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CAPRICORNS ‘Ruder Forms Survive’ Rise Above (2005)
It’s been a while since I completed my review for the Capricorns’ EP and I must say that I had been anticipating the band’s full-length album with guarded optimism. So, with a cautious movement I placed ‘Ruder Forms Survive’ in my CD player and was rewarded with the enigmatic sound that was already identifiable as unique on the Capricorn’s earlier effort.
The dark and sinister reverberations create an almost threatening atmosphere, just verging off paranoia, whilst interchanging with the more energetic and powerful sections created by the layering of the bass and guitars. All of this, of course, saturated with excellent doomy riffs. Experiencing this album is like listening to rain, starting off as a light shower, progressing to a downpour and then rolling into thunder and lightning and stopping abruptly. These contrasts in texture create the unique sound I mentioned earlier.
It is difficult o mention ‘highlights’ for ‘Ruder Forms Survive’, as all of the tracks work both on an individual and collective basis. However, the epic ‘1066: Born on The Bayeux’ is definitely worth mentioning, both for its length and for the different moods it creates throughout. As with the EP, ‘Ruder Forms Survive’ is an instrumental album, with the exception of some ‘vocals’ on ‘1969: A Predator Among Us’, which serve more as an additional instrument, rather than adding anything specifically to the vocal section.
I cannot say I am enlightened with respect to the concept behind the album, although I would estimate that there is an idea behind it, judging from the track titles, which are in somewhat of a confused chronological order.
In my opinion, the Capricorns have managed to achieve something that Sunn O))) have not, by actually opting for a melody and the use of a rhythm section. And yes, Sunn O))) might be very clever, etc. and I’m sure some people out there are able to get the deeper meaning of the music even when not stoned, but I’m not one of them.
I have no hesitation in saying that ‘Ruder Forms Survive’ is a worthy successor to the ‘Capricorns’ EP and an album that merits recognition. This is definitely one to be saved for a rainy day, which means you can spend the next four months listening to it non-stop!
****
Review by Emily Dgebuadze
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