Review: Alukta “Merok” [Transcendance]

Let’s join a funeral ceremony, inspired by doom metal and Toraja Indonesian rituals. There’s death, magic and dark music, so basically, everything I like.

We’re introduced to the magic by the great instrumental “Matampu’”, with its repeated, slightly sinister riff and drumming, and strange chanting, backed up by ominous vocalizing. The following songs, especially “Laisser Entrer Ceux Qui Pleurent”, have similar slow, sinister, repeated riffs that feel like a strange, equally sinister ritual dance. In this particular song, the melancholic and heavy rhythm of the music, as well as the muffled vocals, which mix shrieking, speaking and sad vocalizing, can be appropriately described as mournful. The haunting, repeated drumming feels like something from a mysterious ritual, just like the traditional Toraja singing at the end. So all in all, a very fitting imagery.

The next song, “Des Teintes d’Éternité”, might feel too much like its predecessor, with its similar melancholic, heavy riff and shrieking vocals. But I think Alukta have managed to create such a great, doomy atmosphere that I don’t mind hearing more of it. The sad violin is a great touch, and the vocals are another highlight. They sound like old school black metal shrieks, and the mixing of the album puts them at the background rather than the foreground, which makes them feel like an old, barely audible scream emerging from the darkness. The lead vocalist also tries deeper growls on “Aluk to Dolo”, contrasted with high screams, and a very nice, slow, distorted and doomy riff. They’re a great contrast with the clean vocals, which often sound like a mysterious, barely intelligible incantation, and suddenly become louder and more energetic at the end of “Éternité”.

Similarly, “Kombengi”, has a faster, but still heavy and sinister rhythm, and an intro consisting of traditional chanting over electric guitars and drums. The part with harsh vocals suddenly comes in the middle, followed again by the traditional chanting, which becomes more energetic in the outro.

It becomes even louder, stranger, incantation-like in the last track, “Exuvia”. The chanting serves as an intro, then the riff come in to follow the vocal melody and take it farther, towards a sinister and mystical path. In addition to deliciously doomy riffs, there are some desperate high screams and the same haunting vocalizing as in the intro, which goes really wild in the last part. A great conclusion to a really good album.

Folk and doom metal mix together really well, don’t they? This album sets a great mood for a dark and magical ceremony. There’s also all the melancholy, heaviness and distortion you could ever want. The only flaw I can think of is that the album can be rather repetitive and long, but as I said, the repetition isn’t necessarily unpleasant, because the album’s sound and atmosphere is so great. It’s convincing as a doom metal album and as a magical ceremony put to music, and it’s really enjoyable.

https://transcendance-bm.bandcamp.com/album/alukta-merok