The debut full-length album by Russian Symphonic Black/Death Metal band.
The Russian extreme underground scene has lots of potential. It has produced many talented and great names over the years, and it's kind of unfortunate that many of them never seem to have success outside of the Russian borders due to the labels' relatively limited promotional resources. Gul Taosa, formed in 2009, is one of those many Russian acts that undoubtedly would do really well everywhere, if people could just find them.
The band plays a flawless combination of Death Metal and Symphonic Black Metal, somewhat similar to Dimmu Borgir, but with death growls and the main emphasis being on more Death Metal riffs, blast beats and stuff. It's a safe recipe that they have for their Black/Death Metal bombardment and when done well, it definitely works.
The first thing to mention about the album is a professional team-work of the musicians and precisely balanced sound of all instruments. The album is full of expectation of the approaching apocalypse, chaos and destruction. It is literally painted crimson colors of infernal evil. Tenebrous, aggressive yet graceful music of the band is a good example of how brutal material can at the same time be beautiful! The album plunges listeners into the atmosphere of horrors bred by the humankind itself that have survived to the present days. Insane surrealist world created by the band seems to resemble the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch.
Upcoming Armageddon, demonic darkness of medieval myths and different deformities of a sick human mind - these are the themes forming the basis of the lyrical content of “Агония Солнца“ (The Agony Of The Sun).
This Russian Metal patrol has managed to create a pretty dark and oppressive aura around their songs, thanks to the effective use of keyboards and overall ability to paint the horizon in all kinds of powerful shades of Black. This is meant to surround your miserable being, like it or not. On "The Agony Of The Sun", Gul Taosa sounds "big" with this pompous atmosphere, and they probably also tend to appeal to a lot of people equally both in the Black and Death Metal camps. There's nothing in their sound that would push you away from them like some vicious Ebola virus. So, give them a chance and a listen!!
More Hate Productions, 2015 (MHP 15-150). Made in Russia. First press.
Tracklist:
1. Семь 04:39
2. Опиум 03:46
3. Дитя Луны 05:16
4. Агония Солнца 01:28
5. Глаз хищника 04:12
6. Дикая охота 03:34
7. Возрождение жизни 04:05
8. Нигилизм 05:51
9. Гул Таоса 05:58
Total playing time: 38:49