EP REVIEW:Akkadian Artefacts – The Medea Project
Feeding live recorded doom metal through the filter of industrial pop and dark ambient, the latest work from THE MEDEA PROJECT is nothing if not novel and ambitious. Originally forming in South Africa before relocating to the UK, goth and doom metal duo THE MEDEA PROJECT have been making ripples in the dark and heavy underground since their self-titled debut EP almost a decade ago. Now, on their most ambitious outing yet the pair team up with Lucifer X of industrial/noise act ST. LUCIFER to reimagine their Live At Dingwalls EP with a darker, more electronic and ambient flair.
Intro track Babylon (The Fall Of Akkadia) sets the scene going forward with a balance of futuristic synth atmosphere and driving goth metal. Although THE MEDEA PROJECT may have their name on the EP Lucifer X’s contributions really shine throughout, transforming the otherwise relatively straightforward distorted guitars and wailing vocals into a rich electronic soundscape closer to NINE INCH NAILS or HEALTH than the original TYPE O NEGATIVE inspired material. Where many remixes are afraid to stray too far from the original intent, simply adding new beat over a rock song or chopping a pop chorus into an equally catchy dance track, Lucifer X displays a refreshing disregard for THE MEDEA PROJECT’s original sound, twisting their raw material into something exciting.
After a fairly strong start Akkadian Artefacts quickly runs out of steam with ideas being quickly repeated. While there are a handful of unique moments past the original concept, three of the five tracks use a similar structure, building up steady layers of synths before exploding into distorted goth rock, which becomes predictable. Although clearly displaying a unique concept Akkadian Artefacts could do with straying a little further from the EP’s core sound and into more experimental territory to keep up with its lofty ambitions.
On the other hand, the EP does start to shine in the tracks that take its concept further, delving deeper into drone and industrial metal. The track Cave Dweller is a standout, leaning into industrial’s nightclub roots, chopping up THE MEDEA PROJECT’s original riffs into a futuristic beat, blending distorted guitars with punchy 808s and harsh synth hits, The Drone Song (Desertion) also stands out from the crowd, taking a hard left in the other direction, stretching out a simple guitar line into a nine minute electronic drone, like if SUNN O))) scored a new Blade Runner movie. While these tracks do a lot to showcase the EP’s more interesting side, they also highlight the fat that could be cut from some of Akkadian Artefacts’ less impressive moments.
Stretching and distorting THE MEDEA PROJECT’s original goth and doom metal material into a completely new experience with dense electronics can’t have been an easy task. While Lucifer X takes a great first stab at creating an almost entirely new genre out of these original recordings Akkadian Artefacts just doesn’t have enough substance to make it all the way through its five tracks. There’s a really interesting fifteen minute EP here surrounded by another fifteen minutes that don’t feel necessary.
Rating: 5/10
The Akkadian Artefacts is out now via BDB Studios.
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