite interesting.

The instruments are played flawlessly both concerning their technic both the output of the feelings and the atmosphere. The guitar is the instrument that rules the compositions, delivering the different sentiments with absolute accuracy and passion. Here, unlike the first edition of the album, the bass is audible, its lines are simple and they mainly follow guitars and fill the sound. The drums have somehow a subdued sound which doesn’t put out the power that would fit to the compositions, while their lines are quite interesting with beautiful turnings, stormy outbreaks, steady and flawless style of play. The vocals are those harsh Black Metal vocals that we got to know in Krieg, very expressing and passionate. The production here is cleaner and a little bass and puts out a beautiful and massive sound which highlights the atmosphere of the album and the feelings. The mixture is good as all the instruments are audible and the compositions maintain that solid character that they have. The lyrics are not contained in the album and by the lyrics of the tracks I can understand that they also refer to the two kinds of feelings that there are in the album, on one hand hate and on the other hand depression.

“Blue Miasma” is a quite good album which presents to us both the more melodic part of Krieg, it contains beautiful compositions which offer intense feelings to the listener. The new edition of the album has an improved sound indeed, as both the production and the mixture have given a cleaner sound which highlights more the atmosphere of the tracks and makes the feelings more intense. Those of you who haven’t listened to the album, it worth to buy it, but also those of you who have the first edition, you will discover elements and feelings that maybe they were downgraded and lost. Buy it.