Review by illusionist for Schammasch - Triangle (2016)

Scattered moments of brilliance

I was roped in by some of the online buzz around this album when it came out, even hearing words like "masterpiece" and "AOTY" thrown about. Plus "Schammasch" is basically a palindrome, so I was helpless to resist. 

It took me over a week to sink my teeth into this ambitious triple album and, surprisingly, I actually found the Tribal Ambient third disc the most gripping. There are some truly cathartic moments on that one. Rich and detailed atmospheres you can easily get lost in, and (most of the time) the songs actually feel like they're going somewhere. Though the first disc is rather good as well. It's the most Black Metal in style with highlights "Consensus" and "In Dialogue With Death" calling to mind "The Satanist" in their scope, occult themes and fearsome demonic narration. The second disc is easily the weakest, in my opinion, with only "Above the Stars of God" really standing out as a noteworthy composition. And it IS stellar, once you get through the thirteen boring minutes on the disc that build up to it. 

Overall, despite some great songs, I think the tiring 100-minute length and inconsistency (a seemingly useless song for every impressive one) of Triangle prevent it from being a 2016 highlight for me. However, it is definitely worth hearing for anyone out there who likes grandiose, ritualistic black metal with a modern production and experimental tendencies. And as a painstakingly complex album, there is an obvious potential for it unravel itself for me more as the time goes on.

Highlights: In Dialogue With Death, Consensus, Above the Stars of God, Cathartic Confession