I have already written about Downfall of Nur when I reviewed the first EP of the act Umbras e Forestas. Downfall of Nur is a one-man band based in Argentina and started in 2013 by Italian-born A., who was born in Sardinia and has then migrated to Valeria del Sol, Argentina. The band's name reflects the Sardinian origins of A.: Nur is actually an abbreviation for nuragh, a type of construction typical of Sardinia dating back to the Nuragic civilization, a Sardinian prehistoric civilization.
Umbras e Forestas was a great EP, though not very original, but it had a good potential and predicted big things for the future. The first full length created by A., Umbras de Barbagia, primarily reflects his Sardinian origin in the title: Barbagia is a mountainous and inaccessible area in the heart of Sardinia. First of all, A.has managed to add that additional touch of originality and maturity that makes Umbras de Barbagia a much more personal album. Nevertheless, the listener will also recognize ingredients already present on Umbras e Forestas, such as a great deal of atmosphere and a folk approach that becomes very evident already in second track “The Golden Age”. A. merged the different instruments with clever arrangements, especially when it comes to the use of Celtic sonorities that give the album a certain evocativeness. But above all, Umbras de Barbagia is an album full of lacerating sadness and sorrow; I think it is the voice of A. that has some obscure, almost depressive charge.
The lyrics deal with nature and paganism, with some inspiration from the Celtic paganism, which is in line with the music, as already noted. Nature is seen as a refuge of primeval and primordial values, as in the eponymous song “Umbras de Barbagia”. You can see that there is a concept throughout the album: “II - The Golden Age”, “III - The Downfall of Nur”, and “IV – Ashes” describe the downfall of the Nuragic civilization” and in “V - Umbras de Barbagia” Barbagia is seen as a symbol of a nature in which the primordial spirit of the world is to be to found:
“Dear Barbagia, your shadows are still alive
in every stone and tree of yours
golden memories of archaic ages,
golden memories of honour and glory.”
In conclusion, Umbras de Barbagia is a superb album; finally an excellent production gives this album a decisive edge.
Notes:
Released on March 21 2015 on Avantgarde Music as CD and LP.
Personnel:
A. - Bass, Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
Umbras e Forestas was a great EP, though not very original, but it had a good potential and predicted big things for the future. The first full length created by A., Umbras de Barbagia, primarily reflects his Sardinian origin in the title: Barbagia is a mountainous and inaccessible area in the heart of Sardinia. First of all, A.has managed to add that additional touch of originality and maturity that makes Umbras de Barbagia a much more personal album. Nevertheless, the listener will also recognize ingredients already present on Umbras e Forestas, such as a great deal of atmosphere and a folk approach that becomes very evident already in second track “The Golden Age”. A. merged the different instruments with clever arrangements, especially when it comes to the use of Celtic sonorities that give the album a certain evocativeness. But above all, Umbras de Barbagia is an album full of lacerating sadness and sorrow; I think it is the voice of A. that has some obscure, almost depressive charge.
The lyrics deal with nature and paganism, with some inspiration from the Celtic paganism, which is in line with the music, as already noted. Nature is seen as a refuge of primeval and primordial values, as in the eponymous song “Umbras de Barbagia”. You can see that there is a concept throughout the album: “II - The Golden Age”, “III - The Downfall of Nur”, and “IV – Ashes” describe the downfall of the Nuragic civilization” and in “V - Umbras de Barbagia” Barbagia is seen as a symbol of a nature in which the primordial spirit of the world is to be to found:
“Dear Barbagia, your shadows are still alive
in every stone and tree of yours
golden memories of archaic ages,
golden memories of honour and glory.”
In conclusion, Umbras de Barbagia is a superb album; finally an excellent production gives this album a decisive edge.
Notes:
Released on March 21 2015 on Avantgarde Music as CD and LP.
Personnel:
A. - Bass, Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com