Reviews@Alister - Otrov (CD)

Alister – Otrov

Label: Miner Recordings

Year: 16.10.2015

Format: CD (Jewelcase)

Country: Serbia

Genre: Rock

Still: Heavy Metal

Originally released by BS Production in 2010, the album Otrov (Poison) by the band Alister surely deserves a re-release of this quality. The band hails from Jagodina, and it originated in 1999, but untill Avgust 2001 it worked under the name Poltergaist. Then they are changing their name in Alister, and recorded their first ful-length Obscurity. In the same year they've won on first Jagodina guitar contest. Already in the next year they've released their second opus Memories and Dreams, under the etiquete of One Records. Third album Where Angels Bleed from 2006 was never officially released, so that makes Otrov their fourth album. It was recorded during 2009 in studio Wolf in Jagodina. This album kills on 15 ways, and by that many songs on the album bend certainly shows high level of professionalism. All lirics are on Serbian. Booklet is  well designed on 20 pages, manufactured CD, great production, but these are only technical data that could be the interest for some one who is into graphics, or designer, or drawer. But, we are listening to this album because of its music, and the music is very mature. It was mature when the album was originally released, and it sounds as mature as then.  

Intro „San“ (Dream) opens the album, and then follows real thunder roar of a song „Potraga“ (Search).  Lirically, „Gavran“ (Crow) reminds on Edgar Allan Poe and with its sinisterity captivates each ear.  Songs are closely knitted for each other, and are well arranged at the album, so there are no some surprising jumps, unexplicable mooves. Everything is subordianted to hellsih recepy of thrashers from Jagodina. On the album is trully increadible song „U mraku svemira“ (In the Dark of the Universe) dedicated to tragically deceased Boško Radišić, original vocalist of the band Space Eater. Exactly somewhere around the middle of the album its place have found a half-ballad „Znam“ (I Know), but it does not mean decrease in the atmosphere.  It is a skillfully positioned and it makes a turning point in the sense that it clearly divides one half of the album from the other half; it represents some kind of musical bridge.  If you carefully read song titles,you will get the impression that they are talking one storyline, or that they represent a kind of a dialogue - „Da li znaš šta je bol“ (Do You Know What is Pain), „Čas je poslednji“ (It Is the Last Hour), „Znam“ (I Know)...

Fantastic dual guitar work of Marko Vučković and Darko Mladjenović, seasoned by fantastic Mladjenović's soloing, excelent mastering over the drumm set on the side od Ivan Dulić, high quality of bass lines plaied by Ivan Petrović. Vocal of Igor Miladinović fits in perfectly in final mix, so the whole package sound trully remarkable.

Miner Recordings decided to release this album after 5 years, which surely tells us so much in the support of the fact that Alister is the band, and Otrov (Poison) is the album, because Miner is well known by its ability to recognise the quality. One more release of high quality under their belt. Maibe this time the album will get the credits it deserves.

Written by: Igor Vlad Cepesh Živić

Rating : 9/10