Arvio

Coph Nia, who visited Turku last year, has released his second (or third, if the excellent remix-album That which is Remade is counted) fullength falls stylistically between his debut and the great Holy War EP. It´s dominating element is Aldenon Satorial´s authoriative voice, usually in the form of speech but also sometimes in song. The music divides itself stylistically into three categories, which vary seamlessly throughout the album. One part epic, quite minimalistic neoclassical (The Hall of Truth and the excellent Hymn Pan), another part dark ambient reminiscent of Raison D´être in a positive way (The Mirror, the slow and dark dub-track (!) Lord of the Air and To Fix the Shadow, which also includes styleful lyrics) and one part slow gothic/atmospheric material. The last category offers both great hits (the great Leather Nun -cover Prime Mover and the closing Call of the Jackal) and the album´s weakest moment, an incomplete-feeling Bauhaus -cover (Stigmata Martyr). It too is quite good, sounding both like the interpreter and the original artist, but simply does not reach the level of the other songs. As a whole Shape Shifter is like one logically progressing massive ritual, which proves Coph Nia has matured simultaneously into a pure "CMI-sound" as well as becoming very original. At the same time it is enjoyable to notice how much more Aldenon can get out of heavily used texts (Gnostic Anthem, Hymn to Pan) than other artists who have used them.

At the time I will define this record as "excellent", because it should wait a few years before gaining the title "classic" it has already earned.

Jiituomas

Coph Nia - Shape Shifter

Turussa KMY:n vieraana käyneen Coph Nian toinen (kolmas, jos erinomainen remix-albumi That which is Remade lasketaan mukaan) kokopitkä asettuu tyyliltään debyytin ja upean Holy War -ep:n välimaastoon. Sen ylivoimaisesti hallitsevimpana elementtinä on Aldenon Satorialin autoritatiivinen ääni, yleensä puheen mutta välillä myös laulun muodossa. Musiikki jakautuu tyylillisesti kolmeen kategoriaan, jotka vaihtelevat saumattomasti halki levyn.	Artisti: Coph Nia Formaatti: CD Levy-yhtiö: Cold Meat Industry Julkaisuvuosi: 2003 Kokonaiskesto: 55:51 Kappaleita: 9
Osa on jylhää varsin minimalistista neoklassista (The Hall of Truth ja aivan loistava Hymn to Pan), osa Raison D'etren myönteisessä mielessä mieleen tuovaa dark ambientia (The Mirror, hidas ja tummasävyinen dub-kappale (!) Lord of the Air, ja To Fix the Shadow jossa on vielä lisänä tyylikästä lyriikkaa) ja osa hidasta gootti/atmosfääriätavaraa. Viimeinen kategoria tarjoaa sekä upeita täysosumia (mahtava Leather Nun -cover Prime Mover ja levyn päättävä hypnoottinen Call of the Jackal) ja albumin heikoimman hetken keskeneräisen oloisen Bauhaus-coverin (Stigmata Martyr) muodossa. Myös se on varsin mainio, ollen sekä esittäjän että alkuperäisen tekijän oloinen, mutta ei yksinkertaisesti yllä muiden kappaleiden tasolle. Kokonaisuutena Shape Shifter on kuin yksi loogisesti etenevä massiivinen rituaali, ja osoittaa Coph Nian kypsyneen yhtä aikaa sekä tyylipuhtaasti "CMI-soundiseksi" että erittäin omaperäiseksi. Samalla on nautittavaa todeta miten paljon enemmän Aldenon saa irti jo runsaasti kierrätetyistä teksteistä (Gnostic Anthem, Hymn to Pan) kuin muut niitä käyttäneet artistit. Nyt määrittelen tämän levyn "erinomaiseksi" sen takia, että menee vielä pari vuotta ennen kuin se voi saada ansaitsemansa määreen "klassikko". Jiituomas

Takaisin - Kokoelmat - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - R - S - T - U - V - W - Demot

Coph Nia, who visited Turku last year, has released his second (or third, if the excellent remix-album That which is Remade is counted) fullength falls stylistically between his debut and the great Holy War EP. It´s dominating element is Aldenon Satorial´s authoriative voice, usually in the form of speech but also sometimes in song. The music divides itself stylistically into three categories, which vary seamlessly throughout the album. One part epic, quite minimalistic neoclassical (The Hall of Truth and the excellent Hymn Pan), another part dark ambient reminiscent of Raison D´être in a positive way (The Mirror, the slow and dark dub-track (!) Lord of the Air and To Fix the Shadow, which also includes styleful lyrics) and one part slow gothic/atmospheric material. The last category offers both great hits (the great Leather Nun -cover Prime Mover and the closing Call of the Jackal) and the album´s weakest moment, an incomplete-feeling Bauhaus -cover (Stigmata Martyr). It too is quite good, sounding both like the interpreter and the original artist, but simply does not reach the level of the other songs. As a whole Shape Shifter is like one logically progressing massive ritual, which proves Coph Nia has matured simultaneously into a pure "CMI-sound" as well as becoming very original. At the same time it is enjoyable to notice how much more Aldenon can get out of heavily used texts (Gnostic Anthem, Hymn to Pan) than other artists who have used them. At the time I will define this record as "excellent", because it should wait a few years before gaining the title "classic" it has already earned. Jiituomas