Conor Fynes 'Наследие' - Senmuth (5/10)

The fourteenth installment in the Senmuth saga, 'Наследие' will not come as a big shock to anyone who has followed the music thus far, or even given this Russian one man project a few tracks' sampling. Another one of the industrial metal-styled albums, 'Наследие' is substantially longer than the average Senmuth album of the type, finishing at around the seventy minute mark. As can be said with many Senmuth releases, there are quite a few forgettable, throwaway tracks here, but the journey is marked with some intelligent passages and a few strong songs. While the fact that Senmuth has regressed once again to the typical industrial sound may dishearten some listeners, there is a clear sense here that the execution of the music is a bit more interesting than at the beginning of the career.

With fifteen tracks to delve into here, this is a bigger time investment than your average Senmuth album, but there is depth to it. While the musical style is all-too familiar by this point (metal infused with ethnic instrumentation and electronica), Senmuth still manages to make an album that delivers a sense of satisfaction by the end, although it requires a certain amount of patience and effort on the end of the listener to achieve that. A few tracks here see Senmuth collaborating with some associates (typically female singers) and these turn out to be some of the most memorable tracks on the album. There is a repeat of the track 'Путь к Руинам' here; the song is remixed to close of the album. Both versions are vocalized by a female singer under the stage name Skandy21, who, depending on my mood, either impresses me with her stylized Russian inflections, or aggravates me for the very same reason.

Moreso than other Senmuth albums, this record is a sure grower. After my first listen, I felt exhausted from the long length and general tired sound that the album centered around. Repeated listens did however, open me up to the idea that Senmuth was showing a general improvement in his craft. Here, there is alot more melodic lead work, as well as a greater presence of standout riffs. At it's heart however, 'Наследие' still falls into the category of Senmuth albums that relish in their mediocrity.