Sui Generis Umbra

Well...there's nothing like SGU, but some of those bands are worth listening to.
MyGen Profile Generator Review of AMOK by Industrialmaniac of Postindustry.org: Od czasu, kiedy przestaly istniec swietne polskie zespoly takie jak Trumpets & Drums, Nowy Horyzont, Wieloryb, a Agressiva 69 i Hedone poszly w strone tandety, przestalem wierzyc w polska scene electro. To jednak zmienilo sie po latach na tegorocznym Castle Party w Bolkowie, kiedy uslyszalem Polska kapele - Sui Generis Umbra. Wokalistka o szatanskim glosie plasaj..ca w rytm muzyki electro/EBM/industrial w polaczeniu z show w stylu Marilyn Manson wzbudzily we mnie dreszcz emocji. Juz po pierwszym utworze wiedzialem, ze chce kupic ich plyte, co tez wkrotce uczynilem. Zawiera ona 8 utworow audio i jeden wideoklip. Pierwszy utwor "Comayhem" rozpoczyna si.. przerazajacym piekielnym krzykiem wokalistki przechodzacym w regularny skowyt polaczony z monotonnym rytmem samplera. Czuc smierc i destrukcje. Cudowne bluzniercze wycie i industrialny zgrzyt w klimacie Aphex Twin. Zabawa w electronic body music rozpoczyna sie w utworze pod tytulem "'Heta Rae" oraz "Paroxysm". Jako zagorzaly fan Nitzer Ebb slysze tu wiele podobienstw. Szybki prosty rytm i wykrzykiwany tekst piosenki. Jednak ten glos nalezy do diablicy, ktora potrafi wstrzasnac sluchaczem. Kolejna perla na plycie to instrumentalny utwor "Ritus Sacer Militaris". Utwor przypomina dokonania grupy Feindflug i idealnie nadaje sie na poczatki imprez electro. Podsumowujac chce ostrzec, ze plyta nie jest absolutnie dla fanow modnego dzis future pop! Ten krazek powinien byc obowiazkowy zarowno dla fanow korzennego industrialu jak i fanow electro/EBM. Plyta jest ciekawa nie tylko ze wzgledu na roznorodnosc muzyczna, ale takze z powodu 'brudu', jaki wyrzuca z siebie wokalistka swoim piekielnym glosem. Mam nadzieje, ze Sui Generis Umbra nie skonczy sie tak szybko jak jej poprzednicy.
Review of COMA by Mark at www.metal-observer.com: As far as Dark Ambient goes, it doesn't get any better than this. If you're a fan of the genre, then the rest of the review is completely and utterly pointless. Just log off now (maybe read a few more reviews to keep Alex happy!) go to the store, and demand a copy of this CD. It's just that good. If you're not a fan, well, then, you're reading the wrong review. If you're not sure, then read on, I've got something to tell you. The highlight of the album has to be vocalist eLL, who has one of the most unusual vocal styles I've ever heard which take a lot of getting used to. At first they're quite unpleasant, almost making the album unlistenable. However, there's just something about them that lets the listener know that they're not bad, they're just very different, and that they deserve subsequent listens. Once you get over the initial hurdle involved with eLL's vocals, the album becomes infinitely more enjoyable. SUI GENERIS UMBRA' greatest success is in making music that is truly chilling and haunting. My speakers just bleed with a disturbing atmosphere whenever I put this CD on. All of this is laced with, as I mentioned before, eLL truly unique vocals that simply need to be heard in order to be believed. They consist of a more standard clean gothic style, tortured crooning, slow, low singing, high pitched yelps, the occasional growl, and a variety of other things that eLL has in her bag of tricks. It's hard to pick a standout track for the album, as every single song is enthralling and mesmerizing. It's hard to not be transfixed by absolutely every second on this disc. I often find myself rewinding certain passages just to make sure that they were really that good. If you've never tried this genre out, this might not be the best place to start out. Then again, it might be. If you do decide to give it a chance, do just that! Don't play it once and then throw it into a pile damning it and me for my review. It could very well take a few listens before you begin to appreciate it. Even I find myself appreciating it more and more as I listen to it. When I started this review, it had a 8/10, and I felt the need to keep adjusting the grade as I wrote (10/10). A truly haunting masterpiece of Gothic Dark Ambience that should be treasured as a true gem by fans.
Review of COMA by Oliver Vollmer at http://metal-reviews.de: Was ganz Finsteres kommt hier aus Polen. Das Teil ist superdüster ohne Black oder Gothic Metal zu sein. Es regieren fast ausschließlich elektronische Bestandteile und trotzdem ist es kein Electro-Tanztempel-Sound. Das hier ist eher schwarzer Ritual Ambient und keine Wohlfühl-Mucke. Am ehesten in die Kategorie „Song“ geht noch das relativ flotte elektronisch groovende „Getorix“, laut Anita der „Soundtrack für Sado-Maso-Sex“ (woher sie das weiß, entzieht sich meiner Kenntnis!) oder das tanzbare „Porna“. Gesang gibt’s nicht wirklich, Fronterin eLL flüstert, wimmert und schreit sich durch Textfragmente und untermalt damit die Klangkakophonien. SUI GENERIS UMBRA würde perfekt zum Cold Meat Industry-Label passen, das avantgardistische Ambient-Düstertruppen wie NEPAL, MZ 412 und Konsorten beherbergt, die mit einigen Volt Starkstrom an den Eiern in der Dunkelkammer gequält wurden. Sehr krank und nicht einfach zu konsumieren, wenn man aber das Licht ausmacht und sich in sein magisches Selbst zurückzieht, macht das nach einigen Durchläufen Sinn. Weil ich heute experimentierfreudig bin, geb ich eine gaaanz knappe, subjektivste, zweistellige Wertung. MyGen Profile Generator ..
Review of ATER by Scorpius Von Nighraeth / Subfennica webzine: Sui Generis Umbra, a mysterious entity in the shape of a music which originates from Poland. Its newest offering “Ater” is released by Fluttering dragon Rec to the unsuspecting audience. Sui Generis Umbra’s mysterious and magical brand is best described as atmospheric, ambiental eerie ritual music and partly dark-wave. It is performed by a solitary Witch. When I first heard “Ater” it reminded me of the (now dormant) Norwegian band Aghast (performed by two Witches, one of them being Andrea Meyer Haugen, wife of the Emperor’s guitarist Samoth). I thought that this is a mere copy of it (and similar projects), performed by a girlfriend of some local black metaller or it might in fact be a serious OCCULT RITUAL MUSIC.... I came to the conclusion it was the latter.... It is very hard to describe Sui Generis Umbra’s music as whole as it does not sound like anything I heard before.... The instruments are acoustic (some are maybe electronic synths but sound very much acoustic), pianos, bells, flutes and many others. Also there are lots of (natural) effects and ambients noises... Vocals are spoken, whispered, shrieked and cursed, even occasional male – vocals are present to haunt this macabre escapade even further. All this creates a throughout eerie and bone shivering atmosphere like they would come from the sub-terranean caves and chasms. Follow the Ater’s path to the surrounding, breathing darkness..... “Ater” is skillfully arranged concept album which has its own philosophy, a few demons to raise and to deliver the unaware listener to the outer reaches of FEAR and the NETHERWORLD. Forget about Mortiis and other crappy so-called Dark Ambient bands/artists. Sui Generis Umbra is the Embodiment Of Utter Atmospheric Darkness, truly a perfect sound – track for your darkest nightmares...