40 minutes, 42 seconds

Sturm
Le Prix du Sang et des Larmes

With a title that translates to "The Price of Blood and Tears," this album is a bit of a letdown. For one thing, it sounds nothing like the violence promised by the group's name, and while there might be some tears to be found in the sad neoclassical arrangements of piano, strings, light snare, and tympani, there's no blood. In fact, there are times the disc sounds an awful lot like Regard Extrême riffing with a morose Dave Brubeck.

So, yes, it's a little...quiet. Low-key, if you will. Despite appearances, Wappenbund this is not. But neither is it boring. Sturm achieve a kind of simmering tension just below the surface that never quite explodes. There's a feeling of vague dread, and then the song ends. If you've ever seen a film by Michael Haneke, you have some idea of what I'm talking about.

In any case, it's yet another ear-catching release from the Polish label War Office Propaganda (which has apparently now changed its name to Rage in Eden). Poland: Where the pierogi are fat and the music is militaristic.

Also today:

40:41 Grendel, End of Ages
40:38 Max Richter, The Blue Notebooks
40:36 Toroidh, Segervittring
40:35 Sava, Aire
40:34 Reaper, Angst
40:30 Dive, Snakedressed
40:25 Tsunematsu Matsui & Anneli Marian Drecker, Song of Joy
40:22 Autour de Lucie, Autour de Lucie
40:20 Encryption, Secrecy