|
|
MUSIC BOX: The unlit dawn
The world of Dusk is one of black sunrises, mystic quests and beckoning, whispering forests of the Nordic realms. Dubbed ‘the heaviest export of Pakistan,’ Dusk are a couple of seasoned homegrown metal soldiers who have finally released a compilation long player exclusively for this country titled Hearts of Darkness (HoD).
At the dark heart of the band is bassist/vocalist Babar Shaikh and guitarist Faraz Anwar. With HoD, the band has compiled material from their genesis in the mid-nineties all the way up to the recent past. Subdued Light sets the stage with intense atmosphere from the word go as drums pound out a martial rhythm. The growl/scream dynamic is employed effectively, while the pulverizing Await is retooled as a neomix with studio tricks and sonic sorcery.
Returning and To Pathos — originally one track — are cleverly rendered asunder into two distinct songs, the former striking a reflective chord with classically tinged picking, while the latter’s chugging progression steamrolls the ears. The interludes on this record provide an interesting departure from the mundane. Ars Moriendi packs a subtle sonic whollop as angelic hymns collide to form a pensive metal dirge. Forty Seasons From Now is one of the most cryptically beautiful tracks on the record. The pummelling double kick merges with the rock hard bass, and of course there are guitar fireworks galore. Think Al Di Meola meets Dave Mustaine. The sprawling soundscape canvasses seven and a half minutes of tempo shifts and rich, resonant guitar tones and bass patterns.
The curiously titled Chairizkuro (misspelled, but it’s a term from art describing the effects of light) is ushered in by swirling keyboard passages. The track combusts as the percussive barrage interplays with Faraz’s eccentric six-string pyrotechnics. Obscure Moon Sighting is one of two tracks from Aufgang, a one off trio that featured Babar, former Ganda Banda bandmate Rizwan on drums and a saxophone player named Barges. The trio sounds like acid jazz from the south side of the sky. This stuff is a must for addicts of surreal, melodic noise. It has a very Pink Floyd groove to it circa Wish You Were Here but is much darker. XMOG is the second Aufgang track and kicks off with vocal acrobatics. It turns quite tribal, almost sounding like a tripped out Big Band session with some tight drum rolls.
The only disadvantage Dusk have holding them back apart from their obviously non-conformist sound is the language barrier, as none of the songs are in Urdu or other local languages. That notwithstanding, Hearts of Darkness is a morose body of mature expression that deserves the attention of discerning audiophiles and dark individuals of all hues.—QAM
All that glitters
.jpg)
Shakespeare was wrong. All that glitters can be gold — at least for our music scene as a local company has released a collection by the name of Golden Hits that features hits from many of the shining stars of the local pop scene.Jawad Ahmed begins and concludes Golden Hits in style with his prime tracks Dholna and Dosti. In the two numbers that helped him become one of the leading pop stars of the country, Jawad doesn’t fall short of expectations. He displays his flair as a Punjabi vocalist in Dholna while his talents are evident in Dosti where he impresses not only with his vocals but also with his composition. Haroon makes his presence felt with Yaara which is the track that earned him accolades as a solo artist. The song, with its agreeable composition, is followed by Strings’s always-listenable Duur. Written by Anwar Maqsood, Duur marked the return of Strings after a long gap and continues to enthral because of its composition and lyrics. Strings, Haroon and Junaid Jamshed combine to provide Tu hai kahan — the golden hit of the collection. The song has been on the rise ever since it was aired on TV a couple of years back.
Nabeel Nihal Chishty steals the limelight with his guitar work in Strings’s remix version of Sar kiye yeh pahar. Haroon’s Milan needs no introduction — not for the vocalist’s fans but for those who don’t have an ear for him. Only one thing can be said about the track — pay no heed to this number. Ali Sher’s Shaam features complex lyrics and impressive vocals. The tragic and mellow number which helped the vocalist make a successful comeback after a brief stint on Music Channel Charts in the mid-90s is followed by one of the better covers of the current era. Huma Khwaja, formerly of the all-girl band Symphony, reworks Nazia Hassan’s magic by skillfully singing Dil ki lagi. Composed by Bappi Lehri, the song was an instant hit when Nazia sang it, while the remix retains the charm of the earlier version.
The album contains three not-so-golden songs — Waris Baig’s Challa, Sadaf Nawab’s Sun o sajna and Shakila Khorasani’s Chori chori. These songs fall in the less-then-memorable category because of the vocalists’ inability to cope up with the music. Apart from these numbers where Waris’s nostalgic and Shakila’s remorseful vocals haunt the listeners for a short while, the album has decent numbers overall. So don’t waste any time and get your copy of Golden Hits before it turns into glitter.—Omair Alavi
|
|
|
